The Cupertino Courier

Sports

Favored Mustangs ready to open El Camino season

By Mike Barnhart

In pre-season interviews, nearly every coach in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League picked Homestead as the favorite, or team to beat, this fall. After all, the Mustangs have a number of players that earned some varsity stripes in the highly regarded De Anza Division last season.

Well, after three impressive non-league wins against teams from the Blossom Valley Athletic League, the time has come to see if coach Charlie Bostic's Mustangs can live up to the billing. Homestead's return to the El Camino Division kicks off Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m., when Monta Vista invades Diesner Field.

Two other El Camino openers are scheduled that night: Cupertino-Saratoga at Benny Pierce Field, 7:30 p.m., and Gunn-Lynbrook at Cupertino High, 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Fremont (2-1), still one week away from El Camino play, will travel across town to The King's Academy for a non-league contest with the Knights (3-0) at 7:30 p.m.

Without a game last week, the 3-0 Mustangs had a head start in preparation for their first El Camino game since 2002. Homestead's winged-T offense has been running in high gear, with quarterback Rex Blodgett directing the attack and handing to talented ground gainers Kevin Rogers, Darnell Green and J.J. Kizine.

The youthful Matadors (1-2), led by a hard-nosed defense and athletic, junior quarterback Justin Rahn, will be the first of six El Camino opponents looking to knock off Homestead.

Pioneers look for win

Meanwhile, Cupertino would like to put the brakes on an 0-3 losing skid when it travels to Saratoga on Friday.

The Pioneers' defensive results were much better last Thursday in a 6-0 loss to Wilson Prep of Oakland than in the previous week's 49-0 effort at Del Mar. Cupertino coach Kyle Fitzpatrick would like to see his offense get the ball into the end zone, as it did in a 14-13, season-opening loss back on Aug. 31.

Saratoga (2-1) certainly will not be an easy club to get a win against. Coming off of a bye week, Kurt Heinrich's Falcons showed plenty of scoring punch in their most recent game, a 42-13 win over Capuchino. A week earlier, they showed off some defensive muscle by shutting out Live Oak 14-0 in Morgan Hill.

Day scores a pair

A 28-20 defeat to The King's Academy last Saturday night left Lynbrook with a 1-2 record heading into its division opener against Gunn (2-1).

Senior Spencer Nolet's 7-yard run around right end to the pylon midway through the fourth quarter proved to be the decisive score for the Knights. Senior Thadd Winton kicked his fourth extra point of the game for a 28-13 lead.

Lynbrook quarterback Greg Wallis directed a late scoring march, concluding with a 13-yard touchdown run by powerful senior fullback Scott Day in the final minute. It was Day's second touchdown of the game and eighth of the early season.

After senior Jim Baglanis' second PAT kick of the night, Lynbrook attempted an onside kick, hoping for one final possession. The Knights recovered cleanly, however, and ran out the clock, improving their record to 3-0.

Employing a no-huddle offense for much of the game with motion on almost every play, TKA's offensive scheme confused the Vikings occasionally.