Wildcats net three straight wins
Los Gatos golfers fall to Monta Vista
By Dick Sparrer
The league season may have opened with a loss for the Los Gatos boys tennis team, but the Wildcats haven't lost since as they have run their record to 5-1 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
William McCalister, Michael Franchi and Mark Matulich won three times in singles play last week to lead the Wildcats to three straight league victories.
The Cats edged Milpitas 4-3, then two-timed Cupertino 6-1 and 7-0 in league matches.
McCalister was a 6-2, 0-6, 6-3 winner at No. 1 singles to start the Cats on the road to the win over the Trojans.
Franchi supported with a 6-1, 7-6 victory at No. 3 singles and Matulich won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at No. 4.
Geoff Hubbard and Chris Choi helped clinch the team win with a hard-earned 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 win at No. 3 doubles for Gatos.
Hubbard and Choi teamed for another victory and McCalister, Franchi and Matulich each won in singles play in the 6-1 win over Cupertino later in the week.
Los Gatos swept in doubles play against the Pioneers with Ben Kane and Thomas Helloboid winning 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1, Adam Clark and Matt Falkenhagen winning 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 and Hubbard and Choi winning 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3.
McCalister started the day with a 6-3, 6-0 triumph at No. 1 singles. Franchi won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3 and Matulich won 7-5, 6-0 at No. 4.
Los Gatos swept Cupertino 7-0 a match later.
McCalister was a 6-1, 6-1 winner at No. 1 singles with Greg Faltersack winning 6-2, 6-3 at No. 2, Franchi 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 and Matulich 6-1, 6-1 at No. 4.
Kane and Helloboid won 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 at No. 1 doubles with Clark and Falkenhagen winning 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) at No. 2 and Choi and Luke Felix winning 6-0, 6-4 at No. 3.
Gatos lost a nonleague decision to Leland last week, falling 5-2 despite getting wins by McCalister 6-3, 6-0 at No. 1 singles and Faltersack 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 2.
Branon leads Cats
Sophomore Trevor Branon fired a six-over par 40, but it wasn't enough to lead the Los Gatos golf team to victory in nonleague action against a tough Monta Vista squad last week.
The Matadors, favorites in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League this spring, pulled out a tight two-stroke victory over the Wildcats at the La Rinconada Country Club.
Gatos, the top team in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL, lost a tough 212-210 decision to the Mats, despite putting five finishers within five strokes of one another.
Branon led the way with his 40 on the par-34 course. Sophs Chris McMorrow and Charlie Clark each finished at 41 with junior Bobby James and senior Chris Abel each carding a 45.
The loss was the first of the year for the Cats, who are now 7-1 for the year.
The Wildcats faced three matches this week as they returned to league play. The Cats were to meet Milpitas on March 27 at Summit Pointe, Wilcox on March 28 at La Rinconada and Wilcox again on March 29 at Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Center.
Los Gatos will compete in the Salinas Tournament on April 3 before hosting Milpitas a day later at La Rinconada.
Cats top Falcons
The Los Gatos boys volleyball team pulled out a tight win over Saratoga in the first game of the year in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL.
Greg Blevins pounded down 13 kills to lead the Wildcats to a 15-8, 17-15, 15-9 victory over the Falcons. Nate Sweeters supported with 11 kills and Kevin Krug added five.
Mike Walleen served 13 straight points in game three for the Wildcats, including five service aces.
Andrew Holcomb came through with a team-high 85 assists and he also added six kills in the win.
The Cats were to host Mountain View for a league match on March 28, 7 p.m., before visiting Fremont on April 4.
Willard homers
Markus Willard blasted a two-run homer and Chris Eagen slapped a two-run single, but the Los Gatos baseball team lost a 5-4 heartbreaker to Monta Vista last week.
Gatos fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but tied it with two in the second and went out in front with two more in the third.
But the Matadors knotted the score with two of their own in the fourth, then broke the 4-4 tie with a run in the fifth.
Senior southpaw Steve Chase was stuck with the tough loss, even though Monta Vista could manage just eight hits in the game.
The Wildcats slipped to 1-4 in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL with the loss. The Cats will try to get back on the winning track this week when they host Milpitas on March 29, 3:30 p.m., and visit Fremont on March 31, 3:30 p.m. Both the Trojans and Firebirds are 3-3 in division play.
Gatos girls fall
The Los Gatos girls softball team dropped a 12-2 decision to Monta Vista last week. The loss dropped the Cats to 0-2 in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL and to 2-7 for the year.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
