Hancock hopes 13's lucky number for team
By Dick Sparrer
To many, 13 is not a very lucky number.
But West Valley Community College football coach John Hancock doesn't look at it that way.
The Vikings have 13 players returning from a 1999 club that posted a winning 6-4 record, and Hancock considers himself very lucky indeed.
A half dozen all-conference returners, including a couple of first-team picks, top the list of a baker's dozen lettermen at West Valley this fall.
Defensive end Ryan Smith (6-foot-1, 216 pounds) and defensive back Charles Boughton (6-foot-1, 182) were each first-team all-conference performers a year ago. And they return this fall to lead an experienced defensive squad into action.
T.J. Aimonetti (6-foot-2, 240) will play opposite Smith at the other defensive end spot. Aimonetti, a Westmont graduate, won a second-team all-conference spot last year.
Linebacker Corey Gomes (5-foot-11, 207) was another all-conference second-teamer who is back on the defensive squad along with lettermen Joey Robinson (6-foot, 185), Calvin Edwards (5-foot-7, 177) and Adam LaBare (5-foot-11, 179) in the secondary.
Heading up the offense is a sophomore quarterback Kyle Padia (6-foot-3, 215). Padia, a prep star at Leigh, won a second-team all-conference place last year.
Running back Mat Meade (5-foot-11, 212), wide receiver Anthony Stelmach (6-foot-1, 185) and tight ends Billy Himan (6-foot-2, 269) and Taylor Wallace (6-foot-5, 235) are other top returners to the offensive unit. Meade was Aimonetti's teammate at Westmont.
Sophomore placekicker Jeff Chaussee (6-foot-2, 248) returns to handle the kicking chores for the Vikings after winning all-conference honors last year.
Top freshman prospects at West Valley this fall include three stars from last year's championship Los Gatos football team. Tackles Ryan O'Gorman (6-foot-5, 240) and Mike Belsheim (6-foot-4, 318) will be blocking for running back Justin Narragon (5-foot-10, 190), just as they did last fall at Gatos.
Wide receiver Brian Davis (6-foot, 175) will be running pass patterns along with his former Pioneer teammate, Stelmach.
Lance Vee (6-foot-4, 329) and Chris Keith (6-foot-2, 284) are other top prospects in the offensive line and Onyera Ossai (6-foot-2, 220) is a talented newcomer at linebacker.
The Vikings host Chabot on Sept. 8, 3 p.m. in the season opener on their Saratoga field. West Valley will chase its first title since 1994 when the conference year begins Sept. 23 at the College of San Mateo.
West Valley College
Fri., Sept. 8 Chabot 3 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 16 at CC of San Francisco 1 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 23 at College of San Mateo* 1 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 29 College of Sequoias* 3 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 6 San Jose City College* 3 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 21 at Hartnell (Salinas)** 7 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 28 at Gavilan (Gilroy)** 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 3 Monterey Peninsula** 1:30 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 10 De Anza* 1:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18 at Contra Costa (San Pablo)*
* Conference games ** Division games
All home games played at the West Valley College field in Saratoga.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
