Photograph by Douglas Rider

Los Gatos speedster Joey Warren played a major role in the Wildcats' 49-13 win over Monta Vista last Friday night.

Los Gatos Wildcats win to go 10-0

Los Gatos will host CCS playoff opener

By Dick Sparrer

Brian Edwards didn't get many chances to touch the football for Los Gatos when the Wildcats battled Monta Vista last Friday night.

The senior speedster only got his hands on the ball six times--twice as a running back, three times as a receiver and once when he picked off a pass.

So it would seem that Edwards wasn't much of a factor in the final game of the regular season.

Well, Monta Vista might have different opinion.

Sure Edwards only touched the football six times. But three times he scored touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 49-13 victory and a second straight 10-0 regular season.

The win came in the final game of the season in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. And for the second straight year, Gatos finished 6-0.

"That's the first time any team has won the power league two years in a row," said a proud Gatos head coach, Butch Cattolico. "And that was our second year of going 10-0 in the regular season."

In all, Los Gatos football teams recorded a 24-0 record in the 2000 season. Both the varsity and frosh-soph were 10-0, and the Los Gatos reserve team that plays on Saturday mornings posted a 4-0 record.

"So we must be doing something right in the program," added the coach.

Cattolico was especially pleased with a second straight 10-0 record in regular season play.

"It's been a good run with these kids," said Cattolico of the Wildcats. "But we'd like to keep it going for about three more weeks."

That would be the duration of the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs. Gatos opens the playoffs at home this week against Terra Nova, with the semifinals set for Thanksgiving weekend and finals on Dec. 2.

Los Gatos will host Terra Nova on Nov. 17, 7 p.m., at Helm Field. The Tigers come into the game with a 6-4 record, but the only losses the club from Pacifica have suffered have been against Valley Christian, Woodside, South San Francisco and Menlo-Atherton--all playoff teams.

"So they haven't lost to a bad team," said Cattolico.

"They've got a kid who's a real good running back, and they've got some big, strong kids who play up front," he said. "I think it will be an interesting test for us. They're physical, and they're going to come after us.

"We've just got to take care of business."

And that's just what the Cats did last Friday night. Monta Vista managed to control the football early in the game, and trailing just 7-6 early in the second period. But the Wildcats turned it on to score 35 points before the half to take a commanding 42-6 lead.

Edwards scored three different ways in the win. He took a reverse 33 yards for a second-quarter touchdown and he snagged a 21-yard touchdown pass from Trent Edwards later in the period. Moments later, he intercepted a Monta Vista pass and was off to the races on a 43-yard touchdown run.

Markus Willard gave Gatos the early lead when he picked off a pass and ran it back 38 yards to paydirt. Anthony Frangadakis kicked the first of his seven extra points, and the Cats were up 7-0.

Monta Vista answered back with a touchdown early in the second, but then the Wildcats really went to work.

A 6-yard run by Derek Smith and a 16-yard run by Joey Warren set up B. Edwards for a 33-yard touchdown run.

"Then the defense started to play a little better and got things going," said the coach.

They certainly did. Warren snagged an enemy pass and ran it back 21 yards to the Monta Vista 21. On the next play, T. Edwards hit B. Edwards for 21 yards and the score.

Just moments later B. Edwards stepped in front of a Monta Vista and turned it into a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown.

The defense stopped the Matadors cold, and following an MV punt, T. Edwards hit Warren for 40 yards and a touchdown.

A 45-yard touchdown run by Warren was called back because of a holding penalty, but a 26-yard T. Edwards toss to Smith set up his 4-yard touchdown pass to Willard.

The scoring dervish that was the second quarter turned a close game into a rout in less than 12 minutes. But the Cats were finished yet.

Smith carried most of the load on a 66-yard touchdown drive to start the second half. Smith carried five times for 44 yards and B. Edwards ran a reverse 18 yards before the Smith went the last four for the touchdown. And the Gatos starters retired for the evening.

T. Edwards finished the night hitting on seven of nine passes for 140 yards and three touchdowns. B. Edwards had three catches for 70 yards, Smith two for 28 yards, Warren one for 40 and Willard one for four.

Cattolico was pleased with the job of the offensive line, which protected Edwards well all night.

"That was as fine a job of pass blocking as we've had all year. They really protected Trent well and gave him time to throw," said the coach, praising the work of Casey Sargent, Adam Toeniskoetter, Matt Benedetti, Dan Holtzman, Nick Crafford and Nick McAlpine.

Smith led the ground show with 10 carries for 91 yards. Warren picked up 47 yards on three tries, and had two runs for 60 yards called back on penalties.

Chris Willard added three carries for 35 yards and B. Edwards had two for 51 yards.

Linebacker Nick Skrabe was the tackling leader for the Cats with 13 stops and he also recovered a fumble.

Jon Espe was in on 10 tackles for Gatos and Mike Vyhnal, Matt Newell, Ken Heiner, M. Willard and Tony Berry were in on nine each. Willard had the interception and Berry recovered a fumble.

Matt Johnson was in on six tackles in the win, James Furlo five, Scott Cohn and Travis Howell four apiece, and Jason Rosa, Jason Prejean, Randy Reilly and Geoff Sholly three each. B. Edwards, Warren, Scott Soucy and John Allen were others in on tackles.

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