Head coach Butch Cattolico's crew faces the challenge of filling some pretty big holes in its offense with the graduation of playmakers Danny Bates and Matt Martini and three all-league offensive linemen.

But then to compound that problem, Cattolico is challenging his 2004 club to improve on its 9-3 finish of a year ago. To do that, some players are going to have to step and fill those shoes very quickly.

Cattolico, though, figures he has the players to do just that.

Without the go-to guys like Bates and Martini, Gatos will feature a different sort of attack this fall, but one that's not all that unfamiliar for Cattolico and his staff.

"This year's team will need to be more balanced but it has the potential to achieve the kind of pass/run productiveness that highlighted the undefeated teams of 2000-01," said the coach, as optimistic as ever as he approaches the coming year.

"The team has some strengths as well as some question marks," he added. "But we had a great summer with great success in passing league and a great effort in the weight room. The team seems to be in very good shape."

Seniors Erik Rollin, Mike Brienzo, Evan Wynne, Liam Smith, Devin Lopez and Vince Bellotti bring talent and experience to the field this fall and give the Wildcats reason for optimism.

The offense

Rollin is a key figure in that group. The quarterback returns for his third varsity season—his second as a starter—and Cattolico thinks his passer looks better than ever.

"Rollin is coming off a very good year," said the coach. "He's dropped 40 pounds and his knowledge of the offense and his throwing skills have improved greatly over last year."

Rollin brings "leadership, ability, experience and vastly improved mobility to the field for his senior season," Cattolico said. He'll be backed up this fall by junior Danny Sullivan, a talented 6-foot-5 quarterback who led the frosh-soph to a 9-1 season and a league championship last year, and senior Kevin McCarty, "a savvy veteran who knows the offense well," Cattolico said.

Rollin will have a talented crew of receivers to shoot for, led by Brienzo, Bellotti, junior Mike Gault and sophomore David Martini.

"The receivers had an excellent summer and seem to be very talented and deep," said Cattolico. "This is as talented and deep a receiving corps as we've had in the past 30 years."

Brienzo returns for his senior season after winning the Junior of the Year award last fall in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

"He runs great routes, has great hands and is a fantastic runner," said Cattolico of the senior speedster.

Bellotti spent most of his time on defense last year, and will be a starter in the secondary again this season. But he'll get plenty of chances on offense, too.

"This summer he has become a great receiver with blazing speed, good height and hands," Cattolico said. "He puts a lot of pressure on any corner and his route-running has improved so he is threat to go deep or come over the middle. And, like Brienzo, he can make a lot of yards after the catch."

Despite the talents of the two senior receivers, Cattolico says that Gault "potentially could be the best of the group. Once he is more comfortable with the offense and runs better routes, he is a game breaker and has the potential to take it to the house on any play."

Martini, just a sophomore, is expected to start at the tight end spot and give the Cats another talented target.

"He has great height, speed and hands and is very tough to cover," said Cattolico. "He showed the most improvement over the summer and could really be special down the road."

Senior Nick Gaffney, who is a solid blocker, will also spend time at tight end.

Seniors Keenan Murray, J. C. Thiel and John Breslin and juniors Brett Hampton and Carlos Alonso are other prospects at tight end.

Seniors Jeremy Bays, Ryan Bersano, Jeff Collins, Don Coletti, Tom Quinn, Scott Sanders and John Bannister and juniors Marty Mullins and Dan Harris are others who could get playing time at wide receiver spots.

"A real key this year is to get more blocking and physical play from our receivers," Cattolico said. "This was a real weakness on last year's team and, although it is a great core of talented receivers, those willing to block may find more playing time than others."

The beneficiaries of that downfield blocking will be the Gatos running backs, and right now Cattolico is still looking for one back to run away from the pack.

Senior Alex Ghanavati, junior A.J. Comeau and sophomore Will Kapp appear to be the frontrunners right now, and all three could figure in the rushing attack for the Cats this fall.

"Probably no one can replace Danny Bates at this position—Danny carried the offense," said the coach. "But some very talented tailbacks will be sharing the load, and between them they bring all the skills necessary to carry the rushing load."

Ghanavati, the senior veteran, "possesses great strength, speed and quickness, and could be very tough both inside and outside," Cattolico said.

But the youngsters also look good.

Comeau is coming off of an outstanding season on the frosh-soph and is "the most elusive broken field runner in the group and also an excellent receiver," said Cattolico. "A. J. has the potential to be a big time running back at Los Gatos."

The coach is also impressed with the young Kapp. "He has great potential and can do it all," the coach said. "How quickly he picks up the speed of the game at the varsity level will determine how much playing time he gets on offense."

Juniors Andy Clark and Chase Kinser are other prospects in the backfield.

"Tailback by committee may be the theme early in the season unless one of these three backs has a great camp," added the coach. "All three have great ability and need to prove themselves once we get into pads."

Leading the tailbacks through their holes will be fullback Brian Bolandi, a senior who "is ready for a breakout season," said Cattolico. "Brian is a three-way threat on offense. He is a punishing runner, outstanding blocker and catches the ball well."

Seniors Chas Talpas and Will Hartsell and juniors Robbie Perry and Danny Frey will also look for playing time at fullback.

Smith, Wynne and Lopez provide the Wildcats with senior leadership up front in the offensive line.

Smith is back for his third varsity season, his second as an offensive starter at tackle.

"He's ready to come into his own this year," said Cattolico of Smith. "Liam has put on about 30 pounds of added strength and yet has kept his quickness and is in top shape. He needs to stay healthy for this team to be outstanding."

Battling for work at the other tackle spot are seniors Adam Gutto, Chris Cuthbert and Matt Showalter. Junior Mike Tona is another top prospect at the position along with juniors Rich Gomez, Eric Kelly and Max Bowman and senior John Breslin.

Wynne will play alongside Smith on the left side of the line as a Gatos guard, and the returning all-leaguer is quite a prospect.

"Evan Wynne has everything going for him," the coach said. "He's big and fast with a great understanding of the offense. He could be one of the best we have ever had."

Los Gatos suffered a tremendous loss when the hard-working Allan Wang went down with a season-ending injury in an August practice. Wang had won the starting job at right guard, but suffered a dislocated shoulder that ended his senior season before it began.

Seniors Eric Chen and Cuthbert are top candidates at the position, along with junior Brett Havens, a top guard up from the frosh-soph. Juniors Vik Shivaji and Eric Rowell are also looking for work at guard.

Lopez, a three-sport star at Los Gatos, will move from fullback to center for the Cats this fall. The senior, a heavyweight wrestler who also pitches the shot put and discus for the track team, is one of the strongest Wildcats.

"He's a very strong, talented athlete who has tremendous quickness and should be an outstanding lineman on both sides of the ball this year," Cattolico said.

Juniors Matt Nelson and Rowell could also share time at center.

The defense

The mantra at Los Gatos this season is "improve, improve, improve," and no where is that more important than on defense.

"The biggest area of improvement this year must be on the defensive side of the ball," Cattolico said. "Although we played well last year, well is not a word we like to use when it comes to our defense. Aggressive, swarming, tough, hard-nosed and physical are better terms which could not be used last year."

Gone is defensive leader Ivan Batinich, lost to graduation. But the Los Gatos defense this fall looks to have "great team speed, more aggressiveness and the ability to shut down the run better," said the coach.

Bolandi is the heir apparent to Batinich's post at inside linebacker.

"Big things are expected from Brian," Cattolico said. "He's strong, quick and flat-out nasty, with a passion for contact and should be a natural at inside linebacker."

Chen and Alonso are other top prospects at the position and seniors Hartsell and Sanders and juniors Bowman, Perry and Ryan Rose are other looking for playing time inside.

Up-front defensively the Cats will feature some familiar names. Lopez, Smith and Wynne will also serve double duty on the Gatos lines, and all three are solid defensively.

"Devin is a throwback to some of the best nose guards we have had a this school," Cattolico said of Lopez. "He's built low to the ground and is quick and strong."

Smith and Wynne have the tools to be outstanding at defensive tackle.

Cuthbert, Breslin, Showalter, Gutto and Rowell are other top candidates for defensive line play along with Tona, Havens, Kelly, Gomez, Nelson and Shivaji.

Talpas is a returning starter at a defensive end spot and looking for work on the other side will be Hampton, Gaffney, Murray, Frey and junior Andrew Stanley.

But Talpas is the leader at the position.

"He has blazing speed, great strength and quickness," said Cattolico of the senior defensive end. "He can cover receivers, stop the run, jam the tight end and put pressure on the quarterback."

A key for Los Gatos in the 2004 campaign will be the play of the defensive secondary.

"Improvement here is a must if we're to compete for titles this year," the coach said.

Bellotti is a returning starter at free safety and leads the casts of defensive backs. Comeau, Kapp, Brienzo and Gault are other key players in the secondary.

Collins, Mullins, Quinn, Clark, Bannister, Bays, Harris, Bersano, Martini and senior Mario Borbas are other defensive back hopefuls.

Special teams

Senior Matt Boyd brings a strong leg to the Los Gatos kicking game and will kick-off for the Wildcats. He also shows promise as a placekicker and will rival Bays and Comeau for the job of booting extra points and field goals for the Cats.

Coletti returns as the Gatos long snapper with Rowell also showing promise, and McCarty will hold for the placekicking crew.

Sullivan, Collins and Bolandi are still competing for the job to become to the Los Gatos punter.

"The job is still wide open," Cattolico said, adding, "The hope is not to have to punt too often."