Photograph by George Sakkestad
Fremont's Darren Lang drives to the hoop to score two of his game-high 13 points in last week's title-clinching win over Mountain View.
By DICK SPARRER
First there was one Fremont player, then another.
And finally there was a stack of bodies piled high on the basketball floor at Fremont.
The officials could almost have thrown a flag for piling on, if there were such a call in basketball. But the officials weren't about to get involved in this particular pile-up. After all, it was a celebration.
And the Firebirds had good reason to celebrate--they had just beaten Mountain View 43-36 to clinch the championship in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Fremont had the game well in hand as Jabbar Burton moved the ball down the floor in the final moments. As the seconds ticked away to end the game, the celebration began.
The final buzzer signaled the jubilation as Fremont players mobbed each other at center court to celebrate their championship.
The victory left the Firebirds 10-2 in the division and Mountain View dropped to 8-3. The Spartans wrapped up the year 9-3 with a 52-41 win over Saratoga a few nights later, but Fremont faced a Friday bye, so the 'Birds locked up the title with the midweek victory.
Junior guard Darren Lang led the Firebirds to the important triumph with his scoring, passing and overall floor play.
Lang led the Firebirds with 13 points and was also a leader in assists and steals for Fremont.
Mountain View cut the Fremont lead to four points late in the game, but Lang came though with a steal and a lay-up, then followed with a crisp pass to Burton for a two-pointer to help the Firebirds pull away.
Big 6-foot-5 senior center Rich Lockmanese joined Lang in double digits with 10 points and Burton supported with eight. Tully Banta-Cain added six points for Fremont, Melvin Rabena had four and Ben Skinner hit two.
The Firebirds jumped out to a 13-5 lead in the first period and took a 26-14 lead in at the half. Mountain View cut the lead by one in the third period, then pulled to within four points late in the game before Fremont pulled away for the seven-point victory.
Fremont, 19-7 for the year, will now advance to the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs. The Firebirds open postseason play on Feb. 26 when they visit Leland (14-16) at 7:30 p.m.
The basketball team follows in the footsteps of the school's football team, which won the El Camino Division crown last fall to earn a CCS berth.
Mustangs split
In other El Camino Division action, the Homestead boys wrapped up the season with a 60-53 win over Cupertino.
The Mustangs, 3-9 in the division and 5-17 for the year, had four players hit in twin figures in the win over the Pioneers.
Steve Papoulias led the Mustangs with 19 points. Brian Blasquez popped a three-pointer on his way to 14 points and Kayzell Milton buried three threes en route to a 13-point night. Jamie Belion joined the others in double figures with 12 points, including a three, and Chung Lai added two points.
Earlier in the week, the Mustangs had dropped a 52-45 nod to Saratoga despite the efforts of Chung and Papoulias, who finished with 13 points apiece. Blasquez finished the night with 10 points, Belion had seven and Milton hit four.
King's boys win
In other local boys' play, the King's Academy improved to 11-1 in the Christian Private Schools League with a tight 79-76 win over North Valley Baptist.
Tayo Akinsete poured in 25 points to lead the Knights to the victory. Dan Friske chipped in with 16 points, Nate Morrow had 12 and James Terada added 11.
Dan Carter tossed in seven points for the winners, Tony Castillo four and Joel Vanderet and Brian Cordial two each.
The Knights are 16-6 for the year and will open the CCS Division V playoffs on March 1, 3 p.m., at home against Fremont Christian (13-11).
Homestead girls second
The Homestead girls' basketball team wrapped up the regular season in second place in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL after beating Gunn and Lynbrook last week.
The Mustangs are 10-2 in division play, good for second behind Monta Vista. Homestead is 22-3 for the year and now moves into the CCS Division II playoffs against the first-round winner of the game between Santa Clara (14-8) and Gilroy (14-10) on March 1, 7 p.m., at Leland.
Hilary Parker buried 21 points and Yumi Minn popped 17 to lead the Mustangs to an easy 68-51 win over Gunn to open the week. Kelly Hadden tossed in nine points in the win, Michele Wald had eight, Erin Morikawa six, Yvonne Chen five and Julie Speckels two.
Parker came back with 16 points in a lopsided 55-27 win over Lynbrook to close out the regular season. Chen bombed three three-pointers to finish with nine points and Morikawa hit a pair of threes on her way to nine points.
Shelly Mellberg supported with six points, Hadden five, Wald four, and Minn, Donna Tripiano and Marie Levey two each.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 26, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.