Mustangs in Jamboree: Homestead's Shaida Johnson (right) battles Del Mar's Jenae Condie for the ball in the Willow Glen Jamboree played last Friday and Saturday. Homestead was one of 30 teams in the two-day event. Mitty won the title with St. Francis second, Cupertino third and Del Mar fourth.




Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer







Firebirds, Mustangs drop openers

Firebird Invitational coming up Thursday

By Dick Sparrer

It was the opening weekend of the 2001 season for the football teams at Fremont and Homestead. But things didn't exactly turn out the way the Firebirds and Mustangs hoped they would.

Fremont opened the year by dropping a 28-14 decision to Westmont on Saturday night at Diesner Field, and a night earlier Homestead lost 31-18 to Independence.

Fremont falls

The Firebirds held a 14-6 lead in the fourth quarter last Saturday night, but lost a heartbreaker when the Warriors went on a 22-point flurry to pulled out a 28-14 victory.

Fremont had jumped out to a 7-0 lead when senior quarterback Delainy Durgin tossed a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jesse Enchill. Javier Eredia kicked the extra point, and Fremont had the lead.

Westmont scooped up a fumble and ran it in for a TD before the half, but the Warriors missed the extra point and trailed 7-6 at intermission.

That's how it remained until the fourth quarter when Durgan scampered in for a 9-yard touchdown run. Eredia's second kick gave the Firebirds the 14-6 lead.

But that's when the wheels fell off for the Firebirds. Todd Bethke ran for two touchdowns for Westmont to give the Warriors a 21-14 lead.

Fremont went to the air in an effort to battle back, but the Warriors picked off a pass and took it for a score that clinched the victory.

Durgin and Enchill hooked up on five passes for 124 yards in the game, but it wasn't enough for the Firebirds.

Fremont will go after its first win of the year this week when the Firebirds host Willow Glen at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Diesner Field. The Rams lost 34-0 to Mountain View last week.

Mustangs lose

It was an inauspicious opening day for the Homestead Mustangs, who dropped a 31-18 decision to Independence last Friday night under the lights in east San Jose.

The Mustangs trailed 19-0 at intermission, but scored in the third quarter to cut the lead to 19-7.

Brandon Dougherty tossed a 5-yard touchdown pass to Garren Strong, and David Johnson kicked the extra point.

The 76ers scored later in the third period, but Homestead answered back with two scores to cut the Independence lead to just 25-18 in the fourth quarter.

Johnson booted a 32-yard field goal in the fourth, then running back Steve Nichols went to work. Nicholas, who led the Mustangs with 98 yards rushing in the game, scored on a 17-yard run and ran in for the two-point conversion to cut Independence's lead to seven points.

But the Sixers added one final touchdown to pull out the 31-18 win.

Homestead will still be chasing its first win of the young season when the Mustangs host Harker Academy at Fremont's Diesner Field at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14. Harker opened the year with a 52-0 win over the California School for the Deaf last Friday.

Firebird returns

The 17th annual Firebird Invitational returns to the Fremont campus in Sunnyvale on Sept. 13, 3:30 p.m.

The cross country event annually attracts many of the top high school teams in the area with runners competing in five divisions--boys open, boys varsity, girls varsity, boys frosh-soph and girls junior varsity.

Fremont football

Sat., Sept. 15--Willow Glen at Fremont, 1:30 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 21--Santa Clara at Fremont, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 28--Fremont at Lynbrook, 3:15 p.m. *
Fri., Oct. 5--Mountain View at Fremont, 7:30 p.m. *
Fri., Oct. 12--Homestead at Fremont, 7:30 p.m. *
Sat., Oct. 20--Monta Vista at Fremont, 3 p.m. *
Fri., Oct. 26--Fremont at Wilcox, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 2--Fremont at Los Altos, 2:45 p.m. *
Fri., Nov. 9--Cupertino at Fremont, 7:30 p.m. *

* Denotes league game

Homestead football

Fri., Sept. 14--Harker vs. Homestead at Fremont, 7:30 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 20--Homestead at Wilcox, 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 29--Cupertino vs. Homestead at Fremont, 7:30 p.m. *
Fri., Oct. 5--Homestead vs. Los Altos at Foothill, 7:30 p.m. *
Fri., Oct. 12--Homestead at Fremont, 7:30 p.m. *
Fri., Oct. 19-- Lynbrook vs. Homestead at Cupertino, 7 p.m. *
Fri., Oct. 26--Monta Vista vs. Homestead at Fremont, 6:30 p.m. *
Fri., Nov. 2--Homestead at Mountain View, 2:45 p.m. *
Fri., Nov. 9--Homestead at Milpitas, 7:30 p.m.

* Denotes league game

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