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Durgin stays cool in Fremont victory
Firebirds turn back Willow Glen 12-0
By Dick Sparrer
Delainy Durgin is one cool guy.
Around campus at Fremont High? Most likely.
On the football field as the Firebirds' quarterback? Most definitely.
It was Durgin's cool leadership that sparked the Firebirds to a 12-0 win over Willow Glen last Saturday afternoon at Diesner Field.
Durgin led the 'Birds on an impressive touchdown drive that used up all but 49 seconds of the second quarter. The senior capped the drive himself when he powered into the endzone from the five on a crucial fourth-down play.
"He's a guy whose heart is more on defense than on offense, but he's done a nice job," said Fremont head coach Ron Demonner of Durgin. "He keeps his cool."
Durgin kept his cool well enough to lead the Firebirds on the impressive 18-play drive that covered 89 yards.
Following a Willow Glen punt, Fremont took over at its own 11 with eight seconds left in the first period. The Firebirds then ran 11:19 off the clock on their methodical touchdown drive, twice converting on key fourth-down plays.
A key play on the drive was a 10-yard pass from Durgin to Jessie Enchill, who held onto the football despite getting hit hard by a WG defensive back just as he received the ball.
A play later, Enchill pulled in a halfback pass from Donnell Forks for 34 yards down to the Willow Glen 15.
Javier Eredia and Forks each carried to get the ball to the 10, but a sack on the next play left the Firebirds with a fourth-and-10 back at the 15. Durgin picked up the first down, though, with a clutch 11-yard run to the four.
Three plays and a penalty later, Fremont faced a fourth-and-goal at the five. But once again Durgin came through. The senior quarterback took the snap and stepped hard to his left, then turned to circle the right side, diving into the zone for a TD.
The touchdown would turn out to be all Fremont needed to secure the win.
Durgin spread the ball to Forks, Eredia, Mike Mattman and Gilbert Aragon on the drive, and they all ran hard behind a solid effort by the boys up front.
"Our offensive line was our strength and did a helluva job," said Demonner.
Center Kevin Wilder, guards Mike Ball and Esteban Carbajal, and tackles Matthew Banbury and Nick Arnold led the charge up front with Aragon and Michael Marr helping the push when Fremont ran double tight ends down near the goal line.
It was 6-0 at intermission and remained that way until early in the fourth when the Firebirds punched in another score.
A couple of Mattman runs for 15 yards and a 13-yard run by Donyell Johnson took the 'Birds inside the WG 10.
Durgin turned the right side on an option but pitched as he was hit at the line of scrimmage. Johnson reached back to make a one-handed catch on the pitch, then powered in for the TD.
Johnson ended up as the leading ground gainer for the Firebirds with 53 yards on nine second-half carries. Forks ran for 44 yards on eight attempts, Mattman picked up 41 yards on 11 tries, Durgin added 29 yards on nine totes and Eredia supported with 23 yards on seven carries as Fremont spread the football around the backfield.
Durgin completed 3 of 7 passes for 36 yards and Forks had the one completion. Enchill had the two catches for 44 yards, Aragon caught one for 24 and Eredia had a catch for seven.
There weren't many tackles for the Firebirds because Willow Glen ran the ball just 16 times offensively.
Eredia led the Firebirds with five tackles, Kenneth Mills was in on four and Enchill, Leonard Wells and Johnson were in on three each. Marr, Ball, Luke Tran, David Rivas, Tom Stover, Mattman and Aragon were also in on tackles.
Fremont held the Rams to just 88 yards of total offense.
"In fairness to Willow Glen, [head coach Bob Parker] had to discipline two of his best receivers," said Demonner. "My hat's off to him for doing the right thing."
Fremont usually plays under the lights at Diesner, but because of a district decision to cut energy use the Firebirds were playing in the sunshine last Saturday.
The Firebirds will be back under the lights on Sept. 21 when they host Santa Clara at 7:30 p.m. at Diesner. Fremont is now 1-1 and the Bruins come in at 0-2 following a 34-14 loss to Pioneer last Saturday.
Fremont Frosh-soph
Rick Westmoreland ran for a pair of touchdowns, but the Fremont frosh-soph football team dropped a tough 21-12 decision to Willow Glen on Saturday.
Westmoreland scored on runs of 5 and 10 yards to account for all of the Fremont scoring in the game.
Head coach Ray Loya's squad had opened the year with a 12-2 win over Westmont a week earlier. The Firebirds will take their 1-1 season record up against Santa Clara at 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 21.
Watermelon Run
A week before the Firebird Invitational, Fremont hosted its 19th annual Watermelon Run.
Polgar ran 11:33 to finish first overall with Sardella second in 11:42 and alumni runner Mark Stauffer third in 11:42.
Fremont coach Bobby Soto finished fourth in 11:48, good for a new record for male coaches in the race.
Division winners in the Watermelon Run included:
(Men's) Seniors--Vince Klumper, 12:40; Juniors--McCleary, 12:35; Sophomores--Polgar, 11:33; Freshmen-- Park, 12:52; Alumni--Stauffer, 11:42; Staff--Jason Townsend, 13:33; Coach--Soto, 11:48; Parent--Clay Flontes, 18:12; Sibling--Ben Polgar, 18:21.
(Women's) Seniors--Amantha Hordgoda, 15:57; Juniors--Korobkova, 15:23; Sophomores--Shelly Horne, 19:11; Freshmen--Angela Ortiz, 24:08; Alumni--Rosie Lozano, 23:25; Staff--Katharine Murphy, 17:02; Coach--Kathy Hoyle, 18:42.
There were 97 runners in the field that included past and present Fremont cross country team members, teachers and coaches from the school, students and their siblings, and parents.
Mustangs win big
Homestead evened its season record at 1-1 with a rousing 40-14 win over Harker Academy last Friday night at Fremont's Diesner Field.
Will Faules broke a first-quarter run 70 yards for a touchdown, and the Mustangs were off and running in the nonleague game.
Faules ended up with three touchdowns and over 150 yards rushing in the Homestead victory.
Quarterback Brandon Dougherty hit one 4 of 7 passes for 93 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown pass to Garren Strong later in the first.
Faules made it 21-0 at the half when he scampered 44 yards for a second-period touchdown. David Johnson converted after each of the TDs.
Steve Nichols took off on a 47-yard scoring run in the third to stretch Homestead's lead to 27-0 before Harker finally got on the scoreboard.
But Faules quickly answered the Harker score with his third TD of the night, this one on a 15-yard run. Johnson's kick upped the lead to 34-6.
Harker opened the fourth with a touchdown and 2-point conversion, but the Mustangs put the finishing touches on their first victory of the season when Brad McGee went 56 yards for a TD.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
