Was it a catch for a 2-point conversion that would give Willow Glen a 25-24 lead, or was it an incomplete pass, leaving Lincoln on top 24-23? Fans, players and coaches were all looking on to see if the official would raise his hands to signify a completion and if he would wave it off.

His call—incomplete.

The call led to a 24-23 Lincoln victory in the first game of the season in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League (BVAL). And it was a call that Willow Glen coaches still dispute.

"The official said it was no good," said Willow Glen coach Bob Parker. "It was really frustrating."

The conversion attempt followed a Willow Glen touchdown drive spearheaded by Justin Johnson. The junior quarterback passed the Rams down the field, capping the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Alex Green.

When the try for the 2-point failed, the Rams attempted an onside kick, but Lincoln recovered. Willow Glen stopped the Lions, though, to get the ball back one last time. A 25-yard Johnson pass to Green took the Rams into Lincoln territory, but a desperation pass in the final seconds was intercepted by the Lions.

Despite the loss, Parker was pleased with his club's showing.

"The kids played great," said the coach. "We made a couple of mistakes on defense that hurt us. But hopefully it's a growing experience—the kids really battled."

Still, the loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the veteran coach, whose club entered the game as "huge underdogs."

"That was as tough a loss as I have experienced in my years of coaching football and baseball," admitted Parker.

The Rams struck first in the game when Frank Sarinana recovered a Lincoln fumble in the first quarter and scored a few plays later on a 4-yard run. John Gibilisco kicked the extra point, and Willow Glen led 7-0.

Lincoln came back to tie the game, but the Rams went back up 10-7 when Gibilisco drilled a 37-yard field goal.

The Lions answered with a touchdown and a field goal to lead 17-10, but Willow Glen battled from behind to tie the game. Johnson tossed to Dionne for six yards and a score, and Gibilisco converted again to even the score 17-17.

A Dionne interception gave the Rams the football again in the fourth quarter, but the Rams couldn't move and punted the ball back to Lincoln. The Lions moved in for a score to lead 24-23.

That set the stage for the late touchdown drive and 2-point pass attempt.

"It was really exciting," said Parker of the game. "Our guys fought right down to the wire."

Johnson led the offense, hitting on 24 of 40 passes for 218 yards and the two touchdowns. Dionne pulled in 11 passes for 110 yards to lead all receivers. Green had four catches for 65 yards and the one TD, and Tista Perri had four grabs for 51 yards.

Sarinana, who snagged five passes for 11 yards, led the Rams on the ground with 11 carries for 39 yards.

"Some of the kids really stepped up," said Parker. "For example, Tista hadn't caught a ball all year, and then he catches four."

"I think we found out who we are," added the coach. "Willow Glen is a passing kind of team."

Jonathan Ybarra and Amir Faraj-Perry were the defensive leaders for the Rams in the game with seven tackles apiece. Dionne was in on six tackles and also had the pass interception. What's more, he covered Lincoln's top receiver, David Gonzales, and held him to just one catch.

"Doug shut him out," said Parker.

Ybarra, Sarinana and Joe Sparacino were each in on quarterback sacks for the Rams. Sarinana recovered two Lincoln fumbles and Ricky Munoz got one.

"We really bottled them up," said Parker of his club's defensive performance.

Willow Glen, 1-3 for the year and 0-1 in league play, will hit the road this week to visit James Lick on Oct. 11, 3:15 p.m.

The Willow Glen frosh-soph team lost a tough 14-7 decision to Lincoln last week. J.C. Drummer scored on a 40-yard run for the only touchdown of the day for the Rams.


Netters split

The Willow Glen girls tennis team got even in more ways than one last week. The Rams got even with Leigh for an early season 5-2 loss, with a 4-3 win over the Longhorns last week. And the win evened Willow Glen's record to 4-4 in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL.

Caitlin Hannon pulled out a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) win at No. 1 singles, and Nhu-Chi Tran won 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3.

Ali Hodgin and Guliletta Pezzanitti teamed for a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles, and Yesenia Barraza and Elizabeth Eap nailed a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 3.

Stephanie Mansfield lost a tough three-set nod at No. 4 singles, falling 6-1, 1-6, 6-4. Edna Sison lost 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, and Kristina Ravo and Lisa Pierson lost a heartbreaker 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2) at No. 1 doubles.

The win gave the Rams a split for the week. Willow Glen had lost a tough 4-3 nod to Pioneer despite wins by Hannon at No. 1 singles (6-0, 6-0), Mansfield at No. 4 singles (6-1, 6-3) and Eap-Pezzanitti at No. 2 doubles (7-5, 6-4).

Hodgin and Barraza went three sets before losing 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 at No. 3 doubles.


Hockey win

Junior Janelle Zetterquist knocked in two goals and soph Rachel Siehl had a goal and an assist to lead the Willow Glen girls field hockey team to a 3-0 win over Cupertino last week.

The win evened Willow Glen's record to 2-2 in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL. The Rams are 6-5 for the year.

The Rams and Pioneers were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime, but Siehl's unassisted goal to open the second half broke the deadlock. Zetterquist then scored off a Shannon Rooney assist, then again off a Siehl assist to clinch the win.