But that doesn't mean that the Panthers can no longer claim that title--they just need a little help from their friends.

The Panthers have already wrapped up division play with a solid 5-1 record, thanks to five straight wins to cap the league season. The only mar on their otherwise perfect league slate was a 26-7 loss to Evergreen Valley to open West Valley play.

Unfortunately, it's that loss that now stands between Prospect and first place in the division. Evergreen now heads into its final game of the season on Nov. 11, 7 p.m., needing just a win at home over James Lick to clinch the undisputed championship.

The Panthers, of course, will be very interested observers on Thursday night, because if the Comets can knock off the Cougars, Prospect would tie Evergreen for the league championship.

To think that Lick has any interest in doing Prospect a favor, though, is illogical. The Comets had their own co-championship hopes dashed just last Saturday afternoon at Prospect. The Panthers shot down the Comets 20-7 to end any hopes Lick may have had of rivaling Evergreen for first place.

Evergreen (5-0, 6-3) rests comfortably atop the pack in the West Valley Division heading into the final round of regular season games. The Cougars have a lock on no worse than a title tie and they've clinched the division's one Central Coast Section playoff berth.

Prospect (5-1, 7-2) can finish no worse than second in the division, and could climb into a first-place tie with a Thursday night upset by Lick (3-2, 5-4). The Panthers will close out the season in a non-league game at Santa Teresa (5-1 in the Santa Teresa Division, 8-1 overall) on Nov. 13, 1:30 p.m. Even with a win, Prospect's CCS playoff hopes would be slim at best.

Still, it's been quite a run for the Panthers. Prospect lost two of its first four games--sandwiching wins over Sequoia (14-3) and Lynbrook (13-0) between losses to The King's Academy (18-9) and Evergreen Valley--before going on a tear in league play.

Prospect rolled to wins over Overfelt (14-6), Yerba Buena (27-6), San Jose Academy (33-0) and Del Mar (25-13) before beating Lick last weekend.

The Panthers scored touchdowns in each of the first three periods to build up a 20-0 lead over the Comets before claiming the 20-7 victory.

Junior Matt Lamb gave Prospect the early lead when he ran back a first-quarter punt 63 yards for a touchdown.

The Panthers upped that lead to 13-0 by intermission on a 26-yard touchdown run by junior Nick Nichols and an extra point kick by Garrett Karren.

Troy Varanchodom went to the air to get the Panthers into the end zone again. The senior quarterback tossed a 23-yard scoring strike to senior Kenny Strickland and Karren converted to give Prospect a commanding 20-0 advantage. It was Strickland's eighth touchdown of the year for the Panthers and Varanchodom's 14th TD pass.

Lick scored a touchdown in the final quarter, but that's all the Comets could manage against the vaunted defense that's been led all season by seniors Karren, Scott Skinner and J.P. Nation.

In other West Valley Division action last week, Evergreen rolled to its fifth straight division win with a 28-14 victory over Del Mar. The Dons (2-3, 3-5-1) will now close out the 2004 season at home on Friday in a 2:45 p.m. game against Yerba Buena (3-2, 5-3-1).

Over in the Santa Teresa Division, Westmont rolled to a 47-22 win over Gunderson on Saturday, keeping the Warriors' title hopes at alive.

Westmont (4-1, 6-3) could still get a piece of the league crown and actually clinch the division's CCS playoff spot with a win over Lincoln this Friday.

The Warriors will host the Lions on Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m., in what amounts to the league championship game. Lincoln (5-0, 8-0) is coming off of a big, and very emotional, 27-21 win over Santa Teresa (5-1, 8-1). With all the hype over that win, Westmont was quietly waiting in the wings.

The Warriors played themselves into this position with five wins in the last six weeks. After a dismal start--losses to Scotts Valley (22-19) and Leigh (41-12) after a season-opening win over Fremont (26-12)--the Warriors have been methodical. They crushed Andrew Hill (49-0) and blasted Willow Glen (41-13) before losing a 13-7 heartbreaker to Santa Teresa. But they rebounded with wins over Del Mar (42-6) in a non-league game and Mt. Pleasant (20-8) before facing the Grizzlies on Saturday.

Westmont battled back from an early 8-7 deficit to crush Gunderson (2-3, 4-5) 47-22 in a Saturday game played on the turf at Willow Glen High School.

The Warriors scored first in the game on a 2-yard run by senior running back Daniel Weller, and senior Casey Modiri kicked the first of his five extra points.

Gunderson came back to take the lead with a touchdown and two-point conversion, but then the Warriors--behind junior quarterback Kevin Pham--went on a tear, scoring five straight touchdowns.

Pham hit junior wide receiver Chantz Staden with a 49-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-8 before the end of the first period, then the Warriors scored three TDs in the second quarter--a 3-yard run by Weller, a 2-yard blast by Staden and a 27-yard return of a blocked punt by junior linebacker Arthur Esterkin. Gunderson was reeling at the half, trailing 34-8.

But the Warriors weren't finished yet. Junior back Stefan Fowler scored on a 5-yard run and Modiri booted his fifth PAT to give Westmont a commanding 41-8 lead into the fourth quarter.

Gunderson scored a couple of touchdowns to make it respectable, but Westmont closed out the scoring and the win on a 5-yard TD dash by junior Josh Almazan.