Now as seniors for Cupertino High, the returning lettermen are expected to be senior leaders—along with Bronson Farr and David Hsu—for a squad that new head coach Al Diaz believes is capable of reaching the Central Coast Section play-offs.

"I believe that Cupertino and Mountain View will compete for the El Camino league title this year," predicted Diaz, who has assumed the coaching reins that were previously handled by Jay Braun.

Diaz believes the Pioneers will improve upon their 2003 league mark of 4-2 and maybe even run the table in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's El Camino Division.

If the Pioneers can somehow accomplish that feat, 2004 would mark the first Cupertino varsity football championship title since 1993. But marching through any league unbeaten is no easy task.

Last year's champion, Saratoga, has been promoted to the De Anza Division. Mountain View, which struggled in the De Anza Division a year ago, has dropped down to the El Camino circuit and has been listed by most El Camino coaches as the favorite.

If the Pioneers stay healthy and are fortunate enough to get through October loss-free against the likes of Los Altos, Fremont, Santa Clara and Monta Vista, they would take a 4-0 league mark into a Friday afternoon (Nov. 5) showdown at Mountain View. They close out league play on Nov. 12 with a Senior Night home game against Lynbrook.

Ravadge (6-foot-3, 253 pounds), a second-team all-league offensive tackle as a junior, will anchor both lines. With help from senior linemen Hsu (5-foot-10, 230) and junior John Liu (6-foot, 240) and tight end Quinby (5-foot-11, 200), Ravadge will be expected to create holes for senior running back Farr (5-foot-11, 232) to run through. Farr, an all-El Camino second-teamer last season, is not the only senior runner for the Pioneers. Kyle Richard (5-foot-10, 185), Marco Arce (5-foot-7, 185), Gerry Smith (6-foot, 199) and Chris To (5-foot-8, 180) are all seniors who may get the ball.

Junior Reneto Linares (5-8, 165) and sophomore Jimmy Trask (5-foot-9, 170), up from last season's junior varsity, are also expected to make backfield contributions. Other running back prospects are juniors Winston Ventura (5-foot-6, 155) and Bryan Lee (5-foot-9, 170).

The Pioneers are hoping Farr and others can come close to racking up the yardage compiled the last two years by Jonathan Price, who ran for more than 1,000 in 2002 and broke loose for a 376-yard, five-touchdown performance against Fremont last season.

Letterman Justin Gauthier (5-foot-11, 190) and Nick Graham (5-foot-11, 165) are senior quarterbacks looking to fill the shoes of Todd Fitzgerald, who graduated. When they are not handing off, they will be trying to pass the ball to Quinby and wide receivers Stephan Gu (5-foot-10, 170), a junior, and sophomore Tyler Strong (6-foot, 155).

Other wide receivers on the Cupertino roster are senior Genna Birman (5-foot-11, 165) and juniors Travis Scibetta (6-foot-2, 180), Justin Barnett (5-foot-9, 160), Michael Lee (5-foot-5, 130), Renato Sanchez (5-foot-7, 155) and Ali Moalen (5-foot-8, 145). Backing up Quinby at tight end will be junior Chris Swanson (6-foot, 210) and sophomore Max Ingraham (6-foot, 205).

Looking to make an impact on the offensive line this season are seniors Bobby McDonald (5-foot-10, 195), John Kim (5-foot-10, 175) and Sergie Budman (5-foot-9, 230) and juniors Khalid Subainati (5-foot-10, 215), Gonzalo Garcia (5-foot-9, 195), Heidi Judkins (5-foot-4, 165) and Derek Trung (5-foot-11, 235).

Defensively, Diaz and assistant coaches Keith Mello, Jason Barbeau, Scott Green and Jerrod Schbalske are looking for the Pioneers be the type of unit that held four opponents to 14 points or less, not the one that yielded 28 points or more in five others.

Gone is stalwart linebacker Nick Ramirez-Baker, who graduated, but back are Ravadge and Hsu on the line, Quinby at defensive end, Farr at linebacker and Richard at free safety.

Trask, Linares, Strong and Gu figure to help in the defensive secondary. Sanchez, Gauthier, Ventura, Birman, M. Lee, B. Lee, Barnett and Moalen also will try to make an impression during the non-league season.

Farr heads the linebacking corps, along with lettermen Arce and To. Others vying for playing time at linebacker and defensive end will be Graham, Smith, Garcia, McDonald, Ingraham and Kim.

After road games at Independence (Sept. 10) and Hillsdale (Sept. 18), Cupertino will play its only non-league home game. Los Gatos will visit Cupertino on Sept. 23. The Pioneers' final non-league test will be at Milpitas on Oct. 1.

Cupertino High Schedule

Sept. 10, at Independence, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18, at Hillsdale, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23, Los Gatos, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 1, at Milpitas, 5:30 p.m.
Oct. 7, Los Altos, 7:30 p.m. *
Oct. 15, at Fremont, 7:30 p.m. *
Oct. 23, at Santa Clara, 1:30 p.m. *
Oct. 29, Monta Vista, 7 p.m. *
Nov. 5, at Mountain View, 3:15 p.m.
Nov. 12, Lynbrook, 7:30 p.m. *

* Denotes Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division game

Keep an eye on these guys in the coming year

Westmont

* Tyler Porras (6-foot-2, 245), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Daniel Weller (5-foot-9, 170), Sr., RB, all-league

Del Mar

* Mike Howery (6-foot, 200), Sr., OL/LB, all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Danny Hauff (5-foot-10, 170), Sr., RB/LB, second team all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Johnny Daniels (6-foot-1, 170), Sr., QB/DB, all-league

Valley Christian

* Dominique Hunsucker (5-foot-10, 180), Jr., HB, WCAL sophomore of the year
* Joseph Townsend (6-foot-4, 280), Sr., OT/DT, all-league
* Mark Pirotta (5-foot-10, 240), Sr., C/DT, all-league
* Kyle Thompson (6-foot-3, 210), Sr., DE, all-league
* J.R. Adams (6-foot, 180), Sr., HB, all-league
* Mike Gintler (5-foot-11, 180), Jr., HB, WCAL JV MVP

Los Gatos

* Erik Rollin (6-foot-5, 207), Sr., QB, third year varsity, all-league
* Mike Brienzo (6-foot, 181), Sr., WR/DB, SCVAL De Anza Division Junior of the Year
* Evan Wynne (6-foot-4, 248), Sr., OG/DT, all-league, "could be one of the best we have ever had"
* Liam Smith (6-foot-6, 240), Sr., OT/DT, three-year starter, all-league second team
* Devin Lopez (6-foot, 250), Sr., NG, "a throwback to some of the best nose guards we have had at this school"
* Vince Bellotti (6-foot-3, 190), Sr., FS, all-league second team

Branham

* T.J. DeStefano (5-foot-7, 165), Sr., QB, all-league
* Nolen Robison (5-foot-8, 160), Sr., DB/RB, all-league
* Kyle Johnson (5-foot-10, 210), Sr., DL/OL, second team all-league
* Louis Sakoda (5-foot-9, 170), Sr., PK/SE/DB, second team all-league

Mitty

* Joe Ciesinski (6-foot, 183), Sr., DB/RB, WCAL Junior of the Year
* Malcolm Odoh (6-foot, 243), Sr., DL
* Brian Dressman (6-foot, 170), Sr., QB, all-league
* Richard Ricketts (6-foot-3, 230), Sr., DL, all-league
* Kyle Hansen (6-foot-2, 225), Sr., DL/OL, all-league
* Matt Guild (5-foot-8, 165), Sr., LB, all-league

Lincoln

* Raul Figueroa (5-foot-8, 180), Sr., RB, all-league
* Chris Garcia (5-foot-8, 200), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Patrick Yanez (5-foot-9, 180), Sr., OLB

Saratoga

* Phil Spencer (5-foot-8, 170), Sr., RB/CB, all-league
* Adam Sato (6-foot-2, 225), Sr., TE/LB, all-league
* Brent Walter (6-foot-3, 215), Sr., DL, all-league, all-state wrestler
* T.J. Florence (5-foot-7, 175), Sr., FB/LB, all-league

Harker School

* Ben Shapiro, Sr., QB, all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Kevin Park, Sr., RB, all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Eric Gavarre, Sr., TE, all-league, three-year varsity starter

Leigh

* Kiel Trudeau (6-foot-2, 180), Sr., QB, BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division Junior of the Year, No. 2 rated passer in CCS
* Brian Wendt (6-foot-3, 215), Sr., TE/LB, all-league, led the division in tackles
* Jon Brown (5-foot-10, 210), Sr., FB, second team all-league
* Matt Hoffman (6-foot-2, 180), Sr., WR
* Mike Edwards (5-foot-9, 185), Sr., LB, second team all-league

Monta Vista

* Matt Delgado (5-foot-10, 200), Sr., NG, all-league, three-year varsity starter

Leland

* Kirk Andre (5-foot-8, 180), Sr., RB/LB, all-league
* Gabe Castaneda (6-foot-3, 305), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Alex Gregarick (5-foot-11, 205), Sr., OL/DL, all-league

The King's Academy

* J.T. Martin (6-foot-1, 160), Sr., WR/FS, all-league
* Ji Jo (6-foot-1, 220), Sr., FB/DT, all-league

Willow Glen

* Matt Arevalo (5-foot-10, 210), Sr., LB, all-league
* Nate Torrez (6-foot-2, 250), Sr., DL, all-league
* Eugene Martinez (5-foot-7, 175), Sr., LB/FB, second team all-league
* Tim Cremer (6-foot-2, 235), Sr., DE/TE

Homestead

* Chris Morris (6-foot, 210), Sr., RB, SCVAL De Anza Division Offensive Player of the Year
* Jay Atkins (6-foot, 190), Jr., RB, all-league, transfer from Fremont
* Aaron Hickson (6-foot-2, 195), Sr., WR, all-league, transfer from Fremont

Fremont

* Nathan Carthcart (5-foot-10, 185), Jr., RB/CB, all-league
* Adrian Adrias (5-foot-9, 185), Sr., LB, team's leading tackler

Prospect

* Garrett Karren (6-foot-2, 210), Sr., TE/DE/PK, all-league, third year varsity
* Scott Skinner (5-foot-10, 185), Sr., RB/LB, third year varsity

Pioneer

* Collin McCarthy (6-foot, 200), Sr., LB, all-league
* Andrew Schultz (5-foot-8, 170), Sr., RB/DB, all-league
* Rolando Gomez (6-foot-4, 255), Sr., TE/DE, all-league
* Steve Matos (5-foot-9, 220), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Shaun Souza (5-foot-8, 170), Jr., RB/DB

Bellarmine

* John Gill (6-foot-4, 290), Sr., OL/DL, second team all-league