"Most of the teams, honestly, we have overwhelmed," said coach Alan Kute after the Matadors continued to run roughshod over El Camino Division teams last week. "We have just been able to outplay everyone."

A 4-1 decision at Milpitas on Jan. 28 capped a three-win week for the Matadors and improved their league record to 9-0. The only blemishes on Monta Vista's 13-2-1 overall mark were 1-0 defeats to Leland and St. Francis and a 4-4 draw with Saratoga.

Following a non-league test against Leigh on Jan. 31, the Matadors need to beat just one of their remaining three league foes to clinch the El Camino championship and an automatic berth in the Central Coast Section playoffs. More importantly, a win at home against either Cupertino (Feb. 2) or Santa Clara (Feb. 9) or at Lynbrook (Feb. 4) will earn Monta Vista re-entry into the SCVAL's De Anza division.

"Getting first place and moving back to the top division has been the team's primary goal for two seasons now," said Kute, in his first season as head coach after assisting Pedro Torres last year.

After a last-place finish in 2003 dropped the Matadors from the De Anza circuit, they roared back last season. They reached the CCS tournament with a 15-5 record, including 10-2 in league, before bowing to Leigh in the first round of the playoffs. However, they finished second behind Mountain View.

This season Monta Vista has outscored opponents 68-15, including a 53-4 goal advantage in El Camino play. Goals have been scored by 15 different Matadors, with sophomore forward Jenny Kute--the coach's daughter--leading the charge with19 goals and 10 assists.

Another sophomore, right midfielder Emily Rubin, has tallied 10 goals, nine in league play, and assisted on seven others. In fact, Rubin scored two of the Matadors' goals in the recent win over Milpitas.

Senior forwards Sarah DeWath (seven goals, seven assists) and Vivian Nguyen (nine goals) also have been big contributors to the Monta Vista scoring machine. Sophomore Erin Hoxsie has been productive (six goals, coming off the bench. Senior center midfielder Katie Sang (10 assists) and junior defender Deanna DesCamp (seven) have been major playmakers, setting up teammates for numerous scoring chances.

Even more impressive than Monta Vista's offense, Kute explained, has been the team's defense. Usually sophomores Jennifer Nguyen and Alex Gatley join DesCamp as the last line of defense in front of one of the Matadors' senior goalkeepers, Giovanna Erkanat or Jeninine Muzzana.

Sang and Rubin usually are joined at midfield by three freshmen, Rosa Ahn, Sarah Trankle and Heather LeFevre. Seniors Cel Chu and Nicole Stanek and freshman Kasha Sang all rotate into the line-up and make valuable contributions, the coach said.

DeWath, the league's co-Defensive Most Valuable Player a year ago, may be the team's most talented. Like Torres did last season, Kute will sometimes move her to center back to strengthen the defense.

"When Sarah plays in the back, she's tough to beat and when she plays up front she's tough to stop," Kute praised. "She's super fast, real strong and can dominate play."

One more win and the Matadors' domination of the El Camino Division this season will have themselves the promotion they have been working toward.

Boys basketball

Homestead survived a "Rush" of offense at Milpitas during a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division boys basketball game on Jan. 28.

The Mustangs were hit from all sides by Milpitas sharpshooter Erik Rush, who finished with 25 points. Although Rush nailed nine baskets, three from beyond the three-point arc, and four foul shots, Homestead outscored the host Trojans in each period and claimed a 48-42 victory.

Junior David Ostrow and seniors Mark McLaughlin and Alex Mrozack scored 10 points each to pace the Mustangs' third league win in seven games. Milpitas dropped to 4-3 in De Anza Division play and lost ground to second-place Fremont and unbeaten league leader Palo Alto.

Homestead's superior size ultimately wore down Milpitas. William Tsai, a 6-foot-5 junior, added seven points for the Mustangs. Sam Kridl, a 6-foot-8 junior, and 6-foot-6 sophomore Ryan Dedrick both had four points and Min Park added three.

In El Camino play on Jan. 26, Cupertino missed an opportunity to hand unbeaten Saratoga its first setback. Cupertino led by eight points entering the fourth quarter. The Falcons, however, fought back and claimed a 75-67 victory in double overtime.

Greg Thacker's 20 points sparked Cupertino, but the Pioneers sank only 13 of 31 free throws. Meanwhile, Saratoga players made 26 foul shots. John Hiley and Alonzo Fitz both scored 10 points in the loss.

The Pioneers regrouped and improved their league record to 5-2 by beating Los Altos, 48-38 two nights later. Ehson Mortezaie (11 points) and Hiley (10) paced a balanced offense. Jeremy Brinkerhoff scored nine points and David Warren added seven.

Fitz had six points to go with three blocked shots and five rebounds. Hiley paced the team with 10 rebounds and senior guard Dane Sakino passed out four assists.

Monta Vista evened its league record at 3-3 with a 62-45 win over Wilcox. Marcus Woo (14), Jeff Clewett (11) and Jeff Mo (10) were the top scorers for the Matadors, two nights after bowing to Santa Clara 70-55. Woo scored 18, including 12 free throws in that one.

Girls basketball

Homestead recently won consecutive games for the first time this season, stringing together three wins before losing a tough 52-51 decision to Milpitas on Jan. 28. Sophomores Kate Mower and Cheryl Ichikawa led the Mustangs with 16 points apiece.

The highlight of the three-game streak was a 50-48 decision over Palo Alto, which was sandwiched between wins over Lynbrook and Gunn.

Lynbrook won back-to-back games against Milpitas (50-49) and Saratoga (40-17) before falling to unbeaten Los Gatos, 46-33. During their two wins the Vikings really jelled as a team, using a recipe of Tiffany Pan's scoring (46 points, including 11 three-pointers), Emily Shen's rebounding and interior play (18 rebounds, nine blocked shots), point guard Vickie Chien's passing (16 assists) and Laura Crisler's defense (10 steals).

Wrestling

Dan Montanez, Monta Vista's outstanding 162-pound senior, captured second place at the Mid-Cal Classic in Gilroy on Jan. 29. Montanez reached the championship match before bowing, 4-2, to Gilroy's Hunter Collins.

A week earlier, in the 162-pound title bout at the Overfelt Classic in San Jose, Montanez had dropped a 6-1 decision to Collins.

With five wrestlers claiming individual titles, Fremont captured the team crown at the Overfelt tourney. The Firebirds racked up 175 points, 42 more than runner-up Gilroy. Cupertino finished 15th and Monta Vista 18th in the event.

Boris Novachkov (105 pounds), Filip Novachkov (121), Kurtis Ogasawara (142), Greg Crane (154) and Tommie Staats (191) all claimed first-place medals. B. Novachkov was named Most Outstanding Wrestler for the lower weight classes (105-132 pounds).

Monta Vista's sophomore twins, Grant and Alex Kadokura, both were medallists. Grant was fifth at 114 and Alex was sixth at 121. Cupertino placers were 154-pound junior Renato Linares (third) and 217-pound senior Bronson Farr (fourth).

Boys soccer

Mazuki Hamada scored four goals, leading Monta Vista's boys to a 5-1 win over Fremont in a De Anza Division game on Jan. 25. Hamada also had an assist on a goal by teammate Yonni Nattiz. The Matadors lost 2-1 to Mountain View in their next outing, dropping to 3-6 in league play.

Homestead improved its El Camino record to 5-3-1 with a 2-1 win over Los Altos. Freshman Alex Plancarte and senior Craig Moberg both scored in the second half for the Mustangs.