The Matadors gained some momentum into this Friday night's clash at Cupertino High with a 21-7 triumph over Lynbrook on Oct. 21. Not only did they spoil Lynbrook's homecoming, the Mats posted their first league win after two losses.

Meanwhile, Santa Clara continued to steamroll its El Camino opponents with a 53-26 win over Cupertino at Townsend Field. The Bruins, now 3-0 in league and 6-1 overall, raised their scoring average to 31 points per game. Their cumulative score against the three division foes is 137-32.

"The thing to remember is we will show up and play," said Monta Vista coach Jeff Mueller, implying that his coaching staff and players are not going to back down from anybody.

Mueller's defensive line certainly did not back down against the Vikings.

"The defense played their running game well," Mueller praised. "Our defense ends, Cody Chamberlain and Justin Turner, played great, and our big linemen, Hoo Hong, Brian Park and Rajn Nanavati, had good penetration much of the night."

The work of the front five made life easier for linebackers Nick Burrow and Peter Kosulin, who were free to plug holes and make tackles.

Although Lynbrook controlled the ball for much of the first quarter and twice rallied during the final six minutes of the game, the Matadors yielded just one touchdown. Junior Kevin Rahbar's 12-yard sweep around right end culminated a long drive and put the Vikings on the scoreboard with about three minutes left in the game.

Monta Vista helped fuel the drive with 45 yards in penalties, but the biggest play was a 30-yard pass-run play from quarterback Cory Williams to senior tight end Daniel Doughty.

Monta Vista already had built a 21-0 lead on a 65-yard pass from Alex Atkins to Marcus Woo, two Roger Kapul runs and three Derek Ley PAT kicks.

After Rahbar's score, Lynbrook recovered an onside kick at the Mats' 45-yard line. Williams directed the Vikings to a pair of first downs, but the drive stalled near the 15 and Monta Vista regained the ball on downs.

Monta Vista and Lynbrook will have some extra "fans" this week in the Fremont Firebirds, who lost their share of first place when they lost 49-6 to Los Altos. Santa Clara and Los Altos enter the weekend at 3-0, while Fremont is 3-1. Fremont, which plays a non-league game at Saratoga on Friday afternoon, will be rooting for the Vikings against Los Altos this Saturday afternoon.

Cupertino's largest point total of the season was not near enough to outscore Santa Clara. The Pioneers fell way behind in the first half, 47-6, then rallied for 20 points after halftime.

Senior receiver David Warren caught four passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns from junior quarterback Yuekai Yu. The Pioneers also scored on Travis Scibetta's 70-yard kickoff return, a TD run by Jimmy Trask and a two-point PAT by Reneto Sanchez.

Cupertino's 289 offensive yards included 145 on the ground and 144 through the air. Trask carried 15 times for 79 yards and Scott Savory toted the ball six times for 50 yards.

Linebacker Mikey Bednar led the defense with eight tackles and a fumble recovery. Winston Ventura was involved in four tackles, including two for losses. Anthony Branch and Savory both sacked the quarterback.

The loss dropped Cupertino's record to 1-3 in El Camino Division play and 2-5 overall. The Pioneers hope to bounce back Oct. 29 when they host Gunn (1-2, 2-5) on Senior Night.

Wilcox wallops Homestead

A week after watching Mountain View roar past them with 34 second-half points, the Homestead Mustangs were hit hard with 27 first-half points by unbeaten Wilcox. They never recovered, and the host Chargers (3-0, 7-0) easily won 41-7.

Homestead senior Jay Atkins, who had an 80-yard touchdown run and 216 yards of total offense against Mountain View on Oct. 14, accounted for the Mustangs' lone TD at Wilcox.

The Mustangs, now 1-3 in the De Anza Division and 3-4 overall, return to Diesner Field on Oct. 28 to take on Los Gatos (2-1, 5-2).

Lynbrook still unbeaten

Lynbrook's field hockey team maintained its unbeaten record last week. After a 1-1 tie at home against Leigh and a 1-0 win at Los Altos, the Vikings had a 7-0-4 record with three games remaining in the Blossom Valley Athletic League's Santa Teresa Division.

The Vikings remained on the heels of Leland (8-0-3), which beat Cupertino 2-1 and battled Westmont to a scoreless tie. Senior Page Dickson scored Cupertino's goal against Leland, after taking a pass from Jessica Sun. Dickson also had her team's goal in a 1-0 win over University. Melanie Boyle had an assist for the Pioneers (2-7-2).

Monta Vista's Mt. Hamilton Division record dropped to 2-7-1 with losses to St. Ignatius 3-0 and St. Francis 1-0.