The Cupertino Courier
Sports
Mustangs shock Pioneers, fall to Vikes
By MIKE BARNHART
The Homestead boys water polo team did something last week that no SCVAL EL Camino Division team had done all season. It defeated Cupertino, which went unbeaten (12-0) during the regular season.
And that stunning win by the fourth-seeded Mustangs, in the semifinals of the El Camino playoffs, opened the door for a team other than the top-ranked Pioneers to win the tournament and capture the division's only invitation to the Central Coast Section playoffs.
However, after knocking off Cupertino 8-7 on Nov. 1, Homestead lost 10-7 to tourney host Lynbrook in the championship game. Junior Matt Cai's five goals and Brandt Robinson's three keyed the victory in the finale for the Vikings, who took a 21-6 overall record into the first round of the CCS Division I tournament. The Vikes, seeded No. 10, were set to travel to Hollister to meet No. 7 San Benito (17-7) on Nov. 7. The Lynbrook-San Benito winner will play No. 2 Menlo-Atherton (16-10) on Nov. 11.
The El Camino title game provided Lynbrook with a taste of playoff atmosphere, as a boisterous crowd cheered on both squads, which were locked in a very competitive and exciting match.
Cai scored for Lynbrook 24 seconds into the game, and Robinson made it 2-0 about two minutes later, but Homestead made it 2-2 with goals by junior Geovid Kali and senior Derrick Lee.
Lynbrook regained the lead, 4-3, by the end of the first period. The game, which featured five ties, was deadlocked at halftime, 5-5. Kali scored all of his team-high four goals in the first half.
Senior Alex Romanko scored twice in the third quarter, helping Homestead grab its only lead of the game, 7-6. It was erased by the end of the period, though, and the Mustangs were shut out in the fourth quarter.
A three-goal outburst during a 90-second span secured the victory and Lynbrook's position in the CCS Division I tournament.
Lynbrook played well in penalty time, converting six of six man-up situations. Conversely, Homestead did not, going scoreless during five such opportunities. Senior Phillip Chen and junior Terry Jiang added solo goals for the Vikes.
Lynbrook had reached the finals with two wins, 16-5 over Harker in the first round and 9-8 over Wilcox in three overtimes. Cai scored six against Harker. Chen (four), Robinson (three) and Cai (two) provided the offense against Wilcox.
Homestead outlasted Fremont, 22-14, in its opener, then played well offensively and defensively in the 8-7 win over Cupertino. Junior Collin Russum had three of Homestead's seven assists and senior Kevin Conti forced seven turnovers while playing two-meter defense.
Cupertino's leading scorer, senior Derrik Jarvis, scored just three goals against the Mustangs. Senior Kayvon Ghaffari added two goals and juniors Johnway Yih and Ryan Ikeda had one each.
Brian Armstrong paced the Mustangs with four goals, Kali scored two, and Romanko and Lee chipped in one each. Kali scored the go-ahead goal with 4:08 left in the game.
Against Fremont in the opener, Armstrong and Romanko both scored five times, while Lee and Kali had three. Tony Rhodes had six to lead Fremont. Teammates Michael Bursky and Danny Moctezuma tallied three apiece.
Fremont bounced back to beat Harker 8-2 and Santa Clara 17-7. Bursky scored seven, Moctezuma six and Rhodes four in the win over the Bruins.
In the De Anza Division tourney, where four CCS tourney bids were on the line, host Monta Vista won one of three games and finished fifth.
The Matadors dropped a tough 11-9 decision to Saratoga in the opener, despite five goals from Jason Hogin, three from Alex Tani and one from Patrick Ruden. After an 8-7 loss to Los Altos, the Matadors edged Gunn by the same score.
