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Wildcats' 42-14 victory wasn't quite comfortable
By Dick Sparrer
The final score sounds pretty comfortable.
After all, the Los Gatos football team pounded Gunn 42-14 last Friday night in the final preseason game for the Wildcats.
But the appearance of a lopsided victory wasn't enough to have Gatos coach Butch Cattolico resting easy on the LG sideline.
"We were in control of the game," he admitted after the third victory for the Wildcats. "It just seemed like we weren't as comfortable as we would have liked to have been."
The reason for Cattolico's uncomfortable night was Gunn's ability to run the ball against the Wildcats, and the fact the Titans kept fighting back to halve the Gatos lead.
Los Gatos seemed to jump out to a fine start with two quick touchdowns, but then Gunn scored to cut the Gatos lead to just 14-7.
The Cats scored before the half to lead 21-7 at intermission, then scored again in the third. But once more Gunn fought back with a touchdown to trim the LG lead to 28-14.
Los Gatos finished off the Titans with two fourth-quarter touchdowns and rolled on to a 42-14 victory. But, still, Cattolico was concerned.
"They rushed the ball really well against us," said Cattolico of the Titans, who finished the night with 154 yards on the ground. "We just never quite got comfortable."
The Cats are very comfortable, though, with the 3-0 record they own as they prepare to open the league season in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. "We couldn't have asked for a better preseason," said the coach, whose club strung together wins over Leland, Leigh and Gunn. "Now we're looking forward to getting league started."
The Wildcats will open league play on Oct. 1, 7:30 p.m., at Cupertino against Monta Vista. The Mats are 2-1 for the year after beating Fremont 27-7 last Friday night.
"We seem to be pretty healthy," said the coach, indicating that Kyle Schaffer's sprained ankle is the only injury the Cats have suffered to date. "We've got the potential... now it's a matter of keeping it going."
The Wildcats got it going last Friday, even if Cattolico was a bit uncomfortable with their showing.
Joey Warren picked off a pass on Gunn's first possession of the night, but a clipping flag cut into his 25-yard return.
Warren broke free for 10 yards on first yards, but that gainer was called back because of a hold.
Justin Narragon then took off on a run that would stick, a 27-yard dash to the Gunn 25. A play later, Narragon went the last 25 yards for the touchdown and Ben Frazier kicked the extra point.
Gunn couldn't move after the kickoff, and when the Cats got the ball back they drove for another TD. Narragon capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run and Frazier converted to make it 14-0 early in the second period.
"But we kind of sputtered after that," said Cattolico, who admitted that he and his coaches were trying to get a number of reserves into the game. "Then they held the ball the next eight minutes."
Gunn scored to cut the lead to 14-7, but Gatos answered right back. Warren scampered for 20 yards before Matt Torres tossed 29 yards to tight end Ben Winkelman, who fought his way to the Gunn 2. Narragon went the final 2 yards for the TD, and Frazier's kick gave Gatos a 21-7 lead at the half.
The Cats scored quickly in the third period. Narragon carried for seven and Derek Smith picked up 10 more and a first down before Trent Edwards hit Warren for 50 yards and a TD. Frazier's kick made it 28-7.
Gatos was still in command, stopping Gunn cold and forcing the Titans to put the ball away. Smith fielded the punt and took off on a 40-yard return, but the Titans knocked the ball loose and picked it up to run it back 40 yards to the Gatos 10. Gunn scored moments later, and it was 28-14.
The Titans then stopped the Cats and looked to threaten again. But Ryan O'Gorman forced a fumble that Winkelman recovered at the Gunn 47. Torres ran for 11 yards and Narragon had three runs for 36 yards, including a 2-yard TD blast.
Brent Edwards picked off a Gunn pass in the fourth to set up the game's final touchdown. Smith and Vince Caviglia carried the ball down the field, and Markus Willard capped the drive with a 5-yard TD run. Frazier's sixth kick made the final 42-12.
Narragon led the offensive attack with 17 carries for 156 yards and four touchdowns. Smith added 65 yards on seven tries and Torres carried five times for 31 yards.
Edwards hooked up on six of 10 passes for 93 yards and Torres had the one completion.
Nick Skrabe was the defensive leader with 12 tackles for the Cats, and Willard and Caviglia were in on 11 apiece. Winkelman got in on 10 tackles, Steve Smith nine, and Jared Allen and Briston Lowry eight apiece.
B. Edwards had six tackles to go with his pass interception, Scott Soucy, O'Gorman and John Glage had six tackles each. Randy Reilly was in on five tackles for the Cats.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
