Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Los Gatos wide receiver John Stengele battles for yardage in last Friday night's 46-12 win over Monta Vista. Stengele hauled in a touchdown pass in the Gatos victory.

Rosa runs out of the shadows

Gatos speedster leads Wildcats to first victory

By Dick Sparrer

Alan Rosa has been lost in the loss column.

The talented senior running back had put up impressive numbers in the first three weeks of the season, but his efforts had been overshadowed by three Los Gatos losses to open the 1998 football campaign.

Well, Rosa and the Wildcats came out of the shadows last Friday night. The senior speedster rambled for over 200 yards of total offense to lead the Cats to a rousing 46-12 win over Monta Vista. And it couldn't have come at a better time for the Wildcats.

Gatos started its second season last Friday--the one that really counts... the league season. The win over the Matadors came in the first week of the season in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.

Rosa had rushed for 348 yards in three games to open the year, but because they were three losses, he wasn't being mentioned among the best backs in the Santa Clara Valley.

He will be now. Rosa carried 16 times for 175 yards and hauled in three passes for 39 yards to lead the Wildcats to the win over the Matadors.

"Again, he was outstanding," said Los Gatos coach Butch Cattolico, who just echoed the praise he has bestowed on Rosa all season long. Rosa has now run for 523 yards in just four games.

Not only did Rosa top the 200-yard mark in total offense on Friday night, but he scored four of the Wildcats' seven touchdowns in the win over Monta Vista.

He started the night with a 73-yard touchdown run early in the game. A 19-yard quick pass over the middle from Ryan Sorahan Anthony Fitzgerald had pulled Gatos out of a hole and set up Rosa for the TD run.

But that was only the beginning.

Sorahan passes to John Stengele for 16 yards, Fitzgerald for eight and Vince Posner for 13 set up Rosa for a six-yard touchdown run, and his extra point kick upped the Gatos lead to 13-0.

On just the second play after the kick-off, the Wildcats had the ball back. Monta Vista ran off tackle, but Steve LaBarbera forced a fumble and Matt Klemchuk recovered for the Cats at the 29.

Rosa ran for six yards, then Sorahan tossed 23 yards to Fitzgerald for the touchdown.

It didn't remain 19-0 for long. Rosa mis-hit the kick-off, and his boot sailed high and short to the Monta Vista 20. Mike Geddie recovered the loose ball, and the Cats were threatening once again.

An 18-yard pass from Sorahan to Stengle set up Rosa for a two-yard TD run. His extra point made it 26-0--with three minutes still remaining in the first period.

"It was great," said Cattolico. "In 20 years of coaching, I don't remember having that kind of lead that early in the game."

The game settled down, but Los Gatos did score again before intermission. LaBarbera took off on a 14-yard run, and Rosa carried three times for 19 yards and pulled in a pass for 10 more before Sorahan tossed the final 14 yards to Rosa for the touchdown. Rosa converted, and the Cats were in command 33-0 at the half.

Monta Vista scored quickly in the third period, but Gatos answered right back. Rosa carried three times for 28 yards, and Fitzgerald pulled in a Sorahan pass for 21 yards before LaBarbera ran one in from 26 yards out. Rosa's kick made it 40-6.

Matt Grover blasted over from the one for the final Los Gatos touchdown of the night.

Rosa led the offensive attack with his 175 yards, and LaBarbera supported with 86 yards on nine carries.

In all, the Cats rushed for 356 yards in the win, and Cattolico praised the efforts of his offensive linemen for their work in the game--tackles Klemchuk and Mike Manson, guards Enzo Iacomini and Fred Luminoso, and center Charlie Cucco.

Beau Narragon finished the night with 46 yards on just four carries. Brandon Fennema had one run for 14 yards, and Grover carried twice for 13 yards. Stengele, Sorahan, Aaron Wagman, Mike Cook and David Tafaolmalo also carried the ball for the Cats.

Sorahan hooked up on 10 of 15 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the win. He was intercepted once.

Fitzgerald led the receiving corps with four catches for 71 yards. Rosa had the three catches for 39 yards, Stengele had two receptions for 34 yards, and Posner had the one catch for 13 yards.

Defensively, the Wildcats stopped the Matadors cold. Iacomini led all Gatos tacklers by getting on 11 stops, and Cucco, Justin Lehnert and Andro Radonich were in on six tackles each.

Austin Neale, Fitzgerald and Chris Cavanagh were in on four tackles each for the Cats. Others in on two or more tackles included Stengele, Fennema, Devin Sodt, Max Hirschman, LaBarbera, Chris Brown, Luminoso, Ross Troquato-Perrotti, Kevin Troquato-Perrotti, Klemchuk, Geddie, Robbie Cucco, and Austin Glover.

Glover saw limited duty in the Monta Vista game because of a twisted ankle, but he's expected to return to full-time duty when the Wildcats take on Saratoga Oct. 9.

"Saratoga is a good football team, and they throw the ball real well," the coach said of his club's Thursday night opponent.

Thursday night? That's right. The clubs will meet a night earlier than previously scheduled because of a conflict on Friday with Yom Kippur.

The clubs will kick-off an hour earlier (6:30 p.m.) in the Thursday game. The frosh-soph game begins at 4:15 p.m.

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