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Cats dominate Falcons in '90s
Los Gatos rolls to 48-8 victory
By Dick Sparrer
There was a time when the Los Gatos and Saratoga football teams traded victories in their annual rivalry that dates back to 1960.
There was even a time in the 1970s when the Falcons dominated the Wildcats.
But that's certainly not the case any longer.
Los Gatos destroyed Saratoga 48-8 last Friday night to close out a perfect decade against the Falcons. The Wildcats won every game played between the two schools in the 1990s.
"It's been a fun decade," said Gatos coach Butch Cattolico after his Wildcats took advantage of seven Saratoga turnovers to cruise to the easy win last week.
"The last time we lost to Saratoga was in the 1987 playoffs after we had beaten them in the regular season," said the coach. "I think it was 1982 the last time we lost a regular season game to them at Helm Field."
That gives the Wildcats an impressive streak to take into the new millennium, and it was a streak that was never in jeopardy last Friday night.
The Falcons coughed up the football on two of their first three possessions of the night, the first one leading directly to a Los Gatos touchdown.
Saratoga went to an option on the first play after the opening kickoff, but Scott Soucy came up to hit the pitch man, and big 6-foot-3, 222-pound defensive end Ben Winkelman hammered quarterback Bryce Allen.
The ball ended up on the turf, and Winkelman scooped it up and rambled 18 yards for the touchdown. Ben Frazier's kick made it 7-0 early in the game.
Saratoga fumbled a snap on the first play after the next kickoff, and big 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive end Jared Allen pounced on the ball for the first of his four fumble recoveries in the win.
Los Gatos didn't score after that turnover, but the Cats did after the next one. And again it was Allen stripping the ball and recovering for the Wildcats.
Gatos went to the air with sophomore quarterback Trent Edwards hitting Kevin Krug for 16 yards, Derek Smith for 16 more and Winkelman for 18 and the touchdown. Frazier converted to make it 14-0 in the first period.
Soucy picked off a Saratoga pass moments later, and the Cats were in business again. On a third and 16 at the Saratoga 46, T. Edwards tossed 38 yards to Brian Edwards.
Justin Narragon, who had another big night with 129 yards on 19 carries in less than three quarters of action, ran for 2 yards, then went the final 6 for the score.
Markus Willard picked off a pass before the half and went in for an apparent TD, but it was called back because of a clipping penalty. Narragon got the touchdown, though, when he went 26 yards for the score. Frazier's fourth kick made it 28-0 at intermission.
Narragon had a 79-yard touchdown run called back because of a holding call, but the Wildcats scored anyway early in the third. Smith carried twice for 14 yards, Narragon ran for 25 and Matt Torres tossed 12 yards to B. Edwards to set up a 2-yard TD run.
The Cats weren't through yet, though. B. Edwards forced a fumble and Allen scooped it up to go 52 yards for a touchdown, then Smith ran back a punt 42 yards to set up his own TD, a 1-yard blast.
Narragon led the ground show with 129 yards and Smith supported with 55 yards on 10 tries. Kyle Shaffer picked up 22 yards on four carries, Vince Caviglia gained 19 yards on four tries and Torres added 18 yards on three attempts.
T. Edwards led the passing attack, hooking up on seven of 11 passes for 147 yards and a TD.
"He really stepped up," said Cattolico of the sophomore quarterback. "He threw the ball very well."
Torres completed one of two passes for 12 yards and Tony Berry completed his only pass for 11 yards.
B. Edwards had two catches for 50 yards, Winkelman two for 32, Krug two for 28, Narragon one for 25, Smith one for 16 and Caviglia one for seven.
The Gatos offense rolled up over 400 yards working behind an offensive line of tackles Mike Belsheim and Ryan O'Gorman, center Nick Cisowski and guards Brandon Chapatte, Nick McAlpine and Rick Esparza.
Senior Briston Lowry starred defensively for the Wildcats with 16 tackles, including a couple of quarterback sacks. John Glage came through with 11 tackles, Bret Maryon and Nick Skrabe had nine apiece and Steve Smith had eight.
Winkelman and Allen finished with six tackles apiece and B. Edwards, Willard and John Espe had five each. Caviglia and Ryan Callahan were in on four tackles each and Mike Vyhnal and Justin Draa had three each.
Jason Rosa, Soucy, Joey Warren, O'Gorman, Matt Spears, Dan Kramer and Randy Reilly were also in on tackles for the Wildcats.
Los Gatos will be home again on Oct. 15 to host Milpitas at 7:30 p.m.
"It ought to be a good football game," said Cattolico. Milpitas is coming off of a 21-20 upset win over Wilcox.
"We've just got to play the way we've been playing," he added.
Los Gatos didn't score after that turnover, but the Cats did after the next one. And again it was Allen stripping the ball and recovering for the Wildcats.
Gatos went to the air with sophomore quarterback Trent Edwards hitting Kevin Krug for 16 yards, Derek Smith for 16 more and Winkelman for 18 and the touchdown. Frazier converted to make it 14-0 in the first period.
Soucy picked off a Saratoga pass moments later, and the Cats were in business again. On a third and 16 at the Saratoga 46, T. Edwards tossed 38 yards to Brian Edwards.
Justin Narragon, who had another big night with 129 yards on 19 carries in less than three quarters of action, ran for 2 yards, then went the final 6 for the score.
Markus Willard picked off a pass before the half and went in for an apparent TD, but it was called back because of a clipping penalty. Narragon got the touchdown, though, when he went 26 yards for the score. Frazier's fourth kick made it 28-0 at intermission.
Narragon had a 79-yard touchdown run called back because of a holding call, but the Wildcats scored anyway early in the third. Smith carried twice for 14 yards, Narragon ran for 25 and Matt Torres tossed 12 yards to B. Edwards to set up a 2-yard TD run.
The Cats weren't through yet, though. B. Edwards forced a fumble and Allen scooped it up to go 52 yards for a touchdown, then Smith ran back a punt 42 yards to set up his own TD, a 1-yard blast.
Narragon led the ground show with 129 yards and Smith supported with 55 yards on 10 tries. Kyle Shaffer picked up 22 yards on four carries, Vince Caviglia gained 19 yards on four tries and Torres added 18 yards on three attempts.
T. Edwards led the passing attack, hooking up on seven of 11 passes for 147 yards and a TD.
"He really stepped up," said Cattolico of the sophomore quarterback. "He threw the ball very well."
Torres completed one of two passes for 12 yards and Tony Berry completed his only pass for 11 yards.
B. Edwards had two catches for 50 yards, Winkelman two for 32, Krug two for 28, Narragon one for 25, Smith one for 16 and Caviglia one for seven.
The Gatos offense rolled up over 400 yards working behind an offensive line of tackles Mike Belsheim and Ryan O'Gorman, center Nick Cisowski and guards Brandon Chapatte, Nick McAlpine and Rick Esparza.
Senior Briston Lowry starred defensively for the Wildcats with 16 tackles, including a couple of quarterback sacks. John Glage came through with 11 tackles, Bret Maryon and Nick Skrabe had nine apiece and Steve Smith had eight.
Winkelman and Allen finished with six tackles apiece and B. Edwards, Willard and John Espe had five each. Caviglia and Ryan Callahan were in on four tackles each and Mike Vyhnal and Justin Draa had three each.
Jason Rosa, Soucy, Joey Warren, O'Gorman, Matt Spears, Dan Kramer and Randy Reilly were also in on tackles for the Wildcats.
Los Gatos will be home again on Oct. 15 to host Milpitas at 7:30 p.m.
"It ought to be a good football game," said Cattolico. Milpitas is coming off of a 21-20 upset win over Wilcox.
"We've just got to play the way we've been playing," he added.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
