By Dick Sparrer
The weekend started with a bitter taste after a disappointing performance in a 20-9 loss to Monta Vista on Friday night, but there was sweet finish to the weekend when the Wildcats picked up a berth in the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs.
Despite their 5-5 season record, the Wildcats earned a berth in the post-season event. Gatos will open the playoffs on the road, visiting Andrew Hill for a 2 p.m. game on Nov. 23.
The Falcons finished the regular season with a 9-1 record and were second in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. Gatos tied for third in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and earned an automatic CCS berth when Saratoga beat Wilcox last week.
The Cats finished in a third-place tie with Saratoga and claimed the automatic berth because of a 13-12 regular season win over the Falcons. Had the Cats tied with Wilcox, the Chargers would have won the playoff spot since they beat Gatos in the regular season.
"We're just glad to get the chance to play and maybe do some things," Cattolico said as he looks ahead at the playoffs.
Los Gatos certainly didn't do much last Friday night.
"We didn't play very well," Cattolico said after the loss to the Matadors. "We had a terrible week of practice. We had been so high for Saratoga, this game just didn't mean that much to them."
"Thank goodness Saratoga beat Wilcox," he added. If the Falcons hadn't won, the Cats probably wouldn't be playing in the post-season.
Gatos would have clinched a playoff berth with a win over Monta Vista, but the Cats fell behind early and never could catch up.
"It was a funny kind of ballgame," Cattolico said.
It all started in the first period. Quarterback Josh Rogers was under pressure when he got a throw away. But the ball hit the official, bounced up and was picked off by Monta Vista. The Matadors moved right in for a first-quarter touchdown.
The ensuing kickoff bounced off Los Gatos player, and the Mats recovered. They marched for another touchdown, and that quickly the Cats were down 14-0.
That's how it remained until halftime when the Wildcats found themselves in an unusual position--down two touchdowns and getting shut out.
"In the second half, it looked like we were ready to play," the coach said.
Los Gatos stopped Monta Vista and Beau Narragon blocked a Matador punt. But the kicker knocked the football into the endzone and the Mats recovered for a safety.
"They kicked to us, but we just killed ourselves with penalties and sacks," Cattolico said. The Cats lost 63 yards on seven sacks and they were flagged for 12 penalties.
"You just can't take those kinds of losses," he added.
Midway through the fourth quarter the Cats started to move, and Rogers hit Joel Gremore with a touchdown pass. Alan Rosa kicked the extra point to cut the Monta Vista lead to 14-9.
But Chad Purcell returned the kickoff 80 yards to set up the final Monta Vista touchdown.
The Cats made one final effort, marching inside the Monta Vista 15. But a pass bounced off a Gatos receiver and was intercepted in the endzone to end the threat.
Gremore led the offensive attack for the Cats with seven carries for 70 yards and four receptions for 35 yards.
Rosa supported with 42 yards on nine carries.
Reny Townsend pulled in four passes for 38 yards, and tight end Jeremy Malander had two catches fxor 93 yards.
Rogers hooked up on 10 of 22 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown, but he was intercepted twice.
Austin Neale led the Los Gatos defensive effort with 14 tackles and a fumble recovery.
"He did a a real good job," Cattolico said of Neale.
Chris Cavanagh came through with 12 tackles and picked off a Monta Vista pass. Carlos Lanuza was in on 12 tackles, Townsend chipped in with 11 and Doug Miller got in on nine.
Malander and Mike Manson were each in on six tackles, Matt Klemchuk had five and Gremore had four.
Cattolico is hoping that senior defensive lineman Charlie Cucco will be back in action in time for the playoff against Hill. Cucco was an anchor in the Gatos defensive line before going down with an injury a few weeks ago.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, November 20, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved