Cattolico, Cats get what they've always wanted
By Dick Sparrer
Don't expect Butch Cattolico to open a package on Christmas morning and exclaim, "Just what I always wanted."
It's not that Butch won't appreciate his Christmas gifts this year. It's just that he already got what he's always wanted last Saturday night.
The Los Gatos football coach got his perfect seasons, and the Wildcats did it in impressive fashion--outscoring opponents 526-112 on the road to a 13-0 season.
"We've been close, but this is something we've never had before at the school," said Cattolico of the 13-0 record. "It's something I've wanted."
And he and the Wildcats got it last Saturday night with a 28-7 win over Wilcox in the Central Coast Section Division III championship game.
"This team had been talking about going 13-0 from day one," said Cattolico, who has led the Cats to six CCS titles and 10 league championships in 15 years as the head coach. "It's a great group of kids. The attitude was great."
The Cats were able to survive a season-ending injury to standout senior John Glage and other injuries to Nick Skrabe and Geno Gingery to remain relatively healthy most of the year. That was a key to the success of the Cats, said Cattolico.
But mostly it was the determination forged after a tough loss to Mitty in last year's CCS semifinals.
"The Mitty game last year was such a downer, and most of these kids were there," said Cattolico of the loss that ended the Gatos season at 11-1 in 1999. The Wildcats came back from that loss to put together a 27-0 football record this fall in varsity, frosh-soph and reserve team play.
"It's been a real good year for us," understated the coach. "I'm real pleased for the kids, but I'm kind of happy myself, too."
Los Gatos went 10-0 back in 1975, forgoing the CCS playoffs to meet Campbell on Thanksgiving Day, and the Cats were 12-1 in 1985, '88 and '94 and 11-1 in '84 and '99.
So that begs the question... is this the best Los Gatos team ever?
"Position by position, player by player, I think it is," said Cattolico. "I think this is the best football team I've ever seen. And you can't argue with 13-0."
That perfect season
Los Gatos-- 13-0
Los Gatos 49, Leland 7
Los Gatos 49, Leigh 20 #
Los Gatos 49, Santa Clara 7
Los Gatos 41, Palo Alto 0 *
Los Gatos 56, Mountain View 3
Los Gatos 35, Wilcox 7 *#
Los Gatos 47, Homestead 10 *
Los Gatos 21, Milpitas 14 *#
Los Gatos 40, Saratoga 10 *
Los Gatos 49, Monta Vista 13 *#
Los Gatos 42, Terra Nova 14 #+
Los Gatos 20, Alvarez 0 #+
Los Gatos 28, Wilcox 7 #+
Points for-- 526 (average per game, 40.5)
Points against-- 112 (average per game, 8.6)
* League games
# Teams that advanced to the CCS playoffs
+ CCS playoff games
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
