Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Los Gatos running back Alan Rosa races for some of his 118 yards in last Friday night's 28-14 win over Mitty in the Central Coast Section Division III championship game.

Cats win CCS title

And the Wildcats won it as a team

By Dick Sparrer

Individuals throw passes, and individuals catch them. Individuals carry the football, and individuals run for touchdowns.

But it takes a team to win a championship.

No one knows that better than Butch Cattolico and his Los Gatos coaching staff and players. And they should know--after all, they won two championships this year.

The Wildcats wrapped up an outstanding 1997 football season last Friday night when they won the Central Coast Section Division III championship with a 28-14 win over Mitty.

"What was amazing about this team was that there were so many different kids contributing," said Cattolico, whose team had won the title in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League just three weeks before claiming the CCS title.

And the players knew it.

"They all realized that what made them a good team was that they could rely on one another," he added. "Week after week, it was someone else stepping up.

"Like I said before, there were no weaknesses on this team. This was as balanced a team as we have ever had."

Los Gatos ended the year with a 10-3 record after losing its first three games of the year. But even though there have been Gatos teams with better records, none of played the kind of schedule that the Wildcats faced in 1997.

"We played one team that went 13-0 and two that went 12-1," said Cattolico.

Nine of Los Gatos' 13 opponents this season reached the CCS playoffs, and four of them were CCS finalists. Oak Grove won the CCS Division I title, Wilcox took the CCS Division II crown, Mitty played for the CCS Division III championship and San Lorenzo Valley made it to the CCS Division IV title game.

"The kids really finished off quite well," said Cattolico, whose club won 10 straight games to wrap up the year. "I'm real proud of them, but I've been proud of them all year.

"It's nice to get 10 wins--that's a good season."

That's a good team. And there were quite a few individuals contributing to that team on Friday night.

Senior running back Alan Rosa raced for 118 yards on the ground, and junior quarterback Ryan Sorahan passed for 216 yards through the air.

Anthony Fitzgerald and Vince Posner each caught five Los Gatos passes, and defensive backs John Stengele and Fitzgerald each caught enemy passes.

Linebackers Enzo Iacomini and Austin Glover led all tacklers, and Charlie Cucco, Mike Manson and the rest of the men up front offfensively led the ground game.

Rosa carried 27 times for 118 yards, working behind an offensive line that featured Cucco at center, Iacomini and Fred Luminoso at guards and Manson, Matt Klemchuk and Mike Belsheim at tackles. Rosa picked up 78 of those yards in the second half.

"They were keying on [Rosa]," said Cattolico. "But in the second half he ran really well."

Sorahan hooked up on 11 of 15 passes for 216 yards and three touchdowns. He went to Fitzgerald five times for 116 yards and to Posner five times for 92 yards. Rosa had one catch for eight yards.

Iacomini got in on 12 tackles to lead the Gatos defense, and Glover was close behind with 11. "Those two kids have been leading us all year long," Cattolico said of his senior 'backers.

Austin Neale got in on nine tackles and "played a real good game," the coach said. "He had one big sack on a fourth down play when they were still in the game."

Cucco and Steve LaBarbera were in on seven tackles apiece, and Chris Cavanagh got in on six. The Los Gatos defense held the Monarchs to just 176 yards of total offense, 88 of that coming on a drive in the final minutes after the outcome of the game had already been decided.

Mitty gained 96 rushing yards on 30 carries (52 of that coming on the final drive) and completed six of 24 passes for 80 yards (36 on the last drive).

"Our defense played particularly well in the first half," said Cattolico, whose club held Mitty to just 13 total yards without a pass completion or a first down in the first half.

Los Gatos went right to work on its first possession, moving in for an apparent touchdown. But a penalty nullified the TD, and the Cats were forced to punt the ball away.

Mike Cook's punt pinned the Monarchs at their own four, and the defense held firm to force them to punt.

Sorahan took advantage of the good field position to hit Fitzgerald for 25 yards and a touchdown. Cook's kick made it 7-0.

Field position also helped Gatos score its second touchdown. The Cats took over at the Mitty 36 after the punter touched his knee to the ground to field a low punt.

Rosa carried twice for 11 yards and took a shovel pass eight yards before Sorahan tossed to Posner for 17 yards and a TD. Cook's second kick gave the Cats a 14-0 lead at the half.

Mitty scored early in the second half, then pinned Gatos deep with a punt. But the Cats were able to get out of the hole.

Sorahan went to Posner for 12 yards, and Rosa carried three times for 23 yards.

"He started to find some seams in there," Cattolico said of his star running back.

Gatos then went with the same flea-flicker play that had worked so well in a 16-13 win over Burlingame a week earlier. And it worked again.

Sorahan passed to a wide open Fitzgerald for 51 yards and a touchdown. After Cook kicked the extra point, the Cats held a commanding 21-6 lead.

Mitty drove back down the field, but Neale stepped up to stop the Monarchs on a fourth-down play, and the Cats took over on downs.

Gatos pounded the ball back down the field. Sorahan tossed to Posner for 22 yards and Fitzgerald for 26. Rosa had runs of 25, 11, five and six yards to set up Glover for a five-yard touchdown run. Cook converted, and it was 28-6.

The Monarchs tried again, but Fitzgerald picked off a pass near midfield to stop the threat.

Mitty scored once more in the game, but the TD came with just four seconds left in the game.

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