Los Gatos junior Matt Swanson goes up for two points in last week's battle with Leigh. The Longhorns ended up pulling out a 62-58 win in double overtime.

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Contenders collide at Los Gatos

Longhorns edge Wildcats in double overtime

By Dick Sparrer

Two league title contenders collided on the basketball floor at Los Gatos last week.

At least, both teams expect to contend for titles when they get back to full strength and go to work in different divisions in different area leagues.

Los Gatos and Leigh met in a nonleague clash on the Gatos floor last Tuesday. But the teams on the floor aren't quite what the coaches expected them to be when the basketball teams were first assembling late in the fall.

The Wildcats expect to contend for the championship in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League this winter. But head coach Jim Marino didn't count on injuries to three key players before the season ever got under way.

And the Longhorns expect to contend for the crown in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. But Leigh boss Roger Smith made that prediction when he still had 6-foot-5 senior Josh Kreuzer in the lineup.

Still, the two clubs played like contenders nonetheless when they battled into double overtime before Leigh pulled out a 62-58 thriller in last week's game.

Antwon Guidry poured in 17 points, including a couple of three-point buckets, to lead the Longhorns to the tough win over the Cats.

But it was Beau Knight of Gatos taking scoring honors in the game as be bombed four threes among his nine field goals to finish with 22 points and lead a comeback that almost netted a victory for the Cats.

The Longhorns jumped out to a commanding lead in the first period, holding Gatos to just a single field goal as they opened up a 15-2 lead.

The Cats battled back in the second period to top the 'Horns 16-5 and cut the Leigh lead to 20-18 by intermission, but Leigh upped its lead to 36-25 by the end of the third.

Los Gatos outscored Leigh 16-5 in the fourth, though, to lock the game at 41-41 by the end of regulation to force the overtime.

The clubs matched 10 points in the first extra period to force a second overtime. Leigh then topped Gatos 11-7 to win the game by four.

Darren Fujikawa buried three threes on his way to a 12-point night for the Longhorns, and Keith Miyakusu supported with 11 points in the win.

Byron Taplin added eight points for Leigh, Marcus Anderson hit six, and Kevin Cardenas, Mark Perry, Kevin Rawson and Sean Varghese had two each.

Knight had the hot hand for the Wildcats with his 22 points and Ben Kane chipped in with 11 points, including a three. Alex Holcomb tossed in a couple of threes on his way to eight points, Chris McMorrow popped six, Matt Swanson five, Trent Edwards four and Matt Gingery two.

Gingery, the Wildcats' talented 6-foot-6 returning all-leaguer, is still hampered by an ankle sprain he suffered two weeks ago. Marino doesn't expect the senior forward to return to full strength until the Soquel Winter Classic coming up Dec. 28-30.

Once Gingery returns, and if the Cats can get 6-foot-3 returner Ben Winkelman (injured wrist) back on the floor, Marino expects his Cats to contend for the De Anza Division championship.

Gatos is 2-9, playing without Winkelman, Gingery and Swanson for most of the preseason.

Leigh is 6-1

Leigh is off to a solid 6-1 start, even without the veteran Kreuzer in action. The talented 6-foot Guidry joins with Miyakusu, Anderson and Taplin as solid returners for the Longhorns.

Newcomers Fujikawa, Rawson, Perry, Derek Marquardt and James Murdock add the solid corps of players that gives Smith confidence his club can compete in the rugged Mt. Hamilton Division. "We should be a contender for the MHAL title," said Smith, whose club finished second in the division last year and posted a 19-8 season record.

Leigh opened the Palma Tournament last weekend with a hard-earned 47-45 victory over Watsonville.

Anderson was the big scorer for the 'Horns with 13 points, and Guidry canned a pair of threes on his way to 12 points. Taplin added eight points, Miyakusu six, Fujikawa three, Marquardt and Varghese two apiece and Rawson one.

Cats win one of three

Los Gatos continues to struggle in the preseason with just one win in three tries at the Ed Hopkins Classic last weekend in Fairfield.

Gatos dropped a 56-50 decision to Richmond in the tourney opener, but fought back to whip East Union 46-39 to move into the consolation championship game. But the Wildcats lost 56-43 to Benicia on Saturday night to slip to 2-9 for the year.

Kane and Knight finished in double digit-scoring in each of the three games, but it was only good for one Gatos victory.

Knight netted 24 points in the win over East Union. The 6-foot-4 senior forward drilled five three-pointers among his eight field goals.

Kane supported with 11 points in the win, including a three. McMorrow added five points, and Holcomb and Swanson had three apiece. McMorrow and Holcomb each canned three-pointers.

Kane came back with 13 points and Knight added 12, but the Cats lost to Benicia in the consolation title game. Each player hit a pair of threes.

McMorrow and Swanson supported with six points apiece in the loss, Holcomb hit five, and Edwards had one. Holcomb had a three-pointer.

Knight had 13 points, and Kane added 12, but Gatos lost 56-50 to Richmond in the first game of the tournament. All of Kane's point came on four three-pointers, and Knight hit three threes.

McMorrow joined the two in double figures with 10 points. Swanson finished with seven, Edwards six and Holcomb two.

Photo: Los Gatos Reindeer

Merry Apocalypse and Happy Armand Geddon

Obituaries

Picture From the Past

Sports Briefs

Leigh basketball team defeats Los Gatos

Los Gatos, Leigh soccer teams locked in ties

Narragon runs to De Anza most valuable player honor