Photograph by Robert Scheer
Saratoga's Kyle Cardin (51) and Greg Pagonis (68) celebrate after the Falcons beat Palma in the CCS championship game. They also won spots on the all-league first team in the SCVAL's De Anza Division.
By Dick Sparrer
John Herndon and Brennan Carroll were outstanding players for the Saratoga football team this past fall.
But don't just take our word for it--ask the coaches in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League!
The league's coaches named the two Saratoga seniors among the outstanding players on their 1996 all-league football team. And Herndon and Carroll topped a list of nine Falcons named to the De Anza Division all-league team.
Herndon was selected as the league's most valuable inside linebacker and Carroll was named the league's most outstanding outside linebacker after the '96 campaign.
How outstanding were they? Well, they were good enough to lead the Falcons to the Central Coast Section Division IV title, the best finish of any team in the De Anza Division.
Senior defensive back Sean Hanley, senior outside linebacker Brian Carroll and senior lineman Jack Huang were other Falcons honored for their defensive efforts on the all-league team. Both were picked for the all-league first team.
Running back Trent Frisina and linemen Greg Pagonis and Kyle Cardin were picked for the all-league first team offensive unit. All three are seniors. Senior quarterback and defensive back David Goni was picked as the all-league first team utility player in the division.
Herndon and Brennan Carroll capped the year by earning spots on the allCentral Coast Section second team, and senior tight end Joe Brady was named to the CCS honorable mention list.
Westmont's Sam Licina and Matt Meade were among special honors winners on the all-league team in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
Licina, a sensational two-way lineman for the Warriors, was named the most outstanding lineman in the division and was selected as an all-CCS second team offensive lineman for the Warriors, and Meade, a top senior running back for Westmont, was picked as the most outstanding back.
Senior offensive lineman Travis Hunt earned a berth on the all-league first team for the Warriors.
Claiming all-league second team spots were senior running back Kaveh Mansoor, senior offensive lineman Ben Holt, senior linebacker Donnie Haynes and senior defensive lineman Shantez Sumler.
Junior wide receiver Matt Heling had an outstanding year for Prospect, and the coaches recognized his efforts by selecting him as the outstanding junior on the all-league team in the Santa Teresa Division of the BVAL.
Five other Panthers were honored with berths on the all-league team. Senior quarterback Mark Bestul was named to the first team along with senior tight end Brandon Morgan, senior offensive lineman Mike Tomita, senior linebacker Bill Barry and senior defensive back André Jacob.
Three Lynbrook football players capped the year with berths on the all-league team in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL.
Wide receiver Shawn Flood, defensive lineman Jeremy Davis and linebacker Steve Homer were each selected to the all-league first team in the division.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, January 1, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.