Photograph by Chad Pilster
Westmont quarterback Tony Oka is pulled down by Fremont defenders during second quarter action last Friday night. Westmont lost 34-0 to the Firebirds.
Falcons roll past Vikings
Panthers make it two in a row
By Dick Sparrer
A football field is 100 yards long.
But it didn't seem like it to Saratoga last Saturday afternoon when the Falcons visited Lynbrook for a non-league game.
The Falcons, working with a shortened field, rolled to a 28-6 victory over the Vikings to improve to 2-0 in the young 1999 season.
Saratoga enjoyed good field position most of the first half on the way to running up a 28-0 lead before intermission.
"We took advantage of some of their miscues, and were working with a short field," said Saratoga coach Kurt Heinrich. "We got on them pretty good in the first quarter."
And that's something of an understatement.
The Falcons jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first period thanks to a couple of touchdown passes by senior quarterback Bryce Allen.
"Bryce really had a good game for us," said Heinrich.
Allen tossed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Bosworth early in the game, then went to Tim Moore for 23 yards and a TD later in the period. Mike Cook converted after each score to give the Falcons a 14-0 lead.
It didn't take Saratoga long to make it 21-0. Nolan Ng blocked a Lynbrook punt to set up a 16-yard touchdown run by Jason Choe, and Cook converted to up the Saratoga lead.
"Our kicking game has really paid dividends in the first two weeks," said Heinrich, giving credit to first-year special teams coach Steve Smith. In the first game of the season, the special teams scored a touchdown when Ng returned a kick off for a score.
Allen scrambled 10 yards for a second-quarter touchdown for the Falcons to make it 28-0 before the half.
"They made some adjustments in the second half," said Heinrich of Lynbrook, explaining his club's two scoreless periods. But he added that "we got a lot of kids in the game. Everyone played."
Allen threw just five passes, completing three of them. He went to Bosworth and Moore for the touchdowns, and also tossed to Choe out of the backfield.
"(Moore) really went up and got the pass for the one touchdown," said Heinrich. "He really competed, and he got better from the Cupertino game to the Lynbrook game."
James Lii was the leading ground gainer for the Falcons, taking charge offensively in the second half.
Defensively, the coach praised the work of Bosworth at defensive end and Derek Cartmell at linebacker in the win.
The Falcons will take their 2-0 season record up against Valley Christian and former Saratoga coach Mike Machado on Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m., at Townsend Field in Santa Clara.
"They're a good team," said Heinrich of Valley Christian. "They're well coached and they play hard."
The Warriors are 1-1 after losing 14-10 to powerful Wilcox last Friday night.
"They certainly had a chance to win it," said Heinrich of Valley.
Wilcox is among the top teams in the Central Coast Section, and plays in the rugged De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with Saratoga.
"This is a very tough division," said Heinrich. Currently, four of the seven teams in the division are still unbeaten at 2-0, and the league boasts a 10-4 two-week record.
Panthers win
Prospect improved its early season record to 2-0 with a lopsided 48-19 non-league victory over Mt. Pleasant.
The Cardinals scored first in the game, but Prospect fought back with three straight touchdowns in the first period, then scored twice in the second quarter on the road to the win.
The Panthers answered back after the MP score with an 85-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jordan Williams to Donald Austin.
Saladin Washington, who carried 10 times for 170 yards in the game, broke loose on a 36-yard touchdown run later in the period and scored the 2-point conversion to give the Panthers the 14-7 lead.
Washington scored again on a 41-yard run and ran in for the 2-pointer to make it 22-7 after a period.
The Cards cut the lead to 22-13, but once again Prospect came storming back.
Chad Holan scooped up a Mt. Pleasant fumble and ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown. Andrew Heling's extra point kick gave the Panthers a 28-13 cushion.
But it didn't stay that way for long. Holan hauled in a 15-yard TD toss from Curtis Wills, and the Panthers were on top 34-13 at the half.
Prospect wasn't finished yet. Williams scampered for 15 yards and a touchdown in the third period, and Ryan Sainsbury took off on a 50-yard touchdown run in the third to give the Panthers a commanding 48-13 lead.
The Cardinals scored a touchdown in the fourth, but it was too little, too late.
Washington led the ground show with his 170 yards, but Sainsbury supported with 82 yards, and Austin had 74 rushing yards to go with his 85-yard TD reception.
The Panthers will take their 2-0 record up against Cupertino on Sept. 23, 7 p.m., at Westmont.
Warriors fall
Westmont slipped to 0-2 in the young season after losing a one-sided 34-0 decision to Fremont last Friday night.
The Warriors will be home on Sept. 24, 7:15 p.m., to host Andrew Hill as they gun for their first win of the young season. Westmont opens the league season a week later at home against Pioneer.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
