Westmont's Mat Meade looks for a hole in the Pioneer defense in last Saturday's 28-21 loss. Meade ran for 157 yards and a touchdown for the Warriors.
By Dick Sparrer
Football is a game of inches.
Now, that may sound like just another sports cliché. But Westmont head football coach Tom Sweeney knows better.
He knows that football is a game of inches, because his Warriors lost a game by inches to Pioneer last weekend, and it cost them their unbeaten status in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
The Warriors trailed Pioneer 28-21 in the final minutes on Saturday, and needed to drive 65 yards for a game-tying touchdown. They drove 64 yards, two and a half feet.
The clock, and a second-and-goal at the one, stared Westmont quarterback Adam Curtis in the face as he led the Warriors to the scrimmage line with 14 seconds left. He tried to sneak the ball in for a touchdown, but while his helmet crossed the line, the football came up six inches short.
With no time-outs remaining, the Warriors lined up quickly, and Curtis attempted to spike the ball to stop the clock. But time ran out on Westmont, and Pioneer had pulled out a 28-21 victory.
It was a tough loss for the Warriors, who outgained Pioneer 307-270 in total offense. Westmont slipped to 3-1 in the division and 3-4 for the year, and Pioneer improved to 3-0 in the division.
Neither team led by more than a touchdown at any point in the Saturday game.
Westmont took the early lead when three runs by Kaveh Mansoor for 43 yards set up a 20-yard touchdown run by Mat Meade. Carl Haferd kicked the extra point, and the Warriors led 7-0.
Pioneer drove the ball right back down the field after the kickoff. Quarterback Justin Stenger capped the march with a 16-yard TD toss to Nathan Jackson. The two hooked up on four passes for 64 yards on the drive.
Pioneer's try for the extra point failed, though, and Westmont held on to a 7-6 lead.
The Warriors upped that to 14-6 by driving the football right back at the Mustangs for a score.
Mansoor, who finished the day with 116 yards on 17 carries, led the Warriors down the field, and capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive with an eight-yard TD run. Haferd converted again, and the Warriors were on top 14-6.
Not for long, though. Ben Martin returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Westmont 11. Donnie Haynes' touchdown-saving tackle only delayed the inevitable. Stenger tossed to Jackson for six yards and a TD, and the two hooked up for the two-point conversion to tie it 14-14 with 25 seconds left in the half.
Pioneer stopped the rugged Westmont ground attack in the third period, and eventually took the lead when Ryan Miksch plunged over from the one with seven seconds left in the third. Brian Sturges kicked the extra point, and now it was the Mustangs up 21-14.
But Westmont changed things up on Pioneer and started giving the ball to Meade. The wingback carried five times for 49 yards to lead the Warriors down the field, and Russ Calderon capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Haferd converted again, and it was 21-21.
Pioneer's Leigh Mayer scored on a seven-yard run to put the Mustangs back on top with 3:14 left to play. Then Meade and the Warriors went back to work.
Meade, who led the Warriors with 158 yards on 20 tries, carried eight times for 58 yards to lead Westmont to the Pioneer two.
Meade picked up a yard on first down, then Curtis tried the sneak a play later. And the Warriors ran out of time.
Westmont finished with 307 yards, all of them on the ground. Meade and Mansoor led the attack. Calderon supported with 17 yards on two carries, and Angelo D'Onfrio added 13 yards on five tries.
Haynes and Nick Grote were the defensive leaders for the Warriors with six tackles apiece. Grote sacked the Pioneer quarterback twice.
P.J. Doherty and Ralph Martignetti were in on five tackles apiece, and Travis Hunt and Mansoor were in on four each. Shantez Sumler, Sam Licina, Meade, Calderon, Haferd and Nick North were also among the tackling leaders for Westmont. Hunt, Licina and Shantez Sumler were in on sacks.
Things won't get any easier for the Warriors this week when they visit Willow Glen on Nov. 2, 1:30 p.m. The Rams are 3-0-1 in league play and 5-1-1 for the year.
Panthers win big
Senior quarterback Mark Bestul tossed for four touchdowns to lead the Prospect football team to an impressive 35-6 win over Silver Creek in the Santa Teresa Division.
The Panthers evened their division record at 2-2 with the win and improved to 4-3 for the year.
The Raiders actually scored first in the game, but Bestul tossed 32 yards to Tim Haney to tie things in the first period. Nelson Santana kicked the extra point to put the Panthers up 7-6, and they never trailed again.
Prospect broke the game open in the second period. Eugene Reyes blasted over from the three for a touchdown, and Bestul tossed two TD passes, hitting Justin Williams for 43 yards and Matt Heling for 32.
The Panthers closed out the scoring in the third when Bestul found Reyes for four yards and a score. Santana kicked his fifth extra point, and the Panthers had a 35-6 win.
Prospect will be home to face Yerba Buena on Nov. 1, 2:45 p.m. The Warriors are 1-3 in the division and 1-6 for the year.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, October 30, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved