Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Saratoga's Jack Huang and the rest of the Falcons celebrate after beating San Lorenzo Valley 17-14 to advance to the CCS Division IV championship game.

Falcons play for CCS title

Kellogg field goal lifts 'Toga to win

By Dick Sparrer

They both won with field goals in the final moments in the semifinals.

And when the Saratoga and Palma football teams collide in the Central Coast Section Division IV championship game on Dec. 7, 2 p.m., it could be just as close.

The Chieftains had to kick a field goal with just less than four minutes to play to pull out a 23-21 win over Gonzales in the CCS semi's on Nov. 29. And a night later it was Saratoga's Tyler Kellogg drilling a 38-yard field goal with just over three minutes left to lift the Falcons to a 17-14 victory over San Lorenzo Valley.

The two wins set up the confrontation Saratoga coach Mike Machado was expecting when the playoffs began--his own Falcons going up against Palma in the title game.

Expecting? Well, at least hoping for.

Machado expected Palma to get there. The Chieftains entered the playoffs seeded No. 1 in CCS Division IV. They were unbeaten going into the post-season, they remain that way with a 12-0 record heading into Saturday's title game.

The Saratoga coach wasn't exactly expecting his Falcons to reach the playoffs, but he knew they could. He was confident going into the Nov. 22 CCS opener against Pioneer, and he knew his Falcons would have their hands full against San Lorenzo Valley--the No. 2 seed in the division.

SLV was also unbeaten, but tied twice. SLV took a 9-0-2 record into last weekend's game. But the Falcons tagged SLV with its first and only loss of the year, and they improved to 9-3 for the year with the 17-14 victory. And what a thrilling victory it was.

Saratoga fell behind SLV 14-0 in the first period, but scored twice in the second quarter to tie the game 14-14 by the intermission.

Mike Black scooped up a fumble and raced 73 yards for a touchdown, and David Goni tossed nine yards to Brennan Carroll for another TD.

Kellogg converted after each touchdown, but it was his field goal in the fourth period that proved the difference in the game.

Sean Hanley came through with a game-clinching pass interception in the final moments, and the Falcons ran out the clock for the win--and a spot in the CCS championship game.