Saratoga News

Falcons lose it in fourth quarter

Disappointing end to CCS championship

By Maggie Benson

After defying the odds all season, the Saratoga Falcons came up short in the Central Coast Section Division IV championship game with a 14-10 loss to the Palo Alto Vikings. For the Falcons, it was a bitter end to an otherwise impressive season.

"I feel bad for the kids," said Saratoga's head coach Mike Machado after Saturday's game at San Jose City College. "They've worked so hard, they've played so hard. They deserve everything they got and more." The team was ranked last at the beginning of the year and surprised the entire De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with their 8-2-2 record coming into the championship game.

With a 10-0 lead near the end of the third quarter, Saratoga was poised to wrap up its surprise season by bringing home the title, but a fumble recovery and interception by the strong Palo Alto defense got in the way.

With three minutes left in the third quarter, Saratoga fumbled a Viking punt, and Brandon Springer stepped in for the Palo Alto recovery on the 37-yard line. Led by Errol Johnson's 20 yard run, the Viking offense moved down the field in five plays, setting up quarterback Peter Hansen's one-yard touchdown run. Jason Evans' successful extra point trimmed the Falcons' lead to three.

In the third play of the next quarter, Saratoga quarterback David Goni led the Falcons down the field before throwing an interception to Jason Evans at the Vikings' 11-yard line. With a 37-yard completion to Johnson and several short running plays, Palo Alto rolled 87 yards down field in 4 1/2 minutes, setting Hansen up for his second one-yard touchdown run. Another successful extra point by Evans put Palo Alto four points ahead with 6:32 remaining.

Saratoga never recovered the lead.

Early on, the Falcons' strong running team was able to break through Palo Alto's defensive line and score the initial 10 points. "We moved the ball well," Machado said. Eric Jackson led Saratoga's offense during the first half, rushing for 67 yards in seven carries. Saratoga's first score was an 18-yard field goal by Tyler Kellogg with three seconds left in the half. Jackson led the 7:29 drive that placed the team in scoring position, rushing 44 of the 53 yards.

Saratoga continued its offensive attack in the second half, scoring a touchdown on its first possession after a 74-yard, seven-minute drive marked by an impressive running game. Joel Reikes carried the ball one yard into the end zone, and Kellogg kicked the extra point, giving the Vikings their biggest lead at 10-0.

One Palo Alto possession later, Saratoga fumbled the ball, turning the tide of the game.

"We knew we could run," said Earl Hansen, Palo Alto coach and father of quarterback Peter. "We just never had the ball."

With the turnovers, the Vikings found their offensive momentum--and once they took off, there was no stopping them. "The guys didn't know what hit them," said Machado of his second-half team.

The last time the two teams met in October, Saratoga rolled over Palo Alto 35-22. But on Saturday, Saratoga met a different Palo Alto team. "They came to play, and they did a great job," said Hansen of his improved Vikings.

A disappointed coach Machado agreed. "Palo Alto is a great team," he said. "They proved that today."