The Saratoga Falcons were wishing for a football championship in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League last fall, and they got it with an impressive victory over Santa Clara on the final day of the regular season.

But with the championship came a ticket to the more rugged De Anza Division of the SCVAL, and that's where head coach Kurt Heinrich and the Falcons find themselves this year.

Saratoga will have to contend with the likes of Los Gatos, Wilcox, Palo Alto and the rest on a weekly basis once the De Anza campaign gets under way. So if they do, the Falcons figure they might as well be contenders.

Phil Spencer tops a list of nine returning starters from 2003's championship club that posted an 8-1-1 season record.

Spencer (5-foot-8, 170) was an all-league running back in the El Camino Division and he has the potential to win similar honors in the De Anza circuit this fall. Spencer, who runs a 4.4 40, will return to start in the Saratoga offensive backfield and will serve double-duty as a cornerback in the defensive secondary. He ran in tandem with top-rated back Dayne McGee last fall but, with McGee's graduation, Spencer is expected to take over most of the load this year.

Jeff Lyu (5-foot-7, 170) is another Saratoga veteran who will get the call at running back. Heinrich calls Lyu "fast, smart and tough," and he figures to go both ways in the offensive and defensive backfields.

T.J. Florence (5-foot-7, 175) and Peter Rutti (6-foot, 190) are a couple of veterans who are rivaling for work at fullback but will both start at linebacker.

Florence won all-league honors last season and is a "great work and smart football player," said Heinrich. The coach says Rutti is "fast, strong and a great athlete."

Senior Brandon Kinsting (5-foot-11, 180), who played a back-up role to Saratoga star Brett Granum last year, is a top candidate at quarterback for the Falcons. "He's a good runner and a good thrower," said Heinrich. "He runs the offense well."

Adam Sato (6-foot-2, 225) and Brent Walter (6-foot-3, 215) are two more all-league returners who should be defensive leaders for the Falcons this fall.

Sato, a team captain, is "smart and quick with good hands." He'll return to his linebacker spot for Saratoga and he'll also see time on offense at tight end.

Walter should be a force inside on defense. An all-state wrestler last winter, Walter is called a "quick" defensive lineman by Heinrich.

Veteran Kyle Stoffers (5-foot-11, 180) is back in the defensive secondary for the Falcons and he'll also see time as a wide receiver.

"He's smart," said Heinrich. "He calls the defense for us."

Senior Ryan Hall (6-foot, 180) is a returner at tight end and in the offensive line. Hall, who also participates in crew for the Los Gatos Rowing Club, is "quick, strong and good worker," said Heinrich.

Juniors Scott Newberry, Tyler Williams and Jeff Roberts and sophomore Alex Lagemann are key players moving up from the Saratoga frosh-soph who Heinrich feels will step right in for the varsity this fall.

Newberry (6-foot, 170) is a prospect at quarterback and running back on offense and will double as a defensive back. "He's smart, tough and elusive, and he has great instinct," said Heinrich of Newberry, who older brother Ryan played for the championship team last year.

Williams (6-foot, 180) is a "fast, tough" running back and defensive back who was the Most Valuable Player in the El Camino Division frosh-soph league last year.

Roberts (6-foot, 220) is a top prospect in the offensive line for the Falcons. "He has good feet and great potential," said the coach.

Lagemann (5-foot-11, 165) is a wide receiver and defensive back who Heinrich says has "the best hands on the team. He has tons of potential."

Heinrich rates Los Gatos and Wilcox as the teams to beat in the De Anza Division this year, but the Falcons won't have to deal with them until the midway point of the season. Saratoga opens the year Sept. 10 in a non-league game against Leigh and will open league on Oct. 1 against Palo Alto. The Falcons meet the Wildcats on Oct. 15 and won't face Wilcox until the final game of the regular season on Nov. 12.

Tough slate facing the Wildcats

At most schools, a 9-3 record and a league football championship would mean cause for great celebration.

But Los Gatos High School is not like most schools.

The Wildcats won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division title last fall and won nine of 12 games. But Los Gatos sets its sights higher than that.

"Improve, improve, improve--those are the key words for the 2004 season," Gatos head coach Butch Cattolico said.

Los Gatos boasts a 57-4-1 record over the past five seasons, a mark that includes five straight league titles and three Central Coast Section crowns.

"At many schools, 9-3 is not a bad season," the coach said, "but at Los Gatos 9-3 is a season in which improvement is not only necessary, but very much expected."

Improving on that mark will be no easy task, though, considering the tough slate that faces the Wildcats in 2004.

Gatos will open the season at home against powerhouse Aragon on Sept. 10, 7:30 p.m., before facing St. Francis, Cupertino and Wilcox.

"The first four games will be quite telling for this team," Cattolico said. "By that time it should be obvious whether this team has improved over last year or is not ready to play primetime Los Gatos football."

Aragon will return a number of players from a league championship team of a year ago, and St. Francis annually figures as a power in the West Catholic Athletic League and CCS. Cupertino is a strong title contender in the SCVAL's El Camino Division, and Wilcox is annually strong. In fact, the Chargers are the only team to have beaten Los Gatos in league play over the past five season.

The tough De Anza Division schedule also includes battles with Saratoga (the defending El Camino champion), Palo Alto, Gunn, Milpitas and Homestead. Los Gatos will fill its league bye with Mountain View on Oct. 8.

Keep an eye on these guys in the coming year

Westmont

* Tyler Porras (6-foot-2, 245), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Daniel Weller (5-foot-9, 170), Sr., RB, all-league

Del Mar

* Mike Howery (6-foot, 200), Sr., OL/LB, all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Danny Hauff (5-foot-10, 170), Sr., RB/LB, second team all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Johnny Daniels (6-foot-1, 170), Sr., QB/DB, all-league

Valley Christian

* Dominique Hunsucker (5-foot-10, 180), Jr., HB, WCAL sophomore of the year
* Joseph Townsend (6-foot-4, 280), Sr., OT/DT, all-league
* Mark Pirotta (5-foot-10, 240), Sr., C/DT, all-league
* Kyle Thompson (6-foot-3, 210), Sr., DE, all-league
* J.R. Adams (6-foot, 180), Sr., HB, all-league
* Mike Gintler (5-foot-11, 180), Jr., HB, WCAL JV MVP

Los Gatos

* Erik Rollin (6-foot-5, 207), Sr., QB, third year varsity, all-league
* Mike Brienzo (6-foot, 181), Sr., WR/DB, SCVAL De Anza Division Junior of the Year
* Evan Wynne (6-foot-4, 248), Sr., OG/DT, all-league, "could be one of the best we have ever had"
* Liam Smith (6-foot-6, 240), Sr., OT/DT, three-year starter, all-league second team
* Devin Lopez (6-foot, 250), Sr., NG, "a throwback to some of the best nose guards we have had at this school"
* Vince Bellotti (6-foot-3, 190), Sr., FS, all-league second team

Branham

* T.J. DeStefano (5-foot-7, 165), Sr., QB, all-league
* Nolen Robison (5-foot-8, 160), Sr., DB/RB, all-league
* Kyle Johnson (5-foot-10, 210), Sr., DL/OL, second team all-league
* Louis Sakoda (5-foot-9, 170), Sr., PK/SE/DB, second team all-league

Mitty

* Joe Ciesinski (6-foot, 183), Sr., DB/RB, WCAL Junior of the Year
* Malcolm Odoh (6-foot, 243), Sr., DL
* Brian Dressman (6-foot, 170), Sr., QB, all-league
* Richard Ricketts (6-foot-3, 230), Sr., DL, all-league
* Kyle Hansen (6-foot-2, 225), Sr., DL/OL, all-league
* Matt Guild (5-foot-8, 165), Sr., LB, all-league

Lincoln

* Raul Figueroa (5-foot-8, 180), Sr., RB, all-league
* Chris Garcia (5-foot-8, 200), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Patrick Yanez (5-foot-9, 180), Sr., OLB

Saratoga

* Phil Spencer (5-foot-8, 170), Sr., RB/CB, all-league
* Adam Sato (6-foot-2, 225), Sr., TE/LB, all-league
* Brent Walter (6-foot-3, 215), Sr., DL, all-league, all-state wrestler
* T.J. Florence (5-foot-7, 175), Sr., FB/LB, all-league

Harker School

* Ben Shapiro, Sr., QB, all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Kevin Park, Sr., RB, all-league, three-year varsity starter
* Eric Gavarre, Sr., TE, all-league, three-year varsity starter

Leigh

* Kiel Trudeau (6-foot-2, 180), Sr., QB, BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division Junior of the Year, No. 2 rated passer in CCS
* Brian Wendt (6-foot-3, 215), Sr., TE/LB, all-league, led the division in tackles
* Jon Brown (5-foot-10, 210), Sr., FB, second team all-league
* Matt Hoffman (6-foot-2, 180), Sr., WR
* Mike Edwards (5-foot-9, 185), Sr., LB, second team all-league

Leland

* Kirk Andre (5-foot-8, 180), Sr., RB/LB, all-league
* Gabe Castaneda (6-foot-3, 305), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Alex Gregarick (5-foot-11, 205), Sr., OL/DL, all-league

The King's Academy

* J.T. Martin (6-foot-1, 160), Sr., WR/FS, all-league
* Ji Jo (6-foot-1, 220), Sr., FB/DT, all-league

Willow Glen

* Matt Arevalo (5-foot-10, 210), Sr., LB, all-league
* Nate Torrez (6-foot-2, 250), Sr., DL, all-league
* Eugene Martinez (5-foot-7, 175), Sr., LB/FB, second team all-league
* Tim Cremer (6-foot-2, 235), Sr., DE/TE

Homestead

* Chris Morris (6-foot, 210), Sr., RB, SCVAL De Anza Division Offensive Player of the Year
* Jay Atkins (6-foot, 190), Jr., RB, all-league, transfer from Fremont
* Aaron Hickson (6-foot-2, 195), Sr., WR, all-league, transfer from Fremont

Fremont

* Nathan Carthcart (5-foot-10, 185), Jr., RB/CB, all-league
* Adrian Adrias (5-foot-9, 185), Sr., LB, team's leading tackler

Prospect

* Garrett Karren (6-foot-2, 210), Sr., TE/DE/PK, all-league, third year varsity
* Scott Skinner (5-foot-10, 185), Sr., RB/LB, third year varsity

Pioneer

* Collin McCarthy (6-foot, 200), Sr., LB, all-league
* Andrew Schultz (5-foot-8, 170), Sr., RB/DB, all-league
* Rolando Gomez (6-foot-4, 255), Sr., TE/DE, all-league
* Steve Matos (5-foot-9, 220), Sr., OL/DL, all-league
* Shaun Souza (5-foot-8, 170), Jr., RB/DB

Bellarmine

* John Gill (6-foot-4, 290), Sr., OL/DL, second team all-league