Who could have known at the time that the first down would be just one of two Saratoga would convert in the first half and that the Falcons would leave the field at intermission trailing 42-0.

Pioneer got some revenge for that one touchdown loss of the season before--and then some--with a 49-19 win over the Falcons. The Mustangs scored on each of six possessions of the first half to take a commanding halftime lead, and coasted from there to the victory.

For Saratoga, it was the second straight week its defense had given up 49 points. The Falcons had opened the year with a 49-30 loss to San Mateo.

Saratoga will try to get on the winning track with a road game at Lynbrook on Sept. 23, 3:15 p.m. The Vikings, like the Falcons, are 0-2, losing their first two games to Del Mar (35-0) and Prospect (12-6).

"They've got some talent and they kind of spread you out," Saratoga coach Kurt Heinrich said. "And they'll run a little wing T at your. We saw a lot of that at Pioneer last week."

"I've just got to do a better job of coaching," Heinrich added. "I'm not getting our guys ready to play, and I've got to work on that with my coaches. We're just not competing at a level we need to compete at.

"We're got to make the plays when they come."

Saratoga's offense was ineffective in the first half against Pioneer. The Falcons completed a first-down pass on their first play of the game, but didn't convert another until after Pioneer had opened up a 35-0 lead. A five-yard toss from Gupta to Alex Lagemann and a couple of runs for 10 yards by Steven Marinero gave Saratoga a first down at its own 41 with about six minutes left in the half, but the drive stalled there.

It wasn't until the second half, after Pioneer had pulled its first defensive unit, that the Falcons started to move and finally got onto the scoreboard.

Lagemann got the Falcons going when he ran back the second half kickoff 29 yards to the Saratoga 41.

Williams took off on a 27-yard run to get the Falcons into Pioneer territory for the first time on the day, taking Saratoga to the Mustangs' 32-yard line.

Jeff Frederickson ran for three yards and Williams for four more before an errant pass by Kevin Sieczkarek left the Falcons a fourth and three at the 23.

But Marinero powered 19 yards to the 6-yard line for a key first down, and Sieczkarek tossed the final six yards to Lagemann for a touchdown with 8:20 left in the third period. Nicholas May kicked the extra point that made it 42-7.

Pioneer came driving back for a score, though, to up the count to 49-7. But Saratoga would strike back with touchdowns on its next two possessions to make the score respectable.

Working behind an offensive line of tackles Jeff Roberts and David Pignatelli, guards Sean Casserly and Jake Burne and center Scott Darchuk, the Falcons started moving down the field.

Marinero went for 10 yards and Williams broke loose for 21 before Williams took off on a 43-yard touchdown run.

The Saratoga defense managed to stop Pioneer for the first time following the kickoff, then the Falcons went back to work on offense.

Gupta found Andrew Capek for 10 yards and, a play later, Gupta went to Lagemann for 38 yards to the Pioneer 1-yard line. Sieczkarek went in on a quarterback sneak behind his center, Darchuk, and it was 49-19.

Joey Pollard-Vithanage recovered a fumble to get the Falcons the ball back a few plays after the kickoff, but the Mustangs intercepted a Saratoga pass three plays later, then ran out the clock for the win.

The Falcons were held to just 32 offensive yards in the first half, 31 of that coming via the air, but finished the day with 222 yards of total offense.

Williams led the effort with 88 yards on six carries and the one pass reception for 16. Marinero supported with 43 yards on seven tries.

Gupta completed 6 of 11 passes for 79 yards and Sieczkarek hit on 1 of 4 for six yards. Lagemann pulled in four tosses for 55 yards and Capek caught two for 14.

Lenny Liccardo, Eric Wong and Cameron Ballingall were the tackling leaders for the Falcons with eight each, and each one had a tackle in the Pioneer backfield. Lagemann got in on seven stops and Sean Nasiri and Pollard-Vithanage added five apiece. Casserly was in on four tackles and Danny Miroyan, Sieczkarek and Young Byun had three each.

Alex Lagemann, Frederickson, Alex Keating, Michael Smith and Nick Sclavos were also in on tackles.