Saratoga News

Sports

Falcons open season with win over Mustangs

By Dick Sparrer

A lex Lagemann entered the 2006 football season something to prove. After all, the senior wide receiver had already made a verbal commitment to UC-Berkeley, and he was on everyone's preseason list as a top prospect in the Central Coast Section, if not the state.

So when Saratoga opened the season against Homestead at Fremont's Diesner Field last Friday night, all eyes were on 'Toga's No. 5.

He didn't disappoint anyone, except maybe the Mustangs and their fans.

Lagemann proved he's the real deal in leading the Falcons to a 24-21 win over Homestead. He touched the ball only six times in the game--three on pass receptions and three on kick returns--but he scored a pair of touchdowns. And he did it all while nursing the lingering effects of a sprained ankle suffered a couple of weeks back.

"When you can go to a guy like Alex ... well, he's a beat, he's an absolute beast," said Saratoga coach Kurt Heinrich after the game.

But as good as Lagemann was on Friday night, don't get the idea that he was a one-man show for the Falcons. Saratoga had a number of players made key contributions in the win over Homestead.

Senior running backs Jeff Frederickson and Lenny Liccardo led an impressive ground attack, senior quarterback Kevin Sieczkarek did a good job leading the offense and seniors Danny Miroyan, Gabe Essner and Sean Casserly were defensive standouts.

Add to that list an offensive line of junior tackles David Pignatelli and Zack Kowitz, senior guards Sean Nasiri and Bennett Rothenberg and senior center Jake Burne, who led the Falcons to 318 yards of total offense on opening night.

"I generally thought the offensive line did a good job," added the coach. "When we did throw, they did a good job of protecting our quarterbacks."

Frederickson led a solid ground attack with 103 yards on eight carries and Liccardo was close behind with 83 yards on 13 tries, including a 19-yard run late in the game when the Falcons needed a first down to help run out the clock.

Sieczkarek hooked up on 3 of 8 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns, with all three completions going to Lagemann.

Sieczkarek and Lagemann gave an indication of things to come this season when, on the second play of the game, the quarterback found the talented wide receiver alone down the right sideline for a 59-yard touchdown pass. Nicolas May kicked the extra point, and the Falcons had a 7-0 lead just 51 seconds into the game.

The defense stepped up the stop the Mustangs cold after the kick-off, the big play a hit for a loss by Casserly. Homestead's 34-yard punt was returned 17 yards to the Saratoga 47 by Lagemann, and the Falcons were in business again.

Frederickson and Peter Florence ran the ball deep into Homestead territory, and May capped the short drive with a 34-yard field goal to make it 10-0.

"We came out and did some different things early, and had some success," said Heinrich.

Saratoga's defense stopped Homestead twice, once forcing a failed field goal attempt and the second time on an interception in the end zone by Kourosh Asahdel. But a couple of fumbles keep the Mustangs in good field position.

Homestead capitalized on the second turnover to score with 17 seconds in the first period, cutting the lead to 10-7.

Saratoga failed to move after the kick-off, and Homestead started a drive. But this time it was the Mustangs who turned the ball over. Frederickson forced a fumble that was recovered by Scott McKenzie, and the Falcons had stopped Homestead at the Saratoga 19.

The Falcons then took off on a nine-play, 81-yard drive that Sieczkarek capped when he scored on 1-yard sneak behind Burke. The big plays on the drive were a 30-yard pass to Lageman and a couple of runs by Liccardo for 12 and 16 yards.

May's kick made it 17-7 with 3:09 left in the half, but the Mustangs scored against before intermission to cut the lead to 17-14.

The clubs traded punts before Homestead started to move again in the third quarter, driving deep into Saratoga territory. Once more, though, the Falcons forced a turnover. Essner knocked the ball loose and Asahdel recovered at the 1-yard-line to stop the threat.

The clubs traded punts once more before Saratoga put together another drive. The Falcons went 50 yards in seven plays, Sieczkarek ending the march with a 20-yard scoring toss to Lageman. It was a couple of runs by Frederickson--one for 29 yards, the other for 13--that sparked the drive. May's third kick made it 24-14.

Homestead hung tough, though, scoring again to make it 24-21 with 6:05 left in the game.

Saratoga needed a drive to run out the remaining time on the clock and got it, picking up four first downs to clinch the win. Sieczkarek gained five yards on an option keeper for a key first on a fourth-down play, and Liccardo broke one 19 yards on a big fourth and four in the final minute.

"When we had to keep the drive alive we did," said Heinrich of the final march.

Homestead matched Saratoga's 318 yards on total offense in the game.

"They were chunkin' us," said Heinrich of the Mustangs. "But we got them to turn it over."

Homestead fumbled four times in the game, losing two of them, and also threw the one interception.

Miroyan was the defensive leader for the Falcons in the win, getting in on 10 tackles and knocking down a Homestead pass. Essner and Casserly were each in on seven tackles, including one each in the enemy backfield.

Kowitz was next in line with five tackles, one for a loss, and McKenzie, Matt Keating and Nick Shehtonian were in on four each. Asahdel had a big night with three tackles, a fumble recovery, the interception and a blocked pass. Brian Dowdle, Liccardo, Florence, Andrew Pei, Steven Walker, Mat Spencer, Nasiri, Keon Ghafouri and Matt Casas were also in on tackles in the win.

Saratoga will have its hands full this week when the Falcons host Live Oak in a non-league game on Sept. 8, 3:15 p.m.