Saratoga News

Sports

Vikings are chasing first winning season since 1993

By Mike Barnhart

When Lynbrook's football team bounced back from a winless 2005 to start last season with three wins--yes, wins--in a row, one could not help but wonder if the drought was over.

Then, when the Vikings recovered from a tough seven-point loss in their division opener to beat Cupertino to go 4-1 with five games remaining, they needed just one more victory to stop their string of losing seasons at 12.

But it didn't happen. The Vikings lost their next five games, including a nailbiter to Fremont in the season finale. Unmercifully, the 2006 season went into the Lynbrook record book the same way the previous dozen did--with more losses (6) than wins (4).

"The Fremont game was heartbreaking for the coaches and the players," recalled head coach Ray Wright, who is beginning his second season at the helm of the Viking ship. "We had a chance to win in the final seconds, but didn't."

Instead, Lynbrook remains in search of its first winning season since 1993. Even a 5-5 break-even season would do the trick.

"We don't have as many guys as last year, just 28, but this is a heady group of kids and many of them have worked hard at getting better," explained Wright, who worked on developing work ethic, structure and pride with most of the seniors for two seasons at the frosh-soph level before moving up to varsity.

With eight returning starters on offense and seven back on defense, including some two-way starters, the Vikings are ready.

"These guys know what to do--this is at least the second season with me for everyone, and for some, it's the fourth season," Wright noted.

Seniors Scott Day (6-foot-1, 220), Bobby Esquivel (6-foot-1, 230) and Greg Wallis (6-foot-2, 160) are three players who will go both ways for the Vikings.

Day, Lynbrook's leading tackler last season (98) as a linebacker and the team's leading scorer with 10 touchdowns as a running back, did not settle after being named the El Camino Division's Defensive Player of the Year.

"He was in the weight room the day after the Fremont loss," Wright recalled. "Since last season, he has put on 20 pounds of muscle."

Esquivel, a first-team, all-league center selection in 2006, is back for his third season, anchoring both lines for the Vikes. Wallis, in his fourth year as quarterback in Wright's system, begins his second varsity season as the offensive leader. Wallis often will double as a defensive back, Wright said.

Joining Day in the offensive backfield will be seniors Bryan Snyder (5-foot-8, 165) or Ryan Tom (5-foot-8, 220). Snyder also will see duty at defensive back, while Tom helps Day at linebacker.

The receivers include senior tight end Andy Meunier (6-foot-8, 220), who has impressed college scouts during spring and summer workouts, according to Wright. Senior Yas Sakurai (5-foot-10, 170) and junior Emre Titizer (6-foot-3, 215) will be the wide-outs.

Joining Esquivel on both lines will be junior tackle Nikhil Jain (5-foot-11, 235), up from the frosh-soph. Senior Mark Tabarez (5-foot-11, 215) will start at offensive tackle.

Jim Baglanis (6-foot-3, 185) returns as the placekicker. He booted 19 extra points last season.

"He's a big kid with a strong leg," Wright said. "I'd sure like to see him kick a few three-pointers this year."

Wright and the Vikings also would like to get five wins.

After non-league games with Del Mar, James Lick and The King's Academy, Lynbrook hosts Gunn in an El Camino opener on Sept. 28 at Cupertino High. After their final non-league game at Santa Clara, the Vikings play four straight weeks in the El Camino circuit.

"Homestead definitely will be tough, coming from the De Anza Division, and Saratoga will be tough too," Wright predicted. "But none of the league games will be easy."