Saratoga News
Sports
Carstens, Berman spark 'Toga frosh-soph to win
By Dick Sparrer
Quarterback Vinnie Carstens and wide receiver Andy Berman hooked up for a 49-yard touchdown pass and combined on a 39-yard toss that set up another score to lead the Saratoga frosh-soph football team to a 23-6 win over Capuchino last Friday night at Benny Pierce Field.
The win helped the young Falcons improve to 2-0-1 for the season as they look forward to a bye this week before opening play in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League on Sept. 28 at home against Cupertino.
The night got off to a bad start when star running back and team captain Grant Thomas suffered a leg injury on the first play from scrimmage, but then the Falcons got rolling.
Carstens slipped a 39-yard pass to Berman that took the Falcons to the 4-yard line. Brandon Shahmirza went the final four yards for the score.
Capuchino answered with a touchdown of its own, but Kenny Kai came through with a sack on the point after attempt and Saratoga held on to a 7-6 lead.
Carstens raced for 15 yards out of punt formation to give Saratoga a key first down. After Jian Lee ran for 14 yards, Carstens tossed to Berman for 49 yards and a touchdown.
The Mustangs snapped the ball out of the end zone on a punt attempt for a safety, putting Saratoga up 16-6, and the Falcons closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter when Andrew Lee ran 14 yards for a TD.
The line of Kyle Keating, Adam Oreglia, Gregory Johnson, Connor Clarke and Kai handled things up front offensively. Leading the defense were Chris Moran, Bryce Dozier, Lee, Oreglia, Tyler Winningham, Trevor Teerlink and Nick Dere.
Falcons tie Acorns
Carstens connected with Lee for a 19-yard touchdown pass to help the Falcons battle from behind to tie Live Oak 7-7 on Sept. 7. Carstens passes to Thomas and Shahmirza for 15 yards and to Thomas for 28 set up the TD toss.
Clarke, Teerlink, Keating, Thomas, Oreglia, Berman, Lee, Kai and Moran were defensive standouts for Saratoga in the game.
'Toga wins opener
The Falcons had opened the season by blanking Menlo-Atherton 19-0 on Aug. 31.
Sophomore running backs Andrew Lee, Shahmirza, Thomas and Dozier led the offensive assault for the Falcons, running behind the line of Keating, Oreglia, Alan Yen, Clarke and Kai.
It was a 26-yard field goal by Shahmirza that broke the scoring ice in the game and gave Saratoga an early 3-0 lead. Thomas later had touchdown runs of 14 and seven yards, and Shahmirza capped the scoring with a 22-yard field goal.
Winningham starred on special teams in the win and Carstens made a leaping interception for the Falcons.
The defensive front of Keating, Oreglia and Clarke, linebackers, J. Lee, Dozier, Berman, Thomas and Shahmirza, and defensive backs Teerlink and Moran were all contributors in the victory.
Frosh team falls
The Saratoga frosh football team lost a 21-14 nod to the Pacific Grove Breakers to open the season.
Quarterback Kevin Smith hit Chris Guengerich for 28 yards, then the two connected again on a 23-yard TD pass to give the Falcons an early 6-0 lead.
Smith tosses for 28 yards to Dillan Pak and 15 yards to Kevin Darchuk set up a five-yard touchdown run by Gregory Johnson.
The Breakers went up 14-12 before Guengerich stopped the Pacific Grove quarterback in the end zone for a safety to tie the game. But the Breakers scored in the final seconds to win it.
Tim Lycurgus was a defensive standout, sacking the PG quarterback and also picking off a pitch. Kevin Smith, Karthik Annaamalai and Guengerich each intercepted passes and Stephen Leslie, Bren Veziroglu, Alexander Polcyn, Sean MacIntosh and Jarod Anderson made key tackles.
Johnson, Pak and Rick Wilson led the ground attack, running behind a line of Joe Walters, Dino Demko, James Reed, John Mastman and Leslie.
