Photograph by Robert Scheer
Homestead's Chung Lai tries to get into position to cut off Ravon Walker of Cupertino. The Mustangs knocked off the Pioneer 59-50 in the league opener for each school.
By DICK SPARRER
Fremont and Homestead both finished with losing records a year ago in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
But judging by the way each team started the 1997 El Camino season, they don't plan a repeat performance this year.
Both the Firebirds and Mustangs opened league play with victories last week. Fremont whipped Saratoga 67-53 and Homestead handled Cupertino 59-50.
Fremont tops 'Toga
Darren Lang poured in 22 points and Jabbar Burton was close behind with 21 to lead the Firebirds to the 14-point win over the Falcons.
Lang, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, tossed in eight buckets from the field and added six points at the free-throw line to lead all Fremont scorers with his 22 points.
Burton, a 6-foot senior forward, had a couple of three-pointers among his eight field goals and tossed in three points at the stripe.
Rich Lockmanese, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, supported with 10 points for the winners. Melvin Rabena (5-foot-8 sophomore guard) and Tully Banta-Cain (6-foot-3 junior forward) added six points apiece and Reynold Carlos (6-foot junior forward) hit two. Rabena buried a three-pointer for the Firebirds.
Fremont jumped out to a quick 15-6 lead in the first period and held that nine-point lead at intermission by matching Saratoga's 16 points in the second quarter.
The Firebirds topped 'Toga by two in the third and three more in the fourth to secure the victory.
Fremont is 10-5 for the year and 1-0 to start league play.
Mustangs win, lose
Homestead, like Fremont, started the league season with a win, but lost two days later to Monta Vista.
The Mustangs handled Cupertino 59-50, but dropped a tight 43-41 nod to the Matadors.
Jammie Belion, a 5-foot-7 senior guard, had the hot hand for the Mustangs in the win over the Pioneers. Belion had a couple of three-pointers among his six field goals and added nine free throws to finish the night with 23 points.
Kayzell Milton pumped in 11 points to join Belion in double figures. He also had a three-pointer.
Steve Papoulies supported with nine points, Brian Blasquez had eight, Chung Lai five, Jimmy Olevson two and Pat Cabbell one.
Homestead topped 'Tino 18-13 in the first period to lead by five at the buzzer, then matched Cupertino's 16 points in the second quarter and six points in the third to take that five-point lead into the fourth.
Homestead outscored the Pioneers 19-15 in the final period to clinch the victory.
The Mustangs, 1-1 in league, couldn't match their winning performance a couple of nights later against Monta Vista.
Homestead led by five again after a period, 14-9, but the Matadors topped the Mustangs 10-7 in the second, 10-9 in the third and 14-11 in the fourth to win by two.
Blasquez topped Homestead with 16 points, including a three-pointer, and Papoulies added 10 points. Belion hit a pair of threes on his way to eight points. Milton chipped in with five points and Lai hit two.
The Mustangs try to get back on the winning track this week when they visit Wilcox on Jan. 15, 7 p.m.
King's wins
The King's Academy boys' basketball team pulled out a tight 77-75 win over St. Lawrence Academy in the Christian Private Schools League last week.
Tayo Akinsete, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, fired in 27 points to lead the Knights to the close win. Sophomore Nate Morrow supported with 14 points for the winners and Dan Carter and Tony Castillo added 12 points apiece.
James Terada and Dan Friske hit four points each for the Knights and Troy Garber and Joel Vanderet had two apiece to round out the scoring. Terada canned a three-pointer in the win.
King's, 6-5 for the year and 1-0 in league, led by four at the first buzzer and outscored St. Lawrence 25-14 in the second period to take a solid 15-point lead in at intermission.
The visitors came back to top King's 23-16 in the third and 25-19 in the fourth to make it close, but the locals held on for the win.
It was an important victory for a team that head coach Gregg Raab figures will contend for the league championship this season.
"We're coming off of a great season last year," said Raab, whose club was 13-1 in league play and advanced to the CCS Division V semifinals a year ago.
"We have four of five starters returning," he added, "so we should make a good run at the league title and contend for the section title."
Carter, a 6-foot-1 senior forward, is a top returner for the Knights along with Akinsete. Morrow, a 6-foot-2 sophomore forward, and Terada, a 5-foot-8 sophomore guard, are other returning starters for King's.
Castillo, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward, and Garber, a 5-foot-10 junior guard, are other top prospects this winter, said Raab.
Firebirds split
The Fremont girls' basketball team opened the El Camino Division season with a 36-28 win voer Los Altos, but the Lady Firebirds lost 51-45 to Wilcox later in the week.
Chi Tran tossed in 10 points, including a three-pointer, and Natalie Woo added nine to lead the Firebirds to the win over the Eagles. Sarah List hit a pair of threes on her way to eight points and Sheila Hess finished with six points, Kim Johnson hit two and Beatriz Corro had one.
Tran came back with 12 points and Corro added 10, but Fremont lost by six to Wilcox. Johnson supported with eight points, Charlotte Salvacion hit five, Hess four, List three, Woo two and La-Nolia Ufondu one. Tran and List each buried three-pointers.
Mustangs split, too
Like Fremont, the Homestead girls also split last week, opening the De Anza Division season with a 63-29 win over Lynbrook before losing to league powerhouse Monta Vista 55-51.
Hilary Parker poured in 17 points and Yvonne Chen supported with 12 to lead the Mustangs past the Vikings. Chen hit a couple of three-pointers for Homestead.
Brie Ahern, Yumi Minn and Michele Wald popped eight points each in the win, Erin Morkikawa and Shelly Mellberg added four apiece and Kelly Hadden hit two.
Parker came back with 17 points and Ahern added 11, but the Mustangs lost by four to Monta Vista. Minn chipped in with seven, Morikawa hit five and Chen added three.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 15, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.