The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Fremont's Tully Banta-Cain (33) congratulates Manuel Maes (9) after a 21-yard touchdown run. Moments later, Banta-Cain pulled in a pass for the two-point conversion, and Fremont went on to pull out a tight 34-27 win over Cupertino.

'Birds shine bright in win

Mustangs fall to tough Dons

By Dick Sparrer

The lights of Dienser Field were shining bright, and so were the Fremont Firebirds.

The 'Birds opened the 1997 football season with a rousing 34-27 non-league victory over Cupertino last Friday night, and they got off to a flying start.

Chaz Dixon took the first play from scrimmage 71 yards for a Fremont touchdown, and the Firebirds went on from there to pull out the victory.

Dixon's touchdown, and Jorge Novoa's extra point, helped Fremont jump out to a 7-0 lead, and the Firebirds went on to take a 21-0 advantage in the first period. But the 'Birds had to hold off Cupertino comeback attempts all night long.

Big senior quarterback Bryan McCann (6 feet 3, 210 pounds) tossed a 45-yard TD strike to Tully Banta-Cain to up Fremont's lead to 13-0 in the opening period.

When Mike Maes took off on a 21-yard touchdown run and McCann went to Banta-Cain for the two-point conversion, Fremont appeared to be in command with a 21-0 lead.

But Cupertino scored twice to cut the lead to 21-14 midway through the second quarter.

Just when it appeared that the Pioneers had crawled back into the game, though, Gabe Atondo ran back a Cupertino kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to give the Firebirds a comfortable 27-14 lead at halftime.

The clubs battled through a scoreless third period before Cupertino scored another touchdown to trim the lead to 27-20.

But Banta-Cain stepped up to score what would prove the back-breaking touchdown for Fremont. He raced 50 yards for a touchdown, and Novoa kicked the extra point to put the 'Birds up 34-20.

A 12-yard TD toss from Matt Mueller to Mitch Andrade and a two-point pass from Mueller to Billy Hershey made it 34-27. But that's as close as Cupertino could get, and the Pioneers ended up a touchdown short.

Fremont will now try to make it two straight when the Firebirds return to Diesner field to host Gunn in a non-league game on Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. The 'Birds hope to once again shine bright under their home lights at Diesner.

Mustangs fall

Things were not quite as bright for the Homestead Mustangs when they opened the '97 campaign last Saturday night. The Mustangs lost 31-6 to Aragon under those same Diesner lights.

Aragon is picked to win the Bay Division championship in the rugged Peninsula Athletic League this fall. And the football team at Homestead certainly believes in that prediction.

Homestead lost 31-6 to the Dons last weekend in the season opener for each club.

The Mustangs, the defending champions in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, will try to get on the winning track when they visit Seaside on Sept. 19, 7 p.m.

[ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ]

This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, September 17, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.