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Tough game week for local football teams
By Dick Sparrer
The Homestead and Fremont football teams faced similar tasks last Friday night.
And the Mustangs and Firebirds suffered similar results.
The clubs were opening league play in different divisions of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, and they were both opening up against division favorites.
Homestead had the uneviable task of opening the De Anza Division season against Wilcox, a co-favorite with Los Gatos in the league title race.
The Mustangs, who took a 2-1 record into the game, lost 41-8 to the Chargers.
Fremont, meanwhile, had to open the league season against Santa Clara. The Bruins are favored to win it all in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL, and they started on that road with a 32-6 victory over the Firebirds.
The results weren't much different for other local teams. Monta Vista lost a lopsided 31-0 decision to Los Gatos in De Anza Division play and Lynbrook fell 45-26 to Gunn in the El Camino Division opener for each club.
Pioneers close
Cupertino actually came the closest of any area team, but the Pioneers still came up on the short end of a tight 14-7 El Camino Division decision against Mountain View.
Cupertino and Mountain View fought to a scoreless tie through halftime before the Pioneers broke the scoring ice in the third quarter.
Senior quarterback Mike Runfola tossed an 8-yard TD pass to Matt Perry to put the Pioneers on top.
But Mountain View tied it on a 40-yard run in the fourth period, then won it late in the game with a 39-yard TD pass.
Cupertino slipped to 0-4 for the year and to 0-1 in league play with the loss. The Pioneers will go after their first win on Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., when they host Fremont.
Firebirds fall
The Firebirds will take a 1-3 season record into the Friday night game after losing to Santa Clara last week. The 'Birds, whose lone win was a 34-0 victory over Westmont, fell 32-6 to the unbeaten Bruins.
Santa Clara had taken over the favorite's role in the El Camino Division after beating Menlo 21-14, Pioneer 34-6 and Milpitas 36-29 to open the year.
Fremont became Santa Clara's fourth victim last Friday night. The Bruins will try to make it five straight when they visit Lynbrook on Oct. 9, 3 p.m.
Vikings lose
Lynbrook will take a 1-3 record up against Santa Clara on Saturday, but the Vikings got off to a 0-1 start in the division after losing 45-26 to Gunn last Friday night at Foothill College.
The Titans opened up a 45-0 lead through three periods, but there was no quit in Lynbrook on Friday night. The Vikings battled back with four touchdowns in the final period to make the score respectable.
Gunn appeared to be moving in for yet another score early in the fourth quarter, but the Vikings forced a fumble and Ryan Hummel scooped up the loose ball and rambled 97 yards for the first of four touchdowns.
The Vikes pinned the Titans deep after the kickoff, and Gunn fumbled again. This time Mo Arce was there to pounce on the ball in the end zone for another Lynbrook TD.
Mats, Mustangs collide
Homestead and Monta Vista are each coming off of tough losses, but the two clubs will collide on Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m., at Fremont in league play. The teams played a nonleague game a couple of weeks back and it was Homestead winning 34-28.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
