Photograph by George Sakkestad
Fremont quarterback Lamar Harvey fights for yardage in last Friday's 35-28 win over Cupertino.
BY DICK SPARRER
It's been a few years since the Fremont football team has won three games in a season. Thanks to a solid 35-28 win over Cupertino last Friday night, the Firebirds have three wins this year.
And while many are celebrating turnabout in Fremont's football fortunes, head coach Ron DeMonner isn't--not yet, anyway. Because the veteran coach isn't surprised one bit to see his Firebirds winning this fall.
"Everybody's excited over the three wins," he said. "But I'm kind of disappointed that we've lost two."
It's not that DeMonner's not excited about his team's success--he just knew what the Firebirds were capable of accomplishing.
"I'm just tickled to death," he said of Fremont's success. "A year ago, we had 24 kids out, and this year we started with 52 kids and still have 48."
"It's a good squad of kids," he added. "They've passed some academic hurdles, and some of the kids are growing up a little bit."
And they're winning. But DeMonner knew all along they had the talent for that.
"It's like I've told the kids," he said. "Talent won't the factor that will make or break us, because we have the talent. It's how much of a commitment they're willing to make to the team effort."
So far, they've made plenty--enough for three wins and enough to open the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with back-to-back victories.
Big tight end Tony Banta-Cain, quarterback Lamar Harvey and speedy running back Jerrick Powell led the Firebirds to their recent win over the Pioneers.
Banta-Cain caught a couple of touchdown passes from Harvey, and Powell ran for three touchdowns in the win.
It was a 70-yard touchdown pass from Harvey to Banta-Cain that got the 'Birds started against the Pioneers. Harvey finished the night hitting on 11-of-12 passes for 200 yards and the two touchdowns.
Powell scored on a pair of short runs, and also busted one 28 yards for a TD.
"He did a phenomenal job of getting into the corner of endzone," DeMonner said of Powell. "He lowered his shoulders and dove in--it was a beautiful thing."
Powell ran for 700 yards as a junior behind a small offensive line.
"I felt like he was the best-kept secret in the valley," the coach said of his back. "I knew if we could put him behind some kids who can get things done, he would blossom."
Fremont boasts just such an offensive line this fall.
Banta-Cain anchors one side of the line at tight end, and next to him is talented junior tackle Warren Rick.
"This year he is absolutely blossoming," De Monner said of the 6-foot-7, 308-pound Rick. "He is a bright, articulate kid."
The "unsung hero" of the offensive front wall is guard Justin Stichter with senior Art Alegria next to him at center. Both are solid two-way starters for the Firebirds.
Guard Domingo Garcia and tackle Ozzie Villagomez round out the talented offensive line for Fremont.
"It's a big wall for Jerrick to run behind," added DeMonner, who praised the work of coaches Jim Carter and Kent Petersen for their work with the boys up front.
Another "unsung hero" for the Firebirds is fullback Tony Brown who does a solid job as a blocker and gets the "hard yards inside," said the coach.
Leading them all is Harvey at quarterback.
"He threw the ball pretty well the other night," the coach said of his QB. "If that continues. ..."
His voice trailed off, but his message was clear--opponents won't be able to stack up against Fremont's run and will have to respect the pass. Harvey is throwing the ball well, targeting his passes at Banta-Cain and wide receivers Gabe Atondo, Gilbert Atondo and Anthony Roberson.
"We're heading in the right direction," De Monner said, "except defensively, we're lagging."
The coach indicated that the defensive line, led by Alegria, was playing well and that Brown looked solid at inside linebacker.
The Firebirds, 2-0 in league play and 3-2 for the year, will visit Gunn on Oct. 18, 3 p.m.
"They've got some very good skill guys," De Monner said of the Titans. "And they gave Mountain View all they could handle."
Boys' water polo
Brendan Cable fired in five goals, but the Fremont water polo team dropped a 23-9 decision to Wilcox in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Cable accounted for more than half of the scoring for the Firebirds. Ryan Ashby, Paul Fukuma, Donald Moulds and Misha Guiffre added goals for Fremont.
The Chargers opened up a 4-1 lead in the first period. Fremont came back with five goals in the second quarter, but Wilcox scored seven to lead by five at the half, 11-6. The Chargers topped Fremont 5-2 in the third and 7-1 in the fourth to clinch the win.
The Firebirds slipped to 1-2 in the division with the loss.
Elsewhere in the division, Homestead split a pair of games last week, beating Mt. Pleasant 14-5 but losing to Los Altos 18-6.
Girls' volleyball
The Homestead girls' volleyball teams remains perfect in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
The Mustangs improved to 6-0 in the division with wins over Santa Clara and Gunn last week.
Homestead, 14-4 for the year, pounded the Bruins 15-7, 15-9, 15-8 and whipped the Titans 15-10, 15-7, 7-15, 15-6.
Fremont, meanwhile, dropped a pair of decisions to slip to 0-6 in the division. The Firebirds lost 15-6, 15-2, 15-5 to Gunn and fell 15-1, 7-15, 15-5, 15-7 to Saratoga.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 16, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.