The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Photograph by Skye Dunlap

Fremont's Tully Banta-Cain fights for yardage against Los Gatos. But the yards came tough against the Wildcats in a 56-14 loss for the Firebirds.

Tough week for Firebirds

Mustangs even record with win over Matadors

By Dick Sparrer

The last two weeks have not been kind to the Fremont football team.

The Firebirds were 4-0 in the preseason, but opened play in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League with back-to-back losses to Palo Alto and Los Gatos--and they weren't close.

The 'Birds lost 41-8 to Paly, then were crushed 56-14 by Los Gatos last Friday night.

But Fremont hopes to turn the tide over the next few weeks. The Firebirds are through playing the top contenders, at least for three weeks. Fremont will meet Saratoga (0-3 in the division, 1-5 overall), Monta Vista (0-3, 1-5) and Homestead (1-1, 2-4) in the next three games, and the Firebirds are hoping to pull back into the playoff picture.

Fremont returns to the same Los Gatos field where they lost so decisively to the Wildcats last week, but they'll be facing Saratoga in a 7:30 p.m. game on Friday. The Falcons were crushed 47-6 by Wilcox last Friday.

Homestead, too, took a step toward a possible playoff spot with a rousing 29-0 win over Monta Vista last week. The win evened Homestead's De Anza Division record at 1-1.

Seniors Chris Brooker and Jason Woods starred in the game for the Mustangs.

Brooker broke a scoreless tie when he blasted over from the 1 for a first-quarter touchdown. Senior quarterback Andy Myers hit junior wide receiver Trumaine Green for the two-point conversion, and the Mustangs were on top 8-0 in the first.

Woods stepped in to pad the lead before intermission. Woods blocked a Monta Vista punt and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown. Darren Anthony's extra point gave Homestead a 15-0 lead at intermission.

That's how it remained until the fourth quarter, when Homestead scored two more times.

Myers tossed 10 yards to Anthony for a touchdown, and Woods took off on a 93-yard run for a score. Anthony kicked both extra points, and the Mustangs had locked up the 29-0 win.

Linebackers Brooker and senior Brian Holm were tackling leaders for the Mustangs along with senior defensive end Matt Kenney.

Homestead will try to make it two straight in division play this week. The Mustangs will host Los Gatos in a 7:30 p.m. game on Oct. 24 at Diesner Field.

Gatos is 3-3 for the year, but 3-0 in division play. After a winless start in the preseason, the Wildcats have come on strong in league play.

And no one knows that better than Fremont.

Water polo

Brendan Cable pumped in eight goals, but it wasn't enough to lead the Fremont boys' water polo team to victory against Santa Clara in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL.

Cable scored eight goals and Ryan Ashby added four, but the Firebirds lost a 20-14 overtime decision to Santa Clara. Steven Pon and Chris Stockhaus also scored in the loss for Fremont.

The Firebirds staged a brilliant comeback to tie the game 12-12 after regulation.

Fremont was down 2-1 after a period and 6-3 at the half. But the Firebirds matched Santa Clara's two goals in the third quarter, then blizted the Bruins 7-4 in the fourth to tie it.

Santa Clara outscored Fremont 7-1 in the first overtime, though, and went on from there to record the victory.

Fremont slipped to 2-8 for the year and 0-1 in league play with the loss.

Volleyball

Homestead dropped a pair of De Anza Division decisions to Los Altos and St. Francis in girls' volleyball play last week. The Mustangs lost 15-5, 15-1, 2-15, 16-14 to the Eagles, then fell 15-6, 15-9, 15-5 to the Lancers.

Homestead slipped to 2-5 in the division and to 10-10 for the year with the two losses.

Fremont, meanwhile, lost 15-8, 15-4, 15-2 to Saratoga in the El Camino Division.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, October 22, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.