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Photograph by Chad Pilster
Fremont's David Elliott fights for yardage in last week's 25-24 victory over Lynbrook. Elliott ran for 164 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Firebirds to victory.
Homestead Mustangs net big win
David Elliott stars for Firebirds
By Dick Sparrer
When the Homestead and Lynbrook girls tennis teams met last week for the second time this season, Homestead coach Jose Francisco was hoping that his Mustangs could play just as well as they did the first time around against the Vikings.
They didn't... they played better.
And the result was a division championship for the Homestead girls.
The Mustangs had edged Lynbrook 4-3 in the first round of play in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. And that stood as Lynbrook's only loss heading into last week's match with the unbeaten Mustangs.
But the second time around, Homestead was even better. The Mustangs pulled out a 5-2 victory to improve to 13-0 in the division and to 13-3 for the year.
Rachel Pua managed an impressive win over Lynbrook star Belinda Rungsea at No. 1 singles, and the team of Diana Chiu and Mia Chen continued an unbeaten season with a win at No. 1 doubles.
Erin Hsu and Niki Delanney were other singles winners for the Mustangs, and Doren Li and Nora Go came through with a victory at No. 3 doubles.
Pua set the tone for the day with her impressive 6-1, 6-1 win over Rungsea at No. 1 singles.
"She just took over," said Francisco of Pua. "She just attacked her, and didn't let her do anything."
Chiu and Chen posted a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win at No. 1 doubles to run their league victory string to 13 straight.
Hsu posted a 7-6, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles and Delanney won 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 at No. 4 singles. Hsu, who broke a 3-3 tie with her singles win the first time around against the Vikings, was the four point in this win, too.
Li and Go had lost the first time around against Lynbrook, but the twosome came back to post a 6-2, 6-2 in this match to pull out the win at No. 3 doubles.
Brittany Reynolds dropped a tough 6-4, 6-4 nod at No. 2 singles for the Mustangs, and Julia Szejnwald and Kim Maloof lost 7-6, 6-2 at No. 2 doubles.
"We were tied 2-2, and then we just took over," said Francisco, explaining the win over the Vikings.
The Mustangs will now advance to the league tournament Nov. 2-3 at Central Park in Santa Clara before moving on to the Central Coast Section tournament.
Elliott stars
Senior fullback David Elliott carried 19 times for 164 yards and three touchdowns to lead Fremont to a thrilling 25-24 victory over Lynbrook in football action last Friday night.
The win was the first in four games for the Firebirds in the El Camino Division of the SCVAL and pushed their season record to 3-5.
The Vikings took the early lead in the game with a first-period touchdown, but Fremont cut the lead to 7-6 when Mark Ahrens hit Jason Placencia with a 9-yard touchdown pass before the end of the quarter.
Lynbrook added a second-quarter field goal to take a 10-6 lead in at intermission, but Elliott scored on a 9-yard run to put the Firebirds on top 12-10 in the third.
The Vikings regained the lead 17-12, but Elliott bulled over from the 3-yard-line for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the 'Birds up 18-17.
Still, Lynbrook kept fighting back. The Vikings scored a touchdown and added the extra point to lead 24-18.
Once more, though, Fremont responded. Elliott scored from the 4 to tie the game 24-24, then called on Jorge O'Connor to kick the tie-breaking extra point.
The Firebirds had failed on their three previous conversion attempts--two kicks and a run. But O'Connor was true on this one, and Fremont celebrated a victory.
Fremont will try to make it two straight this week when the 'Birds return home to Diesner Field to host winless Los Altos on Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m. The Eagles are 0-4 in the division and 1-7 for the year.
Paly blanks Mustangs
Homestead slipped to 2-5 for the year and to 0-3 in the De Anza Division of the SCVAL after suffering a 46-0 loss to Palo Alto last Friday afternoon.
The Mustangs will go after their first league win this week when they visit Saratoga on Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m., at Los Gatos.
Gorton leads 'Birds
Amy Gorton buried 21 kills for Fremont and Adrienne Hoopes had 20 kills for Homestead as each led her volleyball team to a split in El Camino Division play last week.
Gorton had 13 kills for Fremont in a 15-9, 12-15, 15-13, 15-7 win over Santa Clara. Earlier in the week, the senior outside hitter had 10 kills in a 15-8, 15-5, 17-19, 15-10 loss to Milpitas.
Fremont is now 3-9 in the division and 10-17 for the year.
Homestead, meanwhile, beat Mountain View 15-7, 15-11, 16-14 thanks to 11 kills by Hoopes. She had nine earlier in the week in a 12-15, 15-4, 15-6, 15-2 loss to Santa Clara.
The Mustangs are 5-7 in the division and 10-17 for the year.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
