But then, Walczak's isn't a very familiar face to the Firebirds either.

Walczak takes over as a first-year head coach at Fremont this fall, returning to the Sunnyvale campus for the first time since he was a varsity assistant back in 1996.

The veteran coach, a teacher at Cupertino High School, spent 1997 as an assistant at Monta Vista, then spent the last three seasons as a varsity assistant at Cupertino.

This year he returns to Fremont to take on his first head coaching assignment. And even though there are just two starters returning from last year's talented Fremont squad, he likes what he sees on the Sunnyvale football field.

Wide receiver Jesse Enchill and defensive tackle David Rivas are the only starters back from the Fremont club that finished second in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League last fall, but Walczak figures the Firebirds to be contenders in 2002.

The coach rates Homestead and Cupertino as the league title favorites this season, but he figures his Firebirds could finish "second or third."

Enchill (6-foot-2, 180) and Rivas (6-foot, 295) are two returning all-leaguers who bolster Walczak's hopes for a solid finish this year. Enchill is expected to star as a wide receiver and free safety for the Firebirds, and Rivas is an anchor in the defensive front.

A talented group moving up from last year's frosh-soph team is expected to support the two all-league returners.

Quarterback Mike Silva and fullback Marcos Frias are top newcomers in the Fremont backfield, and juniors R.J. Davis, Mike Medina and Ernesto Ancona provide strength in the offensive line. Davis is expected to see double-duty as a defensive lineman.

Seniors Demarr Mills and Lance Lesui are a pair of running backs who should get plenty of chances to carry the football this fall.

Fremont is coming off of a 5-4-1 season, and the Firebirds posted a 4-1-1 record to tie for second in the El Camino Division. It was a tie with Cupertino on a rainy night on the final night of the regular season that left Fremont in a second-place tie with the Pioneers in the standings. A win for either team would have meant a first-place finish, but the tie handed Mountain View the championship.

That's a game Walczak remembers well, since he was standing on the Cupertino sidelines last night as a member of the staff for the Pioneers. And that's why he knows Cupertino as well as he does.

"They have the best line in the league," said Walczak of the Pioneers.

"Ben Reynolds is the best all-around player in the league, and also the toughest," he added. "Andrew Ravadge and Andrew Reese are also quite talented. "But still he rates Cupertino as a second-place favorite—it's Homestead that he thinks could win it all.

"They have great team speed," said Walczak of Homestead. "Garren Strong is the real deal."

"They have a fantastic coaching staff," he added, "and they're team came on at the end of last year."

The Firebirds, who host Hillsdale in a 6:30 p.m. scrimmage on Sept. 6, will open the year at home on Sept. 13 in a 7:30 p.m. non-league game against Westmont at Diesner Field. The frosh-soph game begins at 5:15 p.m.

Fremont schedule

Sept. 13—Westmont at Diesner Field, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 21—at Willow Glen, 1:30 p.m.

Sept. 28—at Santa Clara, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 4—Los Altos* at Diesner,
7:30 p.m.

Oct. 11—Wilcox at Diesner, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 18—Monta Vista* at Cupertino, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 25—Homestead* at Diesner, 3:15 p.m.

Nov. 1—at Mountain View*, 2:45 p.m.

Nov. 8—Lynbrook* at Diesner,
7:30 p.m. **

Nov. 15—at Cupertino*, 7:30 p.m.

* El Camino Division game

** Homecoming game