After scoring four touchdowns in the SCVAL De Anza Division opener against Gunn, Morris ran for 150 yards and the Mustangs' only touchdown in a disappointing 37-7 homecoming loss to Wilcox on Friday night at Diesner Field.

"In the last two games Chris has run the ball better than any back I've ever coached," Bostic explained. "He has run with talent and heart. Something has just clicked with him."

The efforts of Morris and nose guard Matt Diehl—in his first action after missing two games because of a shoulder injury—were bright spots for Homestead, which takes a 1-1 league record to Milpitas Friday night.

"We will have to do a better job in that game than we did against Wilcox," Bostic admitted. "Wilcox was better than us that night, but not 37-7 better."

Wilcox, with a beefy line and a fleet of speedy backs, dominated the line of scrimmage and scored on six of its eight possessions. The Santa Clara school led 16-0 late in the first half, before Morris tightened up the score on the seventh play of a drive that started on Homestead's 20.

Quarterback Jake Mecchi teamed with tight end Caleb Wilcox on pass completions of 23 and 11 yards, putting Homestead on the Wilcox 43-yard line. Morris broke through the middle for a TD with 5:01 left in the half. The PAT kick by Tyler Dailey put Homestead back in the game, 16-7.

Wilcox later stunned the Mustangs on a trick play with just 10 seconds to go before the intermission.

"It was a pitch pass," Bostic lamented about the play that started out looking like a run but turned into a surprising touchdown pass from a running back and a 24-7 halftime deficit.

In the second half, Wilcox's ball-control offense and Homestead penalties provided challenges that the Mustangs could not overcome.

Homestead had a chance to climb back into the game early in the third period. Robert Ricana recovered a Wilcox fumble at the Chargers' 12-yard line. But the Mustangs went three-and-out on two incomplete passes and a 2-yard run. A 27-yard field goal attempt failed.

Wilcox scored in its next series on an 80-yard drive that was aided by two costly Homestead penalties. Wilcox limited the Mustangs' high-powered offense, which entered the game averaging 37 points a game, to just Morris' touchdown.

Morris led the Homestead rushing game with 150 yards, followed by Dailey with 35 and Tim Kimball with 15. Mecchi passed for 90 yards, spreading the ball around to four different receivers. Wilcox gained 34 receiving yards, Morris had 29, Kimball 17 and Aaron Hickson 10.

Fremont earns 7-7 tie

It was a battle of two sturdy defenses, Fremont and host Santa Clara, last Saturday afternoon. Neither team's offense could dent the other team's defense. The result was a 7-7 deadlock.

Nathan Cathcart's 40-yard return of an interception in the second quarter gave Fremont the lead. Jason Custer's PAT kick made it 7-0, the halftime score.

To begin the third quarter, Santa Clara quarterback Sundar Pappu returned Fremont's kick off 90 yards for a touchdown. The Bruins converted the PAT to make it 7-7.

And that was it.

Fremont did win a tiebreaker after regulation play, but the game goes in the SCVAL El Camino Division book as a tie. If the teams are tied at the end of the season, and a playoff berth is at stake, the Firebirds will get the nod.

Fremont (1-0-1) will host Cupertino (0-1) on Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. The Firebirds are 2-2-1 overall.

Kings loses in final minute

A week after pulling off a tie in the final minute of play, The King's Academy suffered its first loss of the year on a last-minute scoring play.

A 13-yard run with 44 seconds remaining and a two-point PAT pass gave visiting Tomales a 16-14 triumph on Friday night. Kings brought in portable lights in order to play the night game on the Sunnyvale campus.

Kings jumped out to a 14-0 on a 6-yard scoring run in the first quarter by senior David Norris, a 38-yard TD scamper in the second quarter by Ji Jo and two PAT kicks by Norris. Tomales closed to within 14-8 at halftime, before a scoreless third quarter and 11 minutes without a score in the fourth.

The Knights, now 3-1-1, will host Wilson Prep of Oakland on Oct. 16 at 1:30 p.m.