Although juniors Jason Custer and Nathan Cathcart scored all of Fremont's points and senior lineman Alex Tucker ended a couple of Los Altos drives with fumble recoveries, it was a 5-foot-7, 140-pounder named Kevin Jullian that went home with the "Carl Ekern Senior of the Game" award.

The award, given to a deserving 12th-grader by the Fremont Alumni Association each season following the homecoming game, was created to honor the life and career of Ekern. A 1972 Fremont graduate, Ekern was an all-league defensive end for Fremont's 1971 team. He had an illustrious collegiate career as a linebacker for San José State University, before becoming an All-Pro performer for the Los Angeles Rams.

Jullian's all-around play as a defensive back, runner, and kick returner caught the eyes of the selection committee last Friday night.

"He played almost every down," explained Fremont coach Andy Walczak. "He had about 50 yards rushing, did a good job on defense, and—of course—his kick return."

If not for Jullian's 50-yard runback after Los Altos took a 6-3 lead early in the third quarter, Walczak's Firebirds very well may not be sitting at 2-1-1 in Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division play entering a showdown Nov. 5 with Monta Vista.

The Firebirds led their homecoming game 3-0 at halftime on the strength of Custer's 24-yard field goal, but Los Altos returned the second half kickoff for a touchdown. Cathcart blocked the PAT kick attempt, holding the score at 6-3.

Jullian, a basketball point guard playing his first season of football since his Pop Warner days, returned the ensuing kickoff from his 10 to Los Altos' 40. A few plays later, on a fourth-and-five at the 20, Juan Arce caught a pass from Custer and reached the Knights' 1-yard line. Custer scored a touchdown on the next play, then kicked the PAT for a 10-6 Fremont lead.

Los Altos regained the lead, 12-10, with a 75-yard scoring pass. Again, Cathcart came from the right edge of Fremont's defensive front to block the Knights' conversion kick try.

"He has blocked eight or nine kicks this year," Walczak marveled.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Tucker collected his first fumble recovery at Los Altos' 35-yard line, setting up the Firebirds' go-ahead score. Shortly after Cathcart's sweep on a fourth-and-three situation earned a first down, he ran in from the 2-yard line. Custer's PAT made it 17-12.

In the final minutes Fremont needed a booming 65-yard punt by Arce and Tucker's second fumble recovery to preserve the win.

Homestead drops tough one

After cutting an 11-point deficit to five and then driving into Saratoga's red zone with less than a minute to play, Homestead was looking for a go-ahead touchdown. Instead, the rally was cut short by a Falcon interception and the Mustangs lost 21-16.

Trailing 21-10 midway through the fourth period, Homestead quarterback Jake Mecchi engineered a six-play, 65-yard scoring drive. Mecchi connected on two passes to Aaron Hickson (one for 35 yards), one to Jay Atkins and a 17-yarder to Craig Moberg, moving the ball to Saratoga's 1-yard line. Chris Morris ran it in from there to make it 21-16, but a two-point conversion attempt was stopped by the Falcons.

But with 5:14 still remaining to play, the Mustangs had time if its defense could get the ball back. And it did.

After Saratoga ran the ball for one first down, Homestead's defense stiffened. After two delay-of-game penalties, the Falcons risked a pass on third-and-19. Safety Tim Kimball intercepted for Homestead at his own 40 and returned it to the Falcons' 43 with less than three minutes to go.

A19-yard pass from Mecchi to tight end Greg Jackson and runs by Morris and Mecchi gave Homestead a first down on Saratoga's 18 with 54 seconds remaining. Two incomplete passes were followed by an interception in the end zone. Saratoga ran out the final seconds.

Saratoga scored first in the game, but Homestead tied the game late in the first quarter. Mecchi and Hickson hooked up for a 43-yard touchdown pass and Moberg kicked the extra point.

Two series later, Saratoga went ahead 14-7 with 6:12 left in the first half. The Mustangs then went on a 12-play march that stalled at Saratoga's 5-yard line. Moberg's 18-yard field goal cut the Falcons' lead to 14-10.

Homestead (5-3 overall, 1-3 league) hosts Palo Alto in its final home game of the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Diesner Field.