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An easy 36-0 win on Nov. 10 sealed the deal for The King's Academy's frosh-soph football team, but it was in the two previous games that the Knights proved their mettle.
A last-second victory over Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton, followed by a 20-20 tie with Salesian of Richmond on Nov. 5, catapulted the Knights into a share of the Bay Football Conference's frosh-soph championship. Directed by head coach Ed Lanning and assistant coaches Craig Awbrey, John Shirey, Rob Starke and Stan Freitas, the 2005 frosh-soph squad posted an 8-0-1 record and became the first undefeated football team in school history.
"We had an explosive offense and our defense was solid all season," Lanning praised. "We gave up just under 11 points and we scored almost 30 points a game."
After Zach Freitas' touchdown reception on the last play of the game gave King's a 12-6 triumph over Sacred Heart, "the defense played incredibly well against Salesian," Lanning said.
The strong defensive effort was timely, because the offense played without its fastest running back, Jacob Bliss (sprained ankle), and the starting quarterback (school expulsion). The Knights' coaches turned sophomore linebacker Brian Klope into a quarterback two games before the Salesian game.
Throughout the year TKA received fine play on both sides of the ball from sophomores John Hutchison, Spencer Nolet and Freitas and freshmen Ryan Ponce, Ben Vidovich and Ben Sussman.
Knights win finale
Senior running back Matt Smith capped his career in grand style, running for 215 yards and two touchdowns during King's 45-3 triumph over the California School for the Deaf.
Junior Steven Lim scored three touchdowns for the Knights, who finished 5-3-1 overall and in third place at 3-3 in the Bay Football Conference. Lim ran for touchdowns of 27 and 33 yards and caught a 49-yard TD pass from quarterback Sam Sussman.
Smith's performance against the Fremont school increased his season rushing total to 1,025 yards.
Homestead ended its season with a 56-17 defeat at Milpitas. A victory would have given the Mustangs a .500 record for the season. Instead, they fell to 4-6 overall and joined Milpitas and Saratoga at 1-5 in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
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