By claiming victories against Monta Vista and Cupertino last week and getting a big assist from Lynbrook's surprising win over Mountain View, the Firebirds, under first-year coach Fred Yepez, are not sharing the league crown. They finished El Camino play with an 11-1 record, one game better than Mountain View's 10-2 mark.

The Firebirds (19-9 overall) now are flying high with a home game in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs. As the eighth seed in the high-powered, 16-team field, Fremont will host No. 9 Aptos on Feb. 22, 7 p.m.

Winners of the eight first round games advance to the quarterfinals, Feb. 25 at Oak Grove. A first round win likely will pit the Firebirds against top seed Archbishop Mitty, which is expected to easily handle No. 16 Lincoln.

With Monta Vista and Milpitas competing in Division I, eight of the SCVAL's 14 teams are competing for a CCS championship. Seven SCVAL boys teams qualified, but neither Homestead nor Fremont are in that group.

The only other Sunnyvale area team that qualified is The King's Academy, the No. 8 seed in the Division V girls bracket. Like Fremont, the Knights (11-15 overall) earned a first round home game, Feb. 22, against the No. 9 seed. If they get past Anchorpoint Christian (12-4) of Gilroy, the Knights will play No. 1 Pinewood of Los Altos Hills on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Notre Dame of Belmont.

In finishing out its El Camino schedule in championship style, Fremont did not mess around with either of its opponents.

Marylin Avila scored 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Firebirds' 59-41 triumph over Monta Vista. Victoria Cunha paced the winners with 15 points, while Alison Bushnell scored eight points and eight rebounds, and Carol Hoang added eight points and five assists. Amy Chwa tossed in nine points, Hannah Wu five and Kristal Sana two.

Cunha (11 points) again was the team scoring leader two nights later against Cupertino, and she made five steals. Chwa scored 10 points, Avila popped in nine, Marissa Cabana tallied eight, Bushnell totaled six, Hoang five, Menna Araya four, Ailyn Burgos three and Sana two. Avila (nine) and Bushnell (six), as usual, were the team rebounding leaders, and Hoang doled out seven assists.

The King's Academy closed out Private School Athletic League play with a 56-40 win over St. Lawrence Academy. Seniors Taylor Scott (14 points), Lisa Walker (12) and Kady Garcia (11) all scored in double figures for the Knights. Sheila Casey added six points, Jessica Butelo canned five and Hannah Henderson had four. Monica Junge and Nicole Morris chipped in with two apiece.

Homestead season ends

In Division I boys play, No. 12 Homestead dropped a 3-1 decision at No. 5 Leland. Under the leadership of coach Luis Comesana, the Mustangs captured the De Anza Division championship and finished the year with a 9-9-3 record.

The Mustangs and Chargers finished the first 40 minutes tied 1-1, but the home team pulled away from Homestead with a pair of goals in the second half.

In girls Division III play, The King's Academy lost a first-round clash, 3-1, to Mercy of Burlingame (14-3-3), Feb. 15 at Skyline College. The Knights finished 6-8-5 overall under coach Colin Corstorphine.

Although they did not qualify for the CCS playoffs, Fremont's girls soccer team put together a season much improved over recent seasons.

The Firebirds, directed by co-coaches Adam Clarke and Kent Fogleman, finished with two wins and three ties in 12 El Camino Division games. Their overall record was 4-8-4.

Freshman Alexis Tershay earned co-Freshman of the Year honors, after leading the team in scoring with five goals and two assists. Senior Shayna Fogleman earned first team all-league recognition for the second season in a row. Sophomore goalkeeper Kendra Roseberry also was a first team selection, while junior defender Heather Veitch was a second team choice.

Wrestlers at CCS

There's nothing more exhilarating for a high school wrestler than to win a Central Coast Section championship.

Fremont's Filip Novachkov and Greg Crane know the feeling. Now Firebirds Boris Novachkov, Kurtis Ogasawara and Tommy Staats join a handful of local wrestlers who came close last winter and are hoping to share in that experience this weekend when the CCS tourney returns. Wrestling begins on Feb. 24 at Independence High School and continues on Feb. 25 at Overfelt.

F. Novachkov and Crane will not only be out to defend their CCS championships, they'll each be gunning for a third straight section crown. Novachkov was a champ at 103 pounds in 2004 and took the title at 112 last season. Crane took the 140-pound crown in '04 and won at 152 last year.

Novachkov moved up to finish first at 119 pounds at the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League finals this year and Crane won another title at 152, and both enter the CCS tourney as favorites in their weight classes.

Others who came close last year have qualified for CCS this year, looking for a little better results than they had in 2005.

Fremont's B. Novachkov (103 pounds), Ogasawara (140) and Staats (189) join Jeff Wysuph (160) and James Alva (130) of Los Gatos, Aris Haratunyunyan (140) of Cupertino and Craig Vanbuskirk (171) of Westmont as local wrestlers who placed at CCS a year ago and have earned a return trip this winter.

B. Novachkov and Staats each finished second at the section tourney a year ago and Ogasawara was third. Wysuph was third, Alva and Haratunyunyan were each fifth and Vanbuskirk was sixth.

Joining the five Firebirds at CCS will be teammates Brandon Baza (112), Mark Scandalis (125), Daunte Mills (135), Kenny La (145), Michael Alpers (152), Atchison Brittle (171), Donny Mena (215) and Jimmy Staats (275).