The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by George Sakkestad Leap of Faith: Willow Glen's Will Rideau flies high for an interception in last week's battle with Prospect. The Rams pounded the Panthers 41-20 to clinch a share of the Santa Teresa Division championship. Division champs open playoffs at San Lorenzo Valley By Dick Sparrer "On the road again..." That's the song Willow Glen football coach Bob Parker is singing this week after the Central Coast Section scheduled his Rams for a road game to open the Division IV play-offs at San Lorenzo Valley on Nov. 21, 1 p.m. It marks Willow Glen's fifth trip to the play-offs in seven seasons, and all five CCS trips have started on the road. The Rams have visited such places as King City and Burlingame, and will now add San Lorenzo Valley to that list as they visit SLV this Saturday. "They're big, fast, physical and well-coached," said Parker of San Lorenzo Valley. "They have good team quickness and they're pretty big up front." The hosts boast a 6-2-2 record, and the Rams will visit with an 8-2 mark and a share of the championship in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. Willow Glen pounded Prospect 41-20 last week to wind up the league season with a 5-1 mark. The Rams share the title with Santa Teresa, the only team to beat Willow Glen in league play. The title is Willow Glen's third in the last five seasons. The Rams have gone to the CCS playoffs for the past three straight years. "It was our goal to establish some kind of consistency," said Parker. The Rams wrapped up a share of the title with the lopsided win over the Panthers last Friday afternoon. Willow Glen opened up a 35-0 lead in the first half and never looked back. Leon Thomas ran back the opening kick-off 50 yards to set up his own 18-yard touchdown run. Nich Holt kicked the first of five extra points, and the Rams were up 7-0. Rudy Gonzales recovered a Prospect fumble on the first series after the WG kickoff, and David Macchi promptly hit Cory Hare for 26 yards and a score. A Thomas interception gave the Rams possession again, and Macchi hooked up with John Fernandez for 30 yards and a TD. It was 21-0 in the first period. Thomas scored on a 13-yard run in the second period, then took off on a 76-yard TD run before the half. He finished the day with seven carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns, gaining 122 of that in the first half. Macchi capped a brilliant day with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Fernandez in the third quarter. It was Macchi's 30th TD toss of the season. Macchi completed 11-of-16 passes for 240 yards and the three touchdowns. Fernandez had four catches for 130 yards, Hare had three receptions for 62 yards, Eddy Sanchez had two grabs for 27, Holt had a catch for 16, and Will Rideau had a catch for five. Rideau intercepted a pass for the Rams, and Thomas picked off two Prospect passes. Parker singled out Paul Sanchez and Fernando Betancourt for their play in the offensive line and praised the work of Thomas, Hare, Kyran Warren and Brian Hyland defensively. With the league season over, the Rams will now concentrate on the post-season. "We'll go back to work this week," said Parker, whose club will compete in CCS Division IV with San Lorenzo Valley, Palma, Saratoga, Terra Nova, Valley Christian, Los Altos and Seaside. Other first-round match-ups in the division pit Saratoga against Valley Christian, Terra Nova against Los Altos and Palma against Seaside. Santa Teresa, the co-champions of the Santa Teresa Division, open the CCS Division I playoffs against powerhouse Oak Grove. The Eagles beat the Saints 37-0 in a nonleague game last weekend. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, November 18, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.