The Willow Glen Rams won the PAL championship in the midget division (ages 11-14 ). Team members included (front row, l-r) Diego Marcos, Jimmy Banta, Eugene Martinez, Jobert Cidillo, Adam Chiappe and Frankie Gonzales; (second row, l-r) Daniel Santos, Jason Biazas, Brian Farnsworth, Gary Correa, Dylan August, Scott Gold and Jason D'Amico; (third row, l-r) Robert Wildt, John Gonzales, Joseph Alvarez, Ryan Blach, Nathaniel Torres and Joseph Molina; and (back row, l-r) Willow Glen commissioner Chris Rohr, line coach John Chiappe, head coach Gerald McGuire, offensive coordinator Phil LoPresti and defensive coordinator Brian Pinkham. Not pictured were Reggie Roberts, Miguel Wooten, Jarvis Trusfante, James Aguirre, Ryan Richards and coach Dave Anello.
Willow Glen wins PAL crown
Marcos leads Rams to 25-13 win over Berkeley in title game
By Dick Sparrer
Diego Marcos must not be all that impressed by rankings. It was certainly obvious in the PAL football playoffs when the Willow Glen quarterback led to the No. 3-ranked Rams to a rousing 25-13 victory over No. 1-seeded Berkeley in the midget division (ages 13-14) championship game.
Berkeley entered the four-team playoffs at PAL Stadium as the No. 1 seed in post-season tournament with the Eastside Youth Athletic Club second and Willow Glen third.
But the Rams opened the playoffs with a lopsided 45-14 win over Campbell-Saratoga and edged EYAC 7-6 before beating Berkeley in the title game.
Marcos threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more to lead the Rams to the championship win.
Marcos, who ran 80 yards for one of his two TDs, flipped a 60-yard scoring toss to fullback Gary Correa and threw another touchdown pass to tight end Robert Wildt.
Halfback Reggie Roberts led the ground show with 82 yards and Correa supported with 41 yards rushing. Wildt, in addition to his touchdown catch, caught a pass for a crucial first down on a fourth and long to keep a scoring drive alive in the second period.
Marcos was working behind a solid offensive front wall of Jason D'Amico, Joseph Molina, Joseph Alvarez, Ryan Blach and Eugene Martinez.
Leading the defensive effort against Berkeley were linebackers Martinez, Adam Chiappe and Jimmy Banta, and linemen Jarvis Trusfante, Frankie Gonzales, Blach and Alvarez. The Rams stopped Berkeley three times inside their own 20-yard-line.
Willow Glen posted a 6-2 record during the regular season, losing only to unbeaten Berkeley and EYAC.
Marcos, working to receivers Wildt, Banta, Jason Biazas and Trusfante, led the Willow Glen offense, that scored the most points in the division in the 12-team PAL circuit this season. Roberts and Correa led the ground attack.
Backing up the offensive line in impressive fashion were Scott Gold, Jobert Cidillo, Ryan Richards, Dylan August and Brian Farnsworth.
Through the years, many Willow Glen PAL players have gone on to play at the high school level. Currently, there are former Willow Glen players at Leigh, Bellarmine, Valley Christian, Mitty, Willow Glen, Lincoln and Pioneer.
Willow Glen fields four PAL teams will begin taking signups on Jan. 15 for the 2001 season. For more information, call Chris Rohr at 408.723.3307.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
