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Published on 09/01/1997 All articles from this issue

Football season kicks off

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By Pete Borello

Town Crier Staff Writer

Some local high school teams eyeing championships, others look to break even

h, the start of the high school football season. Every team is a contender at this stage of the game. There are no wins, losses or ties on the record just yet.

That will soon change - as early as Friday for some squads. In the meantime, hopes run high for teams everywhere. Take the five local teams in this area, for example.

St. Francis High School is aiming for yet another Central Coast Section championship.

Homestead High School is out to defend its Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division title.

Mountain View High School is after its third consecutive playoff appearance.

Gunn High School is looking to reach (and perhaps surpass) the ever-elusive .500 mark. And Los Altos High School is seeking some respect.

A preview of these five teams follows:

St. Francis

As usual, expectations are running high at St. Francis.

When asked about his goals for 1997, coach Mike Mitchell simply said, "Same as normal: win the league and the CCS."

The Lancers have claimed four consecutive CCS titles and 12 championships in all.

Only six starters return from last year, but it shouldn't prevent St. Francis from going after title No. 13.

There always seems to be a talented group of underclassmen ready to step in for those who have graduated from the Mountain View school.

This season is no different.

The players new to varsity have never lost a game. The junior varsity went undefeated last year and the freshman team did the same the year before.

The hardest player to replace will be halfback Charles Tharp, the MVP of the West Catholic Athletic League in 1996. In fact, it may take two guys to fill the void. Mitchell plans to rotate junior Jeff Endaya and sophomore Ronald Nunn at halfback. Both have sprinters' speed, according to the coach.

The offensive line will have new starters across the board, but Mitchell seems confident in their ability to get the job done.

"They may not have much experience, but they're a good group of intelligent players," he said. "If they can keep their poise, they'll be fine."

Anchoring this line will be juniors Chris Isola, Mike Riccoboni and Gabe Garcia (who started at linebacker last year), plus senior Joe Escobar.

Another newcomer to watch is receiver/defensive end Bernard Thomas. He's only a sophomore, but Mitchell expects him to be a key contributor. Two seniors that saw spot duty last year - receiver/defensive back Mike Chauvel and tight end/defensive tackle Jason Jackson - will also be counted on.

Quarterback Jason Luker heads the list of returning starters. The senior has an impressive arm and is also one of the Bay Area's top baseball pitchers. Fellow team captain Nick Burley, a third-year starter, returns at fullback and defensive end.

Other returnees include senior kicker/punter Bryan Beall (an all-league player in '96) and junior Grant Mattos - a two-way starter at receiver and defensive end.

"Grant's the hardest working player we've ever had here," Mitchell said. "He's a good football player."

And St. Francis will play some good football teams this season. The schedule is as tough as ever, starting with perennial power Live Oak High School of San Jose. St. Francis hosts Live Oak Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Mitchell hopes the Lancers will get off to a better start than last year when they dropped their first six games. But even if they struggle early on, the coach believes his players are capable of finishing strong again.

"We proved to the kids last year that if we lose a game or two in the preseason it's not the end of the world," said Mitchell, who guided his team to seven straight wins to end the season.

Homestead

Name tags might be a good idea at Homestead because there are a lot of new faces on board. The coaching staff is new and so are plenty of the players at the Cupertino school, which serves some 100 students in south Los Altos.

Richard Delgado took over as coach in mid-August. He replaces Jeff Lamson, who was dismissed last month. Luckily for Homestead, Delgado already knows most of the players since he previously coached the Mustangs' frosh-soph team.

Many of the key starters from last year's 10-2 team have graduated, leaving Delgado with a rather inexperienced group. Especially on offense.

The only returning starter on the offensive line is center Steve Maihock, a senior from Los Altos.

"Our offensive line is basically the (frosh-soph) line from last year," Delgado said. "They're working hard, but they lack experience. I expect them to get better as the season goes on."

There will be new starters at quarterback, halfback and wide receiver, too.

Los Altos resident Adam Myers takes over at quarterback. The senior hasn't played football since 1995, taking last season off to concentrate on baseball. Yet that fact doesn't concern Delgado.

"He executes really well," the coach said of Myers, a former MVP of Homestead's frosh-soph team. "He's a pretty good athlete and very mobile. He doesn't have a bullet arm, but he's accurate."

Senior Jason Woods will start at halfback. He has the unenviable task of trying to fill the enormous shoes of grad Tony Elam - last year's league MVP. However, the coach doesn't expect much of a drop off.

"Jason is just as talented as Tony and probably a better inside runner," Delgado said. "He's really elusive and the fastest guy on the team."

The receiving corps includes newcomer Jesse Nicholes, a junior, and returning starter Darren Anthony. Delgado expects Anthony, a senior from Los Altos, to be the go-to guy and raves about his catching ability.

The offense may have some potentially-lethal weapons, but the coach believes the team's strength lies on defense.

"We'll go as far as the defense can carry us," Delgado said.

This unit is led by senior linebackers Chris Brooker, the league's defensive player of the year in '96, and Matt Kenney, another all-league performer. Sophomore sensation Paul Papoulias anchors the defensive line. Nicholes doubles as a safety and Delgado calls him "one of the best hitters on the team."

Delgado expects Homestead to battle for the league title again, with the biggest challenge coming from Wilcox High School.

Homestead opens the season by hosting Aragon Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Mountain View

Like Homestead, Mountain View must also adjust to a new coaching staff this season. Dan Navarro is back at the helm, replacing Ray Calcagno (who resigned in June).

The Spartans went 8-3 under Calcagno last season, placing second in the SCVAL El Camino Division. But most of the key players from that team went the cap-and-gown route, leaving Navarro with more holes to fill than a CalTrans worker.

Only four starters return from last year's playoff team and this quartet of seniors will be counted on heavily.

Two of these players will start in the offensive backfield: Mike Caldwell and Dan Griffin. Caldwell is "a hard-nosed fullback," according to Navarro, and also starts at linebacker. Griffin, an all-league linebacker in '96, takes over at halfback for talented graduate Milo Lewis.

"I think the running backs will be the strength of this team," said Navarro, who last coached the Spartans in 1991. "They need to play well if we're going to be successful."

Kris Ehlers will be counted on to open holes for these backs. And the center certainly has the brawn to do so.

"He's probably the strongest guy on the team," Navarro said of the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Ehlers. "He's a great leader and he loves to work."

The final returnee is receiver/defensive back David Gaskins, an all-league player a year ago. Gaskins has impressed Navarro with his work ethic and play-making ability.

However, the question of who will throw the ball to Gaskins and senior receiver Ryan McCarthy still remains. Senior Alan Henley and junior Jim Starrett are battling for the quarterback job, according to the coach, with Henley holding the slight edge.

Protectors of the yet-to-be-named passer will include promising guards Colin Mulloy and Louis Mercado, both seniors. Sure-handed senior Matt Smith will toil at tight end.

The strength of the defense may be in the backfield. Gaskins and junior Brian Sam will man the corners, with seniors Johnny Huckins and Henley at the safety spots. Sophomore nose guard Derek Hamilton (5-10, 200) is expected to bolster the line.

There's little depth on this 33-man team, though, which has Navarro concerned.

"We can't afford injuries - especially to our two-way guys," he said. "If that happens, things could get scary."

Mountain View plays its season opener at Terra Nova Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Gunn

It's hard to imagine, but this season marks the 25th anniversary of Gunn's last .500-or-better season.

It could also mark the final anniversary of this somewhat monumental event.

New coach Jeff Remington expects to not only reach the .500 mark, but exceed it.

"My goal isn't .500 - that's still mediocre," said Remington, Gunn's defensive coordinator the past three years. "My goal is to win the league."

And that goal might just be within reach for Gunn, a Palo Alto school that serves several students from Los Altos Hills.

Gunn returns eight starters from last year's 4-6 team, which placed third in the El Camino Division.

Remington believes his skill players may be the best in the area.

Senior quarterback Pat Marinaro was the fifth-best passer in the CCS last year and could finish even higher in 1997. He has plenty of weapons at his disposal, including receiver Kenny Coleman and tight end Brent Bower. Both were all-league players as juniors last year.

New to the mix is transfer Fred Sheppard from Menlo-Atherton High School. The senior receiver is a "Division I prospect," according to Remington.

Senior Johnny Gray and junior Anthony Butler are competing for the halfback job. Remington lists the quick-footed Gray, who did not play last year, among the most impressive players of the summer.

But for the offense to run smoothly, Remington will need his line to come through. The line is bigger this year (the starters average 225 pounds) and features two newcomers. The anchor of this unit will be senior Casey Burkhart, an all-league performer in '96.

The strength of the defense should be in the secondary, where Coleman, Sheppard and Butler will roam. Bower, who played end last year, should benefit from the move to linebacker.

Gunn kicks off the season at Westmont Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.

Los Altos

The Eagles are hoping bigger is better.

Last year, Los Altos was undersized at nearly every position. This resulted in a 1-9 record and a last-place finish in the El Camino Division.

"We had 28 kids and 26 of them were wide receivers," said coach Ron Moser. "Now we have wide receivers, backs and lineman. That should really help us."

Moser believes the team's best asset is its pumped-up line, which is led by offensive tackle/defensive end Pete Bjorklund.

"He's a blue chipper," the coach said. "He's a good player with growth potential."

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Bjorklund was an all-league performer as a sophomore last season.

Joining Bjorklund in the trenches are seniors Gunar Turaids (who Moser calls "the Latvian Superman"), Matt Falkner and Jeremiah Girouard. And then there's jumbo-sized junior Micah Goins, a 6-3, 205 tackle. All five are expected to play both ways and average out at about 200 pounds.

Another thing the Eagles have going for them is experience. Eleven starters return from last year's squad.

Dino Quintero will once again be at quarterback, and Moser has been impressed with the senior's athleticism. Quintero's main target will likely be junior Alex Ware, an all-league player in '96. Ware will be a busy man; he's also a defensive back, kicker and punter.

Speedy senior Dan Tucker, another returning player, will lineup at the other receiver spot. Senior Ryan Gutierrez will start at halfback and defensive back. Gutierrez didn't play football last year, and Moser describes him as "a pleasant surprise."

Moser said the Eagles biggest concern is numbers - or lack thereof. Los Altos is just 25 players strong and Moser is forced to play many of these guys on both sides of the ball.

"We have talent on this team, but we just don't have enough players," Moser said. "We need to stay healthy because injuries could really hurt us."

Barring injuries, Moser expects Los Altos to be much-improved this season. The Eagles should look particularly good early on, as the coach admits their preseason schedules isn't too tough.

Los Altos opens the season Sept. 12 against visiting St. Lawrence Academy at 3:30 p.m.