By Craig Wentz

Town Crier Correspondent

Prep Football Digest

It may seem hard to believe, but the St. Francis High football team has reached the .500 plateau for the first time in two years.

Following a 2-8 record a season ago and playing arguably the toughest schedule in the state this year, the Lancers look to win their last two games and seize a league crown.

St. Francis (3-0, 4-4) parlayed its traditionally stingy defense and a bruising rushing attack to upend visiting Serra 21-0 last Friday in a West Catholic Athletic League match-up. It was the Lancers’ 29th straight win over Serra.

The victory leaves the Lancers tied with Mitty (3-0, 8-0) atop the WCAL standings. St. Francis hosts rival Bellarmine (1-2, 5-3) at 7:30 p.m., Friday, then caps the league season Nov. 9 at Mitty in a game that could very well decide the league championship.

In last Friday’s homecoming game, St. Francis controlled time of possession, ran the ball 47 times for 200 yards and held the Padres’ offense in check to capture its third straight victory.

The Lancers methodically drove 66 yards in 15 plays on their opening possession, culminating with William Taufoou’s 3-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

It was the only score St. Francis would need.

St. Francis sealed the contest in the second quarter with Hakeem Gilliard’s 52-yard scoring sprint and Jonathan Barsi’s 1-yard touchdown run for a commanding 21-0 halftime lead.

But the win may have come at a high cost for the Lancers, who lost quarterback Mark Hoff to a knee injury. He could be lost for the remainder of the season.

Cupertino 38, Los Altos 18

Los Altos (0-4, 0-7) has had difficulty producing in the first half this season, which helps explain its winless campaign.

On Friday, nothing changed as the Eagles started slow and fell to run-oriented Cupertino in an SCVAL El Camino Division contest at Cupertino.

Cupertino (4-1, 5-3), which trails league-leading Mountain View by one game in the El Camino race, leaped out to a 14-0 advantage before Los Altos lit up the scoreboard on a Royce Hurd 66-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.

The Eagles added a 58-yard scoring pass from Shawn Girouard to Thomas Roux with 50 seconds left in the half for a 28-12 halftime deficit.

Los Altos scored its final touchdown in the third quarter when Girouard found Hurd on a 56-yard scoring connection. Girouard threw for 138 yards on the night and Hurd totaled 81 yards rushing on just three car