By Craig Wentz

Town Crier Correspondent

Prep Football Digest

Everything appeared in order for the Mountain View High football team to seize at least a share of the SCVAL El Camino Division crown and a berth in the Central Coast Section playoffs.

Instead, the Spartans probably spent the weekend wondering what went wrong.

Last Friday Mountain View blew a 13-point lead with just four minutes remaining and lost 27-26 to visiting Homestead.

The loss put the Spartans’ (4-1, 7-2) league championship dreams on hold and kept the Mustangs’ (4-2, 5-4) slim playoff hopes alive.

Mountain View must now win Friday’s season finale - a 2:45 p.m. home game against Monta Vista (2-3, 3-6) - to claim at least a share of the El Camino title and a CCS berth.

Mountain View is tied with Cupertino (4-1, 5-4) and Fremont (4-1, 5-4) atop the division standings and holds the edge for the El Camino’s lone automatic playoff berth due to wins over both schools earlier in the year.

Fremont and Cupertino go head-to-head Friday night.

If the Spartans lose Friday, their only shot at the postseason would be as a wild card, and the El Camino rarely earns such at-large berths. The CCS board meets Sunday to determine its playoff field.

Mountain View on Friday watched Homestead battle back from a 26-13 deficit by tallying a pair of touchdowns in the final four minutes. The game-winner came on a 15-yard pass from Craig Maynard to Garren Strong with only 24 seconds left. On its game-clinching drive, Homestead covered 73 yards in four plays in the span of 49 seconds with no time outs remaining.

The Spartans trailed 13-12 at the half, only to score 14 unanswered points in the third quarter for a 26-13 advantage. Mountain View found the end zone, courtesy of a 21-yard scoring pass from Sean Manson to Ryan Wilcox and a Trevor Hooper 4-yard run.

Mountain View scored in the first half on Hooper’s 6-yard run and a 5-yard scoring pass from Manson to Brad Read. Homestead tallied touchdowns in the first half via a Will Falls 11-yard run and a 95-yard touchdown pass from Maynard to Strong.

Homestead ends the season with a non-league contest 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Milpitas (7-2). The Mustangs would need to pull off the upset to have any shot at making the CCS as an at-large team.

Wilcox 42, Gunn 14

Senior halfback Joe Lawrence rushed for 100 yards on five carries and tallied two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as Gunn (0-5, 2-7) fell to visiting Wilcox Friday in an SCVAL De Anza Division game.

Wilcox (4-1, 6-3) jumped out to a 14-0 lead before Lawrence rambled 82 yards for a touchdown to cut the margin to 14-6 early in the second quarter. Trailing 21-6 at the half, Lawrence kept the Titans close at 21-14 with a 22-yard scoring run early in the third quarter .

Wilcox put the game out of reach by tallying three touchdowns to close out the third quarter.

Matt Clendenin added 72 yards rushing on eight carries for Gunn.

The Titans close the season against Palo Alto (1-3-1, 5-3-1) at 5:30 p.m., Friday, at Stanford Stadium. After 12 straight losses to Paly (1987-1998), Gunn has won the last two meetings between the cross-town rivals.

Fremont 19, Los Altos 14

It appeared as if Los Altos (0-5, 0-8) would notch its initial victory of the season, but succumbed to a late rally in a tough loss to visiting Fremont Saturday in an SCVAL El Camino Division contest.

Fremont trailed the Eagles 14-7 late in the third quarter before tallying touchdowns on successive drives en route to victory.

The Eagles flew out to a 7-0 first quarter lead via a 65-yard touchdown pass from Shawn Girouard to Thomas Roux. After Fremont knotted the game at 7 at the half, Los Altos pulled ahead momentarily, courtesy of Marcus Boone’s 1-yard scoring run.

Los Altos finishes the season against Lynbrook at 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Cupertino.