By Vincent Liu
Town Crier Correspondent
While Homestead High’s marching band put on a halftime salute to the American frontier and the wild west, its football team - with collaboration from Mountain View High - staged the gridiron version of the “Gun Fight at the OK Corral.”
When the smoke cleared last Saturday, Homestead won a wild shootout 43-36 over Mountain View in the SCVAL El Camino Division opener for both teams.
The victory improved the Mustangs overall record to 3-1; Spartans dropped to 3-1.
After a relatively calm first quarter in which Mountain View grabbed a 7-0 lead, offense took center stage and lit up the scoreboard. Punting became a lost art as both teams marched up and down the field with relative ease. As it turned out, the two punts by Homestead and one by Mountain View during the initial quarter were the only ones all night.
While the Spartans had the statistical edge in total yards, number of plays and time of possession, the Mustangs dominated the one category that did the Spartans in: forced turnovers.
Homestead made three interceptions including one at its goal line, and recovered a fumble to thwart four potential scoring drives deep in its own territory. None was bigger than Ramont Thomas’ pick off to stop Mountain View’s last-gasp drive with time running out. Thomas also had the game’s biggest gainer when he romped 53 yards on a double reverse in the second quarter to give Homestead a 21-7 lead.
Taking advantage of terrific field position throughout the game, the Mustangs started their six scoring drives in the vicinity of midfield. Four of the drives were set up by Brian McGee, who averaged 40 yards in four kickoff returns, including a 53-yarder following the Spartans’ initial touchdown.
The elusive McGee blended speed with power and ran for 113 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns. He broke several tackles in a 19-yard scamper that allowed Homestead to tie the game at 7 early in the second quarter. In his team’s final drive, he carried the ball five times and scored the winning touchdown with 2:23 minutes left.
The game’s pivotal play occurred in the second quarter when a Mountain View pass reception deep in Mustangs territory was fumbled and recovered by Homestead’s Garren Strong, who returned the ball 43 yards. Three plays later, William Faules rumbled 32 yards off tackle into the end zone to give the Mustangs a 14-7 lead.
Twice down by two touchdowns, the Spartans came back to take the lead at 36-35 with 5:12 left in the fourth behind the passing of Sean Manson. The senior threw 41 times and completed 23 passes for 256 yards. He tossed three scoring passes and ran a quarterback sneak into the end zone. But he also threw three interceptions, two deep in Homestead territory.
Losing its tandem of 1,100-yard runners (Trevor Hooper and J.D. Nelson) to graduation, Mountain View may have uncovered a power running source this season in Guillermo Moreira. The senior fullback bulled his way through the line for 104 yards in 16 carries including an 8-yard touchdown run that included dragging a defender into the end zone.
“It was simple last year with Hooper and Nelson,” Spartans coach Dan Navarro said, “but this year we’re actually more diversified and balanced between running and throwing.”
He cited Moreira, Cody Himes and Tristan Shuman for playing hurt.
“I don’t want to use that as an excuse, but we had some key injuries,” said Navarro. “Still, the best team won tonight.”
Himes caught two touchdown passes and converted all four extra points.
Homestead head coach Charlie Bostic was not surprised by the high scoring.
“We knew they’re good offensively, but we also felt we can move the ball well against them,” he said. “This is a league victory and a huge step forward and we expect to win the league.”
Homestead takes on Monta Vista at 7:30 p.m., Friday, at Cupertino High; Mountain View plays at Lynbrook at 3:15 p.m., Friday.
