Los Altos routs rival Mountain View to avenge last season's dramatic loss
By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer
 photos by R. Alan Hwang/Special to the Town Crier Jamar Watson of Los Altos High led his team in rushing last Saturday in a 31-6 win over rival Mountain View. |
With his Los Altos High football team holding a comfortable lead with three minutes left in Saturday’s game at Mountain View, quarterback Rich Rullo was still playing as if every second mattered.
“They’re stopping the clock!” he yelled toward his sideline, calling out the home team’s timekeeper. “We lost at least five seconds there!”
There was no way Rullo and the rest of the Eagles were going to let this game slip away, not after losing to rival Mountain View in the final minutes last season. Ahead by the final score of 31-6, Los Altos played most of its starters until Rullo took a knee to run out the clock.
“After we lost last year, I went home and thought, ‘I’m not going to let that happen again,’” Rullo said. “That’s why I wanted to make sure we didn’t give up.”
Letting up last year proved costly to the Eagles, who blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. Beating the Spartans soundly this time seemed to make the win extra-sweet for Los Altos.
The postgame celebration began with hugs, hand slaps and the emptying of a water jug on first-year head coach Erik Rutgers. The Eagles partied like it was 2000 - the last time they beat the Spartans.
“I expected it to be tighter in the fourth quarter,” said Rutgers, whose team improved to 2-1. “But for it to happen like this … We stayed with our plan and it kept working.”
The plan was “to go right at their belly,” according to the coach, and “blow them off the ball.” Bigger and more physical along the line, Los Altos consistently overpowered Mountain View at the point of attack. The Eagles’ offensive line opened gaping holes for runners and provided ample protection for its quarterback.
“I couldn’t ask for more from them,” said Rullo, who was 4-of-9 passing for 92 yards. “I have a lot of confidence in them, and so do the running backs.”
Eight players carried the ball for Los Altos, amassing 210 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Halfback Jamar Watson scored twice and led the Eagles with 70 yards on 12 attempts, all of them in the second half. Fullback Devin Matthews rushed 13 times for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Los Altos’ defensive line dominated as well. The Eagles’ pass rush flustered Mountain View quarterbacks Jason Griego and Jeff Jalaba, who were sacked four times and lost three fumbles. Spartan halfback Brandon Hamilton had better luck on the ground - rushing for 77 yards on 13 carries - but he was kept out of the end zone.
Mountain View didn’t get on the scoreboard until late in the third quarter when fullback Alec Nelson’s 1-yard run cut the Los Altos lead to 24-6.
The Spartans’ next two drives ended with fumbles, and the Eagles scored in between on Watson’s 16-yard burst up the middle. Charlie Sines’ extra point put Los Altos up by 25 with 9:21 to play.
The first half was all Eagles. Matthews scored on a 3-yard scamper midway through the first quarter, and halfback Dillon Lightman slid into the end zone on a 7-yard run early in the second quarter.
Los Altos extended its lead just before halftime. After Rullo connected with receiver Evan Nelson on a 20-yard pass, Sines booted a 31-yard field goal as time expired.
The 17-0 advantage proved more than enough to beat the slumping Spartans, who have lost two in a row after routing Gunn in their opener.
“It’s like pulling teeth trying to get them to understand the effort required to play at this level and how aggressive they have to be,” said Mountain View head coach Dan Navarro, whose team committed five turnovers and was out-gained 302 yards to 134. “We don’t have enough kids who are aggressive.”
The Spartans’ schedule doesn’t get any easier. Their SCVAL De Anza Division opener is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Wilcox.
At the same, time, the Eagles, kick off SCVAL El Camino Division play at Cupertino.
Lancers stay unbeaten
St. Francis overcame a sluggish start to beat Salinas 21-10 last Friday.
The host Lancers trailed 10-0 at halftime, but roared back in the third quarter. Richie Scudellari threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Joel Shaw, and Matt Taufoou scored on a 69-yard run to give St. Francis the lead going into the final quarter. Ryan Perry added a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth to put the game away.
The Lancers (4-0) open West Catholic Athletic League play at 7:30 p.m. Friday against visiting Riordan.
Mustangs top Firebirds
Homestead beat district rival Fremont 33-21 last Friday in Sunnyvale.
Jay Atkins rushed for 116 yards for the Mustangs (2-1) and Shamir Ross added 86 yards.
Titans trounced by Paly
Host Gunn trailed by just a touchdown at halftime, but Palo Alto took control in the second half to win Friday’s game 42-7.
