Hamilton rushes for 193 yards, TD
By Greg Hancock, Special to the Town Crier
 Town Crier file photo Mountain View High’s Brandon Hamilton scored a touchdown in Friday’s win at Milpitas. The Spartans improved to 2-1 in the SCVAL De Anza Division, 5-2 overall. Mountain View is set to host Homestead at 3:15 p.m. Friday. |
Rebounding from a tough loss the previous week, the Mountain View High football team edged Milpitas 17-14 Friday night.
The Spartans, who failed to hold on to a third-quarter lead against Palo Alto the week before, improved to 2-1 in the SCVAL De Anza Division and 5-2 overall.
Sloppy play by Milpitas resulted in turnovers, and visiting Mountain View took advantage of them. The Spartans’ first 10 points were off Milpitas miscues.
The Trojans (2-2, 4-3) turned the ball over three times in all, while the Spartans did so just once.
Milpitas running back Havelock Pomele fumbled away the ball on the game’s second play from scrimmage, giving Mountain View a short field to work with. Five plays later, quarterback Jeff Jalaba scored on a 1-yard keeper. Michael Francisco’s extra point gave the Spartans an early 7-0 lead.
The Trojans responded on their next possession, quickly tying the game. Quarterback Brandon Carswell scampered 49 yards for a touchdown. The senior finished with 71 yards rushing on six carries.
Carswell was outdone by the Spartans’ star runner, halfback Brandon Hamilton. The senior carried the ball 37 times for 193 yards and a touchdown. Hamilton scored the decisive touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play from the 3-yard line. The score capped a 13-play, 81-yard drive that ate up nearly six minutes of the clock.
“Our goal tonight was to score first,” Hamilton said. “We also didn’t want to have any turnovers.”
Despite the close final score, the Spartans controlled the time of possession. Mountain View ran 66 plays, compared with 44 for Milpitas.
Yet the contest was tied at 7 in the second quarter - until Milpitas made another costly blunder. A punt by Mountain View grazed the back of an unsuspecting Trojan and the Spartans jumped on the ball at Milpitas’ 18-yard line. Four plays later, Francisco booted a 28-yard field to give his team a 10-7 lead. Mountain View would never trail again.
“This is a big win,” said Hamilton, whose second-half touchdown extended his team’s lead. “We’re tied for second right now.”
Milpitas made it a close game in tbe fourth quarter when backup quarterback Anthony Royall showed he has some running ability as well. He avoided several Spartan defenders on a broken play that turned into a 33-yard touchdown run.
The Trojans got the ball back with 27 seconds remaining, giving them a chance to tie or go ahead. But with five seconds left, Mountain View linebacker Shane Cooney put an end to those hopes by intercepting a Royall pass.
Mountain View is scheduled to host Homestead at 3:15 p.m. Friday. The Mustangs are winless in league and 1-6 overall after last week’s 56-0 loss to Wilcox.
