Football

Ken Flax/Special to the Town Crier
Receiver Austin Flax scores on Mountain View’s first offensive play. He had two touchdowns in the 54-7 win over Fremont.

While life is often rough for football teams transitioning from the friendly confines of the El Camino Division to the demanding De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, Mountain View High has made an almost seamless transition this year.

The Spartans improved to 3-1 in the De Anza and 7-1 overall with Friday’s 54-7 thumping of Fremont. The homecoming win assured Mountain View a top-four finish in the division – which qualifies the team for the playoffs – with two league games remaining in the regular season.

Megan V. Winslow/Town Crier

St. Francis High’s Camilo Arquette slips a tackle on a run Friday night against Serra. He led the Lancers in rushing (126 yards).

With a long string of success that includes making the NorCal finals last season and winning a state title in 2017, the St. Francis High football team isn’t big on moral victories.

But this season – in which the young Lancers have taken their lumps playing a brutal schedule – finding victory in defeat seems to have more value.

Megan V. Winslow/Town Crier

Los Altos High’s Cedric Smith, above, races to the end zone. Along with his 60-yard TD catch, the junior made three interceptions.

It’s amazing what a win can do for a football team that hadn’t tasted victory in a month. There was more than a sense of relief amid the Los Altos High Eagles after they clipped Cupertino 28-20 – there was even a hint of swagger.

“I think this win was good for our confidence,” said Cedric Smith, who caught a touchdown pass and made three interceptions in Saturday’s home game. “Now we know we can beat anybody.”

Megan V. Winslow/Town Crier

Mountain View High receiver Austin Flax races to the end zone in Friday’s game. The junior scored two touchdowns in the win.

With Friday’s 34-6 rout of rival Los Altos, the Mountain View High football team has entered unfamiliar territory. The Spartans are off to their first 3-0 start since Shelley Smith took over as head coach in 2013.

“It’s promising, and that’s what you want,” said Smith, whose squad has outscored its opponents by a combined 114-13. “We’ve got some momentum going here, and we’re doing some nice things.”