September 28, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

They've added a lot

by Keith Peters

They were unknown a year ago, performing in relative anonymity on the Palo Alto High frosh-soph football team and just waiting for their chance.

They graduated with a 10-0 record and league championship, stamping themselves ready for the varsity. And they haven't disappointed.

Maurice Williams. Will Frazier. Nick Goodspeed. Dennis Pruzan. John Stirrat. All have stepped up from the frosh-soph and into starting jobs with the Vikings.

"They added a lot," said Paly head coach Earl Hansen.

The frosh-soph grads have contributed in a big way to Palo Alto's 2-1 start and most recent victory, a 42-7 romp over rival Gunn last Friday. Next up is Friday night's SCVAL De Anza Division opener against Homestead at Fremont High (Sunnyvale) at 7:30 p.m.

Hansen needs his first-year varsity players to continue to learn and improve in order for the Vikings to contend for another Central Coast Section playoff berth this season. All play key roles.

Williams is a wide receiver/defensive back. He has seven receptions for 170 yards and has scored three touchdowns, including an 85-yard kickoff return to open the second half of last Friday's game. That gave Paly a 20-7 lead and sparked a 21-0 surge in the third quarter that put the game away.

"If he were bigger, everyone would be looking at him," Hansen said of the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Williams.

Frazier, the frosh-soph MVP of the league last season, has rushed 35 times for 195 yards and scored three touchdowns. He scored twice against Gunn while picking up 90 yards on 16 carries.

Goodspeed holds down the all-important quarterback position and has completed 30 of 59 passes (with four interceptions) for 571 yards. He accounted for three TDs against Gunn, including a 35-yard toss to senior wideout Cooper Miller and a 52-yarder to Williams, one play after Pruzan intercepted a pass.

Pruzan returned an interception 37 yards for a TD in a nonleague loss to Burlingame and, along with Williams, gives Hansen "two of the best corners I've ever had. Nobody's beaten us deep."

Stirrat, a center, is one of four juniors on the offensive line and gives Hansen reason to believe this season is only the start of something bigger and better. The important thing, Hansen noted, is how the new players adjust to the faster-paced varsity level while keeping mistakes to a mininum.

"If we don't make any mistakes," Hansen said, "we'll be just fine."

All Paly needs to do is come up with the kind of defensive effort the Vikings turned in against Gunn. The Titans managed just 158 total yards as junior quarterback Tucker Laurence was held to 40 yards rushing and 35 passing.

The Titans (1-2) need a better offensive effort Friday when they open SCVAL El Camino Division play against Saratoga (3:15 p.m.) in Gunn's homecoming game.

Menlo-Atherton (2-1) also is at home Friday against Aragon in a PAL Bay Division opener at 3:15 p.m. Menlo (1-2) welcomes Half Moon Bay on Saturday in a PAL Ocean Division opener at 2 p.m., while Sacred Heart Prep (2-2) hosts Harker on Saturday in a homecoming game at 2 p.m.

Menlo is coming off a bye while SHP dropped a 47-25 nonleague decision to host Morro Bay of San Luis Obispo. Menlo-Atherton, meanwhile, should be riding some momentum following a 33-30 nonleague win over host Silver Creek.

"A win is always important, regardless of who you play," said M-A coach Gregg Patner. "But, to be honest, confidence is what we needed."

The Bears will need that, and a better defensive effort, against Aragon. M-A allowed 466 yards and three fourth quarter touchdowns against Silver Creek.

In the defense's favor, however, was a key moment that saved the victory. With 3:18 left in the game, Silver Creek recovered an onside kick at midfield. Two plays later, M-A defender Fatai Vailala sacked the Raiders' quarterback for an eight-yard loss.

The Bears were equally as explosive on offense. Jeremy Jordan had touchdown runs of 36 and 57 yards as he gained 118 rushing yards, and Maurice Hanks returned a kickoff 80 yards for the clinching touchdown.
Cross country

Ashley Schoettle of Castilleja, Renata Cummins of Palo Alto, Scott Himmelberger of Paly and Kramer Straube of Sacred Heart Prep all finished among the top 10 runners in their respective divisions to lead their teams at the 32nd annual Stanford Invitational on Saturday at the Stanford Golf Course.

Schoettle finished third in the girls' Division 5 race, clocking 19:46 over the 5,000-meter layout to help the Gators take fifth in the team race.

Cummins clocked a personal best of 19:11 while taking fifth in the girls' Division 2 race, helping the Vikings finish seventh. It was her highest finish ever at Stanford.

"That was a big PR for her," said Paly coach Paul Jones. "The whole team ran well. This is a pretty good squad, with all juniors and seniors and all pretty solid runners."

Himmelberger ran 16:27 for sixth in the boys' Division 2 competition, his best finish ever at Stanford, to help the Vikings take 13th, and Straube was eighth in the Division 5 race in 17:28.
Boys water polo

Menlo (12-2) knocked off some of the nation's top teams while finishing second in America's Finest City Invitational last weekend in Coronado.

"I'm really happy with how we played," said Menlo coach Jack Bowen, whose team went 4-0 before falling to top-seeded Harvard-Westlake in the finals of the 32-team tournament. "To face the teams we faced and play Harvard-Westlake the way we did . . . it was an outstanding weekend."

Menlo was seeded third in the prestigious event. The Knights opened with an 18-2 win over Mira Mesa, swamped Scripps Ranch, 15-5, and edged CIF Division I runnerup Torrey Pines, 8-6, in the quarterfinals.

That earned Menlo a shot at No. 2-seeded Coronado, from where Bowen graduated in 1991. Junior Ben Hohl scored six of his 21 goals to spark the Knights to a 10-9 victory. In the championship game, senior Matt Hudnall scored four goals as Menlo took a 6-5 lead over Harvard-Westlake before falling in the final moments, 7-6.

Hohl and goalie Mike Merlone were named to the all-tournament team while Hudnall, who scored 12 goals in the five matches, received honorable mention.
Boys soccer

Sacred Heart Prep saw its perfect record in Private Schools Athletic League play end in a 1-1 deadlock with host Valley Christian-Dublin last Friday. The Gators (4-0-1, 6-3-1) had to rally from a 1-0 halftime deficit to pull out the tie as Travis Benson provided the goal on an assist from Michael McMahon.

Sacred Heart has two big matches this week, hosting King's Academy on Friday at 4 p.m. and Harker on Saturday at 11 a.m.

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