Pittsburg turns back Los Gatos in marquee matchup
LOS GATOS >> The Los Gatos football team completed its demanding non-league regular-season schedule with a 37-27 loss to North Coast Section power Pittsburg to close out September.
It was a marquee matchup between two of the top public school programs in the Bay Area, with fourth-ranked Pittsburg (50) a California Interscholastic Federation Division 1-A state finalist a year ago.
Los Gatos (3-2), which fell from sixth to 11 in the latest Bay Area News Group Top 25 rankings, also faced Division 3-AA state champion Grant-sacramento this season and was edged 22-21 on Sept. 8.
“I'm so proud of the effort of these guys,” said Los Gatos coach Mark Krail about his team after the loss to Pittsburg. “We're going to be better because of the game tonight, there's no doubt about it. We're going into league and I told our guys at the end, every single goal we set for the season is still right there in front of us.”
The Wildcats open Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division play tonight when they host Sacred Heart Prep (3-2, 1-0 PAL Bay). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
It could be a high-scoring contest, seeing as Los Gatos is averaging 34 points a game, compared to 28.4 ppg for SHP.
A week ago, Pittsburg took a 16-0 lead in the first half after capitalizing off two Los Gatos turnovers. But the Wildcats got on the board with 1 minute, 5 seconds left before intermission on an 8-yard touchdown run by Boxer Kopcsak-yeung.
Los Gatos' defense quickly forced a three-andout
deep in Pirates territory, and the offense got the ball back on their 47-yard line with 27.7 seconds remaining.
Quarterback AJ Minyard
immediately connected with Scott Garwood on a 21-yard pass, and an ensuing Pittsburg penalty moved the ball inside the red zone. With 7.6 seconds left, Minyard
found Jaylen Thomas for a 17-yard touchdown pass. The ensuing PAT by Sam Pearman narrowed the deficit to 16-14.
But Pittsburg had the only scoring drive in the third quarter to increase its lead.
The high-scoring fourth quarter started with a fourth-down stop by Los Gatos' Leon Sarashki. The Wildcats offense only needed to drive 35 yards for a touchdown. A 27-yard pass from Minyard to Garwood put the ball on the Pittsburg 3, and Kopcsak-yeung eventually scored on a run from the 2.
The senior rushed for a game-high 104 yards and added four receptions for 59 yards.
“Pound-for-pound, the toughest kid on the field every single Friday night,” said Krail about the 170-pounder. “He runs with passion and he's a physical football player.”
Pittsburg reclaimed momentum with back-to-back touchdowns for a 37-21 lead with 6:21 left in the game. Los Gatos answered with an 80-yard drive, capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass from Minyard to Owen Panu with 3:50 remaining.
But Los Gatos' final drive stalled at the Pittsburg 41 with 1:48 left, and Pittsburg quarterback Marley Alcantara kneeled on three straight plays to run out the clock.
Garwood caught four passes for 72 yards and Panu added three receptions for a team-high 76 yards. Minyard passed for 263 yards. Defensively, Henry Masters had four solo tackles and 10 total tackles, and Nate Goldsbury had three tackles for loss for Los Gatos.
Girls water polo
Los Gatos won a pair of Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza matches last week to improve to 10-2 overall and 7-1 in division play entering this week.
In a 10-3 victory over host Harker on Sept. 26,
Abby Lockman led a balanced scoring effort with four goals and three assist. Ella Ralston notched a hat trick for the Wildcats, while Karly Frangieh added a pair and Karissa Elliott scored once. Frangieh led the Wildcats in steals with four and Rachel Stephens produced 10 saves. Los Gatos took a 6-1 second-quarter lead in the victory.
On Sept. 28, Los Gatos avenged its only league loss of the season with a 11-9 win over Palo Alto. Elliott paced the Wildcats with four goals, with Ralston, Frangieh and Julia Ernsting adding two apiece. Lockman and Stephens also had goals. Lockman again led the Wildcats in assists with four. Los Gatos held a 10-6 lead at the end of three quarters.
The Wildcats next host Lynbrook on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m., then travel to face Gunn on Thursday.
Boys water polo
Entering this week, undefeated Los Gatos (13-0, 6-0 SCVAL De Anza) was ranked seventh in the state and eighth in the nation by Maxpreps.com.
On Sept. 26, the Wildcats held off Harker 12-11. Two days later, they beat Palo Alto 15-9. And on Sept. 29, they dominated Leland 17-5.
Girls volleyball
Los Gatos split a pair of SCVAL De Anza Division matches last week.
It first swept visiting Gunn 25-23, 25-18, 25-15 on Sept. 27. Two days later, Palo Alto defeated the visiting Wildcats 25-15, 25-19, 25-22.
Los Gatos entered this week with a 12-6 overall record and a 5-1 SCVAL De Anza Division mark. The Wildcats face Los Altos on the road on Thursday at 6:45 p.m.