Twenty-nine years and no regular season wins. This is the storyline as the Falcon football team heads into hostile territory for its matchup against cross-district rival Los Gatos on Friday, Oct. 23, at Helm Field.
Last year, the team lost 10-7 on a field goal with 23 seconds left. This year, however, the Falcons are determined to end the infamous streak and embarrass the Wildcats in their Homecoming game.
“We came really close last year. I think this is the year,” said senior defensive end Adam Oreglia.
It will be hard to tell if there is any realistic hope of the upset. By the time Saratoga and Los Gatos collide, they will not have shared any opponents to offer a comparison.
Another factor that separates last year’s game from this year’s figures to be the crowd, as the Falcons must defeat Los Gatos away from Benny Pierce Field.
Senior running back Grant Thomas, however, does not believe the change in location will be a major factor in the game.
“It may affect us a little,” said Grant, “but the game will come down to who executes the best.”
Addressing the issue of the losing streak, senior quarterback Vincent Carstens said, “We can’t worry about ‘Oh this is Los Gatos’ instead of any other team.”
Head coach Tim Lugo offers a similar perspective, approaching the Wildcats like any other school. He repeated this year’s overall goal of beating one of the “Big Four,” which also includes Milpitas, Palo Alto and Wilcox.
Tonight, the Falcons plan to head in with a strong rushing attack, led by Thomas, that averages almost 300 yards per game. The deciding factor, however, may be Toga’s defense, which will have to stop a high-flying Wildcats passing game led by senior quarterback Nick Hirschman, who possesses an unheard of 153 QB-passer rating. Hirschman, one of the top high school quarterbacks in the state, has agreed to play for the University of Colorado next year.
“All of the pressure is on Los Gatos because they have to prove that last year’s game was a fluke,” said Lugo. “If it’s a close game, then they know we have closed the gap and they don’t want that.”