Football: Saratoga wins first game against Westmont

The Saratoga High football team emerged victorious at Friday’s non-league contest in hostile ground, easily defeating host Westmont Warriors 52-27.

The Falcons displayed particular resilience, recovering from the previous week’s heartbreaking loss to Santa Teresa. Their first game featured a second-half defensive letdown, but in this game Saratoga kept its foot on the accelerator for the entire four quarters.

The Falcons’ offense was running on all cylinders for the whole night, a charge led by senior running back Jian Lee, who rushed for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Lee also caught another touchdown on a pass from junior quarterback Kevin Smith, who completed three of six passes for 40 yards and two touchdowns. Smith also connected with junior wide receiver Chris Guengerich for his second touchdown toss of the game.
Senior running back Grant Thomas led Saratoga in total yardage, rushing for 67 yards in eight carries and also returning a kickoff for 38 more yards. Junior tailback Marcus Hoffman chipped in with 59 yards in 11 caries and sophomore running back Troy Doles contributed eight carries for 54 yards.

All in all, it was a successful offense output. On the defensive side of the ball, the Falcons gave up two big passing plays for touchdowns in the first half, allowing the Warriors to put up 14 easy points. Although the Falcons gave up 21 points in the first half, they managed to correct their blown coverage during halftime, letting the Warriors to score only once during the entire second half.

The Falcons will look for their second win of the season when they collide with visiting Alisal High Sept. 18 . The Trojans come in winless in two games after a 41-7 loss to North Monterey County. The Falcons lost in last year’s meeting 27-13.