The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

D-line key yet again in 24-0 Homecoming victory

D-line key yet again in 24-0 Homecoming victory

Senior Giles Van Poetsch carries the ball down the field as the Fremont defenders attempt to bring him down. Photo By Eric Wong.Matadors open league play by avenging close ‘09 loss against Fremont

 

The Matadors’ longest play of the night came at the feet of senior defensive tackle Jason Jung, whose two fumble recoveries, including a 65-yarder for a touchdown, led MVHS to a 24-0 Homecoming victory on Oct. 1 against Fremont High School.

MVHS, now with a 2-1-1 record, is well on its way to improving on last year’s 4-6 campaign, which included a 20-21 loss to FHS.
 
Jung, who had 22 tackles and a team-high four sacks coming into the game, grabbed loose footballs twice late in the first quarter, part of a minute-and-a-half stretch in which the Matadors forced three turnovers.
          
“We just played hard,” Jung said. “We played our hearts out, we got some lucky plays, and just dominated.”

The defense has given up just over 11 points per game thus far—a far cry from last year’s 28. Head coach Jeff Mueller, who noted defensive improvements early in the season, was pleased with the shutout effort in the first home game of the year.

“The defensive tackles played a great game,” head coach Jeff Mueller said. “That’s the reason why we won. They did everything we asked them to this week.”
          
MVHS also had encouraging results on the injury front, as juniors Sam McCann and Michael Whittaker played for the first time since the season opener against Overfelt High School on Sept. 3. Though Whittaker, one of the Matadors’ top offensive players, was used mainly on the defensive side of the ball, McCann was able to come up with a 82 yards receiving.

“[McCann and Whittaker] played okay,” Mueller said. “Still a little rusty, but they played okay.”
          
Meanwhile, senior quarterback Freddy Kuo put up some of his best passing numbers of the season, throwing for 164 yards.
          
After the defensive line forced a three-and-out on FHS’s first series, Kuo led a seven-play touchdown drive, completing all three of his passing attempts. McCann’s grab set up a 13-yard touchdown catch by senior Grant Manley with 6:12 left in the first.
          
On the fourth play of FHS’s ensuing drive, Jung recovered his first fumble of the night, but on the next play Kuo’s throw into double coverage was intercepted. Then, with 3:28 remaining in the first quarter, Jung picked up another loose ball, and took it to the house to make the score 14-0.
          
“I was just running as fast as I could to try to score,” Jung said.
          
Manley then recovered the Firebirds’ third fumble of the game—on his own kickoff, no less—but MVHS could not convert despite a 46-yard run by early-season standout junior Jordan Sheade, who had 86 offensive yards on the night.
          
Kuo’s strong passing continued in the second half, highlighted by throws of 21 and 35 yards to Whittaker and McCann, respectively.
          
“I’ve been really studying my film,” Kuo said.  “I’m really trying to emphasize on how I can be more successful, how I can do better for the team.”

The passing game had only produced 58 yards against a tough South San Francisco team on Sept. 27, but that wasn’t the case against FHS.
          
“We were getting time to throw, guys were running their right routes, and we were making the right reads,” Mueller said.

A potential question mark for the Matadors moving forward is an injury sustained by senior cornerback Nick Montijo late in the game, which appeared to be a hurt ankle.  

MVHS will now begin preparations to play Los Altos High School on Oct. 8. The Eagles beat the Matadors by a score of 35-14 last year en route to a league record of 5-1.

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