Coming off a two-win season in 2024, Mountain View had confidence heading into this fall thanks to returning talent at key positions. It did not take long for the veteran-laden Spartans to prove their mettle against the first of many difficult opponents on their schedule.
In a back-and-forth battle at Palo Alto on Friday night, Mountain View looked to be on the short end of a shootout after the Vikings took a one-point lead in the final minute. But junior quarterback Ishan Devarapalli, who started every game last season as a sophomore, led the Spartans down the field with no timeouts to set up a game-winning 35-yard field goal by Stephen Messner.
That kick lifted Mountain View to a 46-44 win that will surely have the entire Peninsula Athletic League, particularly the other five teams in the De Anza Division, on notice. It was just the second win for the Spartans over Palo Alto since 2002.
“I knew we had a much more veteran football team than last year,” Spartans head coach Rick Esparza said. “A full season of experience definitely goes a long way. Our offensive line as well, they were all underclassmen last season, so all of them returned for this year. Just having the opportunity to have a full year of offseason development, starting in January and getting to be with those guys 12 months out of the year has gone a long way in our early success this year.”
Mountain View’s offense was clicking throughout the night despite an injury to running back Braden Greene, who accounted for nearly 500 yards of offense last year. Junior Dom Kristof, who was expecting to play linebacker heading into the season, stepped up and carried the load out of the backfield.
The Spartans’ defense struggled to contain Palo Alto’s high-octane attack — Vikings quarterback Justin Fung threw for 373 yards and six touchdowns against just one interception, and Clement Romanski and Kacey Washington combined for 245 receiving yards. But the Spartans got a key fourth-quarter stop, and on the final drive, Devarapalli connected with Brady Gilbert for a big gain to put Mountain View in field goal range for Messner.
The non-league slate does not get much easier for Mountain View. The Spartans host Woodside, a 44-0 winner over Westmont in Week 1, this Friday night. They then host Live Oak and travel to Menlo School before starting league play, with both the Acorns and the Knights currently ranked in MaxPreps’ Central Coast Section top 25.
“The boys were extraordinarily resilient. We got down early, we never quit, we battled back,” Esparza said. “I hope it proves that they can play with anybody on our schedule. We can be in every single game that we play.”
Soquel stakes its claim among section’s elite with win at Los Gatos
The Knights have been consistent winners ever since Dwight Lowery, a 2004 Soquel graduate who went onto a nine-year career in the NFL, took over as head coach in 2018. Lowery was 56-20 at his alma mater entering 2025, winning the Pacific Coast Athletic League’s Gabilan Division last fall and claiming a state title in 2023.
But starting this season with a 42-40 win over Los Gatos — on the road, no less — was a different kind of statement. The Wildcats beat the Knights in each of the last two season openers and were picked to win the PAL-Bay Division by The Mercury News. In the final minute, though, Sam Whelan completed a 20-yard touchdown pass to Wyatt Nichols to give Soquel a potentially program-defining victory.
The two heavyweights went back and forth all night, with the Knights taking a nine-point lead in the third quarter on a Kelton Forbus touchdown run coupled with a two-point conversion. But Los Gatos rallied to pull back in front in the fourth, with Callum Schweitzer finding Beau Musser from 47 yards out. That only set the stage for Whelan to lead Soquel back down the field for the winning score.
Whelan completed 22 of 31 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. His favorite target by far was Hudson Summerrill, who had nine catches for 187 yards and a touchdown.
Schweitzer was 13-of-24 passing for the Wildcats, throwing for 206 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Three of his touchdowns went to Musser. Grayson Doslak rushed for 161 yards on 15 carries for Los Gatos.
The Knights host San Ramon Valley on Friday night, while the Wildcats are at Liberty.
WCAL Roundup: Riordan, Valley Christian make opening-week statements
Favorites to win the West Catholic Athletic League for the first time in many years, Riordan opened its season with a 41-18 win at home over Oakland powerhouse McClymonds on Saturday.
Mike Mitchell threw five touchdown passes, three of them to Judge Nash, as the Crusaders jumped out to a 27-0 lead and rolled past the Warriors from there. Nash, a Harvard commit, finished with five catches for 77 yards. Mitchell was 14-of-18 for 153 yards through the air.
On Friday night in San Jose, Valley Christian picked up a 41-10 victory over Wilcox, the reigning PAL-Bay champions. The Warriors forced five turnovers in the third quarter alone, turning just a three-point halftime lead into a complete blowout. In that third quarter, the Chargers turned the ball over on five of their 11 offensive plays. Each time, Valley Christian converted the turnover into a touchdown.
Rome Leota-Pritchard completed just six of 12 passes, but still managed to throw for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Ekiah Mclemore led the way on the ground for the Warriors with 67 yards and two scores on 15 carries.
Elsewhere in the WCAL, Bellarmine — coming off a winless 2024 campaign — got itself back in the win column with a 6-0 victory over Ann Sobrato. St. Ignatius could not quite complete its comeback attempt, falling 27-24 at home to San Marin. Mitty fell 33-12 at Acalanes, while Saint Francis fell 35-7 to Cathedral Catholic of San Diego.
In Saturday action, Sacred Heart Cathedral earned a 35-10 road win over Sacred Heart Prep, and Serra came up short in a shootout to Central Valley powerhouse Folsom, 56-42.
