JACOB RUDGER
Prep2Prep Junior Editor

November 17, 2012

Los Gatos ended Pioneer’s season on Friday night, pounding the Mustangs in a muddy battle en route to a 38-12 victory. The win launched the Wildcats into the semifinals of the CCS Division II playoffs, and they will take on SCVAL rival Wilcox, a 38-14 win over South San Francisco. The Mustangs finish the season at 4-7.

In a rematch of the 2011 CCS Division II championship game in which Los Gatos won 28-21, the Wildcats (7-4) used the running game to eat up time of possession and wear out Pioneer’s defense.

Los Gatos racked up 287 rushing yards in this contest, led by standout sophomore Joey Wood. The 5-10, 212-pound running back put on a Toby Gerhart-esque performance, hitting the line with tremendous power as he rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

Possibly the most impressive offensive highlight of the game came on the Wildcats’ only third quarter drive when Wood did all of the work himself. Literally. Wood got every single touch on this Los Gatos scoring drive that began on its own 48-yard line. He ran for 52 yards in seven plays, capping off the drive with a five-yard touchdown run, increasing the lead to 24-6.

“I can give the credit to my offensive line," Wood said. "We prepared really hard all week and they gave me some great blocks to set up some big runs.”

Los Gatos didn’t just rally behind Wood. The team put on a stellar defensive performance, containing Pioneer’s powerful rushing attack all game long.

Dominic Barnes, Pioneer’s star running back, was limited to just 26 yards on 11 carries before he suffered a left ankle injury in the third quarter.

Barnes’ injury was a heartbreaker for the Mustangs. The senior rushed for over 1,000 yards on the season with 15 touchdowns, and was a dominant threat in the Pioneer secondary. Prior to his injury, Barnes knocked down three Los Gatos pass attempts and intercepted a pass in the end zone in the second quarter, then returned it 23 yards out.

The Wildcats set the momentum early with an opening 99-yard kickoff return touchdown by senior Brent McCoy. The first quarter fireworks continued when kicker Logan Chapman nailed a 25-yard field goal with 3:35 left to play in the first quarter. The men in orange and black then forced a fumble and recovered it on the Mustangs’ one-yard line, at which point Wood punched his first ticket to the end zone, blowing the lead open to 17-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Pioneer took away the Wildcats’ momentum in the second quarter, holding them to only 37 total yards and tacking on its first points of the game with a 35-yard field goal by Oswaldo Orozco, cutting the lead to 17-3 by halftime.

The Mustangs continued to put up a fight in the third quarter. They started off the half with an 11 play, 6:06 drive that ended with a 36-yard field goal by Orozco, again cutting down the Wildcat lead, 17-6.

After the invincible touchdown drive by Wood that made it 24-6, the Mustangs answered with a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drew Fryhoff to tight end Joseph Londre. The touchdown pass that made it 24-12 would be the last touchdown of Pioneer’s season.

“Our key was to start strong, which we did,” said Los Gatos coach Butch Cattolico, “and then we got a little flat and complacent.”

But the Wildcats’ bounced back well in the fourth quarter. Not resting comfortably with a 12-point lead, the Los Gatos offense exploded with 156 total yards and two touchdowns, leading to a final score of 38-12.

Pioneer coach Eric Perry was upset at what he perceived to be unsportsmanlike play-calling of Cattolico. “I don’t understand that Butch. It’s just not okay. Not okay,” Perry told the Los Gatos coach as they shook hands.

It was a melancholy ending for the Mustangs, who played hard in very closely-contested games all season long.

“They never quit. I love these kids, they played their butts off for me all season," Perry said. "We played a good team tonight, they were obviously bigger than us, but my guys played their butts off. I’m proud of them."

Los Gatos now looks forward to a rematch with Wilcox in the CCS Division II semifinals next Friday night.

Los Gatos looks to capitalize once again off home-field advantage when they face Wilcox on Friday (7pm) in a CCS Division II semifinal matchup. The Wildcats defeated the Chargers, 35-21, on October 5.