Trying to get back on the winning trail, the De Anza Don Footballers will go against the big, quick Monterey Peninsula College Lobos this Saturday at Cupertino High School Kick-off is 8 p.m.
The Lobos are “one of the favorites in the league,” in the words of De Anza head coach, Bob Pifferini. “They’re big and fast with a veteran backfield and an exceptional crop of frosh linemen,” said Pifferini. “A team effort is imperative if we are to stay with them,” related the head mentor.
THE DONS RAN into a buzzsaw last Saturday night at Hartnell, losing 34-7. The smaller, outmanned Dons played even-up football for the first half, trailing only 1307 at intermission.
The long “bomb” plagued the De Anza squad all night. The Panthers struck first on an 80-yard gallop by hard-hitting halfback Larry Crawford, who took a hand-off and was in the clear before the Don secondary knew he had the ball.
The second Panther score in the half came on a 67-yard passrun from quarterback Joe Balgua to halfback Richard Smith.
De Anza fought back gamely, however, and later in the period forced a short Hartnell punt and put together a sustained drive of 37 yards to score, with Edd Artego punching over from two yards out. Bill Lauterback’s conversion was good, and the Dons trailed by six points at halftime.
THE SECOND HALF was all Hartnell as bruising Panther backs Smith and Crawford wore down the Don defense. Smith went for another TD early in the half, and then reserve half-back Ralph thompson sprang loose for a 73-yard gallop to paydirt to turn the game into a rout. Crawford tallied the final score of the game early in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard run to make the final score 34-7.
The tough Hartnell defense held the Don ground game in check throughout the entire second half as the Dons could not mount any kind of a sustained drive against the big Panther front wall.
Turning in an outstanding job on defense for De Anza was linebacker Dan McCash. McCash was all over the field and was in on almost every play. Also turning in a fine game was versatile Dave Brigham, halfback Terry Adams and fullback Brad Arba.
FULLBACK MIKE UTT, guard Jim Hill and end Phil Santucci did not play dur to injuries. First-string quarterback Tom Griffin saw only limited action because of injuries.
The highlight of De Anza’s brief athletic history was accomplished on Sept. 16, when the inspired Dons scored an impressive 13-0 victory over archrival Foothill College at foothill. A “psyched up” defense thwarted all Owl advances, while a smooth-running offense clicked in key situations.
De Anza moved the ball freely in the first quarter against the experienced Owl defense. Midway through the first period, Foothill punted to the De Anza 41 and from there Terry Adams, Dave Brigham and Brad Arba steadily advanced the ball goalward. A key 11-yard pass from Tom Griffin to Adams on third down and 8 put the ball on the Owl 30-yard line.
From there, Griffin alternated Brigham and Arba to reach the 18-yard line, and then crossed up the Owl defense with a bootleg keeper good for 12 yards. Arba carried twice for three yards and then Adams scored from three yards out for the first ever De Anza College touchdown. Bill Lauterback kicked the extra point and the Dons were ahead, 7-0.
THE TWO TEAMS fought to a standstill throughout the second and third quarters. The Owls threatened to score several times but the Don defense stiffened on each occasion.
The play that iced the game for De Anza came late in the fourth quarter when Foothill quarterback Tom McConnell had his pass intercepted by end Bill Harrigan on the Owl 15-yard line, and Harrigan carried it in from there, much to the delight of the delirious De Anza fans and coaches.
Standouts for the Dons were Harrigan, defensive end John Maniscalco, fullback Glen Egusa, linebacker Mike Utt, linebacker Dan McCash, halfback Dave Parker and guard Bill Hartman.
ADAMS LED THE Dons in rushing with 50 yards in 14 carries. Foothill had 241 net yards to De Anza’s 189 yards, and both teams had 13 first downs.
Archived from Volume 1, Issue 2.
