The SCVAL-El Camino Division championship title and an automatic berth for the upcoming CCS playoffs will be up for grabs this Friday night in Sunnyvale when Gunn visits Fremont.
The Titans (7-2, 5-0 SCVAL-EC) hope to continue their two-game winning streak against the host Firebirds (7-2, 4-1) in order to finish as undefeated champions of the league. In 2011, Gunn recorded a 44-6 blowout against Fremont, but the Firebirds figure to be a much more formidable opponent this year.
“Overall, our team is just going to continue to work hard and give it all we’ve got,” Titan wide receiver Kevin Sharp said. “Fremont, physically, is a huge team, and it’ll be interesting to see if we can knock their guys down and pull out a win.”
Fremont and Monta Vista victories on Friday would set up a three-way tie for the division title, though ensuing tiebreaking playoffs would likely culminate in the Firebirds being crowned as champions. On the other hand, a Gunn win will clearly make the Titans the SCVAL-EC champions and give the team entry into CCS playoffs. SCVAL-De Anza Division’s Palo Alto would also be rewarded with an additional point for having played a league champion.
“The game’s going to be a tough one,” Gunn tight end Wade Barry said. “On offense, our general strategy will be to just hit them hard and demoralize them.”
The Titans go into the game still riding high from their big win over previously undefeated Monta Vista (4-1, 6-3) last week. The Matadors lost their chance at a win when a failed two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter ended the game 28-27. Gunn currently holds the highest winning streak in the El Camino Division with five consecutive victories to date.
“We won, but we didn’t play our best against Monta Vista,” Sharp said. “They’re a very strong team with both an aggressive offense and defense, so we had to study their tactics all week long. Still, when it came down to the game, we still sometimes struggled to stop them.”
Meanwhile, Fremont pulled off an easy 47-0 win against last place Los Altos (0-8, 0-5), taking advantage of a kick return and punt return to score. Junior running back Keenan Smith accounted for four touchdowns in the rout, adding a pair of rushing touchdowns to his special teams scores.
A key player for Gunn is junior running back Sean “The Bull” Lydster, who has rushed for 1,150 yards on 134 carries this season. However, Lydster faces tough competition against his opposite number Smith, who has rushed for 1,306 yards and 16 touchdowns on 113 carries. Smith has scored 24 total touchdowns for the season.
The Titans have scored an average of 26.9 points per game this season while the Firebirds top out with 42.8 points. However, Gunn did pull off a narrow win against Monta Vista, whom Fremont lost to 42-28 on Week 5.
“We’re planning to come out strong, stay strong, and fight through it,” Barry said. “With any luck, we’ll be getting a chance at CCS in two weeks.”
