On Oct. 5, the Mountain View varsity football team played rival Los Altos at Foothill College, winning 23-20 in overtime.

The first half of the game was fought between the 30-yard lines until Los Altos started moving the ball deep into Mountain View territory as the clock winded down.

With less than one minute left of the second quarter, sophomore wide receiver Ryan Cambouris intercepted a pass and returned it 90 yards for a Spartans touchdown.

In the second half of the game, the Spartans came out strong with a 25-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Trent Steffen to sophomore wide receiver Austin Flax. A blocked field goal put the Spartans in the lead with a score of 13-6. With less than a minute left in the third quarter, Los Altos countered with a methodical drive resulting in a touchdown that put the Eagles within one point of Mountain View.

Sophomore running back Julian Daniels made a critical first down in Los Altos territory, then pulled down a pass in the end zone, giving a Spartans an even greater lead of 20-12. On the ensuing play, Mountain View was flagged for an unsportsmanlike penalty, putting the ball at the midfield. Los Altos’ running attack paid off with a 35-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion, tying it up at 20-20.

In overtime, Mountain View was awarded the first possession of the ball and regained the lead, 23-20 after scoring a field goal.  After a penalty called on Los Altos and a failed 47-yard field goal attempt, the Spartans left Foothill college victorious.

After losing their homecoming game against Saratoga High School 48-31, head coach Shelley Smith said that the team was looking to bounce back from previous losses and focusing on improving for upcoming games. Smith also added that.  the team made a concerted effort to improve from last year’s loss against Los Altos. “They had something to prove,” Smith said. “It was a big game and we are really proud of them.”

Team captain Danny Olsen also said that the team prepared for the rivalry game by watching film from previous games and upping the intensity during practice.

The Spartans win against Los Altos means that they are still in contention for a league title, according to Smith.

“If we win the rest of the way out, we control our destiny,” Smith said.

The team is slated to play Lynbrook High School at home at 3:00 pm on Friday, Oct. 12.

Photos courtesy of Ken Flax