Santa Clara High Making Plans for New Frontier in Football

For high school football teams, hope springs eternal this time of year--even at Santa Clara.

The Saints, 3-27 the past three seasons, base their dreams of rising from the Frontier League cellar on increased participation. Last year’s team numbered 21 but offensive coordinator Kevin Sherry expects about 30 players this season.

“It’s not going to turn around overnight but we won’t be embarrassed or blown off the field this year,” Sherry said.

Santa Clara has only five seniors, so the Saints are pointing toward a .500 season next year. This season’s emphasis will be on increasing team speed and execution, Sherry said.

“We won’t have any 360-pound tackles who can’t get out of their own way anymore,” Sherry said. “We’ll have 200-pound tackles, 170-pound guards and we won’t throw the ball more than 10-12 times a game.”

Name game: Matt Fisher, a member of the 1994 Northridge Little League national champions, signed an autograph for 8-year-old Karl Laughton of Palo Alto after his game-winning grand slam Tuesday at the American Legion state championship in Yountville.

Laughton recognized Fisher from an instructional video entitled “The Earthquake Kids” put together by the national champion team.

Fisher, who will be a sophomore at Chatsworth High in the fall, handled the request like a seasoned professional.

“I signed a whole bunch of them in Little League,” he said.

Add Legion: American Legion baseball state tournament public address announcer Joe Alvernaz botched at least half the names he announced during the tournament, but come Thanksgiving, all should be forgiven.

Alvernaz, 82, donates a 40-pound case of sweet potatoes to the families of any player who hits a home run in the state tournament. The potatoes are delivered in time for Thanksgiving. He is known as “Sweet Potato Joe” and wears a hat that bears his nickname.

Mike Kunes and Fisher homered for Valley North.