Success has brought excitement back

"I think some people will still be skeptical," said Hillsdale coach Jeff Scheller. "(But) you can feel (the excitement) in the stands. Instead of heckling, they're cheering."

Over the past three seasons, the loser of this game finished in last place in the Peninsula Athletic League's Ocean Division. This year, the winner gets a leg up on the race for an Ocean championship when they meet at Sequoia tonight at 7.

"We're excited," said Sequoia coach Fine Lauese. "Energy is up. Excitement is up."

Lauese said the early season success Sequoia (1-0-1) has experienced has only helped the team.

"It's important. The last couple of years it's been hard," Lauese said. "To get a tie with Prospect (21-21 two weeks ago) was almost like a win."

Hillsdale (2-0) has had an even better start. The Knights started the season with a 37-0 pasting of an under-manned Harker squad but came back with a 26-13 win over Cupertino. The key to Hillsdale's early season success has been a change in offense. The coaching staff scrapped its pro-set offense and went to a shotgun, triple-option offense to take advantage of quarterback Wesley Price's athletic ability. Price had been mostly a pocket passer the last two years but is turning into one of the best ball carriers in the league this season.

"We're just getting the ball in hands," Scheller said. "It's more than we expected but it's pleasantly surprising."

Price is the third-leading offensive player in the county. In two games he is averaging 163 yards of offense.

"Their quarterback is really good," Lauese said. "We have to key on him and put them in third-and-long situations."

UPSET SPECIAL

Terra Nova (0-2) at Carlmont (0-2), 3:15 p.m.

The Wildcats have been decimated by injuries this season, but their winless season is a bit deceiving. Terra Nova lost 9-3 to a strong Wilcox team before dropping a 35-21 decision to a surprising strong Sacred Heart Cathedral squad.

The Scots got better from Week 1 to Week 2. After losing 33-7 to Palo Alto in their first game, they scored 21 in a 35-21 loss to Gunn last week. Anthony Burrell had a huge game receiving for Carlmont, pulling in nine passes for 166 yards, which was a big change from Week 1 when the Scots did not complete a pass.

Prediction: The Scots passing game emerged last week and with a rushing game everyone knows exists, Carlmont pulls the upset with a balanced attack. Carlmont 27, Terra Nova 21.

Richmond (2-0) at Mills (0-2), 3:15 p.m.

The Oilers have experienced a renaissance in 2005, having won their first two games of the season. Coming into the season, they were mired in a 38-game losing streak.

Richmond is coming off a 35-8 win over Kennedy-Richmond, led by James Bell, who rushed for 175 yards and four touchdown. The defense has been strong too, allowing only 14 points in two games.

The Vikings' offense went off last week, racking up nearly 500 yards of offense. Junior running back Shawn Echols exploded for 180 yards and a score on only 15. The Mills defense, however, gave up nearly as much in a 49-31 loss to Sacred Heart Prep.

Prediction: The Mills defense will step up and start a new losing streak for the Oilers. Mills 35, Richmond 21.

South City (2-0) at Aragon (1-1), 3:15 p.m.

The Warriors are undefeated, but have only played one game. They won their first game by forfeit before crushing Lincoln of San Francisco 40-14 last week.

The Dons had a bye last week, allowing their 41-0 shellacking at the hands of Los Gatos fester for an extra week.

Prediction: Aragon may struggle against Los Gatos, but not too many Bay Division teams have pushed the Dons over the past couple of seasons. Aragon 35, South City 21.

El Camino (2-0) at Half Moon Bay (1-1), 7 p.m.

The winner of this game vaults into title contention. A loss doesn't necessarily knock the loser out but it limits their chances.

The Colts are coming off a 16-6 win over Washington of San Francisco two weeks ago, while the Cougars picked up their first win with a 17-14 win over Monterey.

Prediction: Half Moon Bay was the odds on favorite at the beginning of the season. The Cougars will prove they're still the team to beat. Half Moon Bay 28, El Camino 21.

Capuchino (1-1) at Woodside (1-1), 7 p.m.

The Mustangs gained a lot of confidence with a 28-13 win over the Bay Division's Menlo-Atherton last week so they'll feel comfortable playing their second Bay Division squad in a row.

The Wildcats evened their record with a 27-6 win over Castlemont of Oakland, a complete reversal from their 35-8 loss to Gilroy to open the season.

Prediction: This one should be close. Whichever team can take advantage of the other's mistakes will win. Capuchino 28, Woodside 24.

McClymonds (2-0) at Jefferson (2-0), 7 p.m.

Jefferson has been an offensive juggernaut its first two games. The Indians are coming off a 35-28 win over Washington of San Francisco.

McClymonds, from Oakland, is the 15th-ranked team in the state according to Cal Hi Sports. The Warriors boast three of the top college prospects in the nation. They're coming off a 34-6 pasting of Granada of Livermore.

Prediction: The Indians go down and they go down hard. McClymonds 41, Jefferson 14.

Serra (1-2) at Palma (2-0), 7:30 p.m.

The Padres brutal non-league schedule continues. After taking a 61-13 spanking at the hands of De La Salle the squad now has to face a Chieftains team that is ranked No. 19 in the state by Cal Hi Sports.

Palma has only allowed 17 points in two games, only seven of which came in a 28-7 win over Santa Cruz.

Prediction: Serra can't wait to get into league play and breathe a sigh of relief. Palma 27, Serra 21.

Saturday

Silver Creek (0-2) at Menlo-Atherton (0-2), 1:30 p.m.

A battle of winless teams, the Raiders have managed only 20 points in two games and are coming off a 12-10 loss to Mt. Pleasant.

The Bears, only four years removed from a CCS title are struggling this season on just about all fronts. They fell 28-13 to Capuchino last week.

Prediction: M-A figures out a way to pull out a win. M-A 21, Silver Creek 14.

Sacred Heart Prep (2-1) at Morro Bay (1-1), 2 p.m.

The Gators offense is rolling. Over the past two weeks, they've scored 78 points, including 49 in a 49-31 win over Mills last week in which Pat Coffey was responsible for five touchdowns - two rushing, two passing and an interception return.

Morro Bay, a member of the Southern Section, is coming off a 34-20 win over Taft.

Prediction: Don't know a lot about Morro Bay but the Sacred Heart offense has been unstoppable for the last couple of weeks. Sacred Heart Prep 35, Morro Bay 28.

Last week's record: 7-4; Overall: 19-7.