King City football

  There were enough glimpses for Mac Villaneuva to believe the shock of losing arguably the best all around player in the area was wearing off.
 King City got knocked down not once, but twice in dropping its first two games -- which isn't all that unusual when looking at its past in the preseason.
  But this was different. Losing senior quarterback Tommy Stephens to a season ending knee injury left his teammates in a state of disbelief, searching for a new leader on offense and defense.
 The year hadn't even started and Villaneuva was facing a crisis. Replacing over 1,800 passing yards and 24 touchdowns -- not to mention six interceptions on defense -- was not on his list.
 Yet, instead of simplifying the system, Villanueva stuck with it, inserting Luis Luna, who has served as Stephens' back up for four years.
 Much like Stephens, Luna is athlete with a good arm, having started as a receiver. As he gets more reps, he's building more confidence, realizing Clay Barbree is a special talent on the outside.
 That was evident as the pair hooked up two more times in Friday's win over Gonzales. Moving the chains keeps a defense stronger in the second half.
 Confidence is something Villanueva never lost in his squad. A rivalry win is always big. But this was significant in that the Mustangs are moving forward with incentive to prove skeptics wrong.