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In 1975, the Mountain View Eagles did the
unexpected. Called a group of mis its, a Cinderella
team and the underdog by the news media, the
Eagles took the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League
(SCVAL) championship and went on to win the
Central Coast Section (CCS) championship—rising
above more than 120 schools.
While football brought the Mountain View
community together, game by game, it was a
tough season. The challenge wasn’t so much
the physicality of being a small team with small
players, but being a racially-mixed team. Mountain
View played predominately af luent white teams
like Los Altos, St. Francis, Homestead, Leland, and
superpower Monte Vista. Racial slurs lew on the
ield.
And that’s where the Eagles’ motto played its most
important role. “You Gotta Believe.” The players
didn’t let adversity of any kind stand in the way of
their goals and dreams. They pushed on, knowing
that teamwork, camaraderie, and their collective
love of the game would lead them to victory.
The Mountain View Eagles showed the Bay
Area that a “cultural melting pot” could not only
be highly successful in its chosen path (in this
case, football) but also triumph over negativity
and discrimination. They were a microcosm of
positivity and determination that, perhaps, set an
example for what the city of Mountain View has
become today.
The team recently held a 40-year anniversary in
downtown Mountain View, on Castro Street, of
course. Several players lew in from different parts
of the United States to celebrate the victories of
1975. Coaches, cheerleaders, and players sat side-
by-side, focusing on the good times. When the
subject of racial discrimination came up, they all
agreed, “That’s not why we’re here.” Today, they
are still a very close-knit group. Many still live in
Mountain View and have raised their families here.
The theme “You Gotta Believe” resurfaced at the
reunion with running back Scotty Hamilton leading
the MVHS cheer. Quarterback Denny Mateo had
shirts with the imprinted motto available. The
theme became Denny’s personal motto as he
battled stomach cancer one year later. The team
believed, for Denny.
Winning championship games is a huge
accomplishment and yes, other teams have won
and will win SCVAL and CCS in the future. Their
victories are important, too. The Mountain View
Eagles’ victory, however, was a signi icant event
in the history of the city, especially now that the
Castro Street school, the MVHS Eagles teams, and
the blue and gray colors are gone. They are all just
memories—memories that should not be forgotten.
Today, we have an opportunity to celebrate
Mountain View’s history and cultural diversity,
acknowledge the legacy of Mountain View
High School on Castro Street, recognize some
remarkable young football
players who overcame
adversity to prevail, and
most importantly, inspire
future generations of
Mountain View youth, “to
believe.”
Want to learn more about the proposal to
build a monument to the 1975 Mountain
View Eagles Football Team at Eagle Park?
Visit: https://75ccschamps.com/
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