Playoff hopes on line Playoff hopes on line (October 20, 2004) for three local teams

Menlo, Menlo-Atherton and Gunn reach point in season where any losses will just about end their postseason plans

by Keith Peters

The midway point of the league season has brought three local teams to a crossroads: in one direction there's hope while in the other there's little to look forward to.

Menlo School has the brightest future of the three. The Knights are 2-2 in the PAL Bay Division (4-2 overall) after rallying to beat winless San Mateo last week, 49-34, and have only one likely playoff team (Burlingame) left on their schedule. Three victories will give the Knights a 5-2 Bay Division mark, which should be good enough for a playoff berth. If Menlo wins out, including a nonleague finale against Jefferson, the Knights will finish 8-2 overall. For Menlo coach Mark Newton and his players to keep their postseason hopes alive, however, they first must defeat visiting Menlo-Atherton on Friday at 3 p.m. The Bears (1-3, 2-4) also have a great opportunity to move up in the standings after holding off visiting Carlmont last weekend, 20-6. M-A has games against San Mateo (0-3) and Capuchino (1-3) following Friday's game at Menlo. Three PAL wins, however, leaves the Bears at 4-3 and likely out of the playoffs because the team's final game in a nonleague test against volatile Woodside. It's rare when a 5-5 squad reaches the postseason. Gunn (0-2, 2-4) yet another team on the postseason bubble. The Titans are coming off an impressive 50-21 nonleague rout of Lynbrook last week, but the Vikings came into the game having scored only 13 points in their previous five games and are now 0-6 in the weaker SCVAL El Camino Division. Gunn returns to De Anza Division action Friday with a homecoming game against dangerous Saratoga (1-2, 3-3) at 3:15 p.m. Beating the Falcons is a must for the Titans, who have a killer schedule remaining that includes a game at co-leader Los Gatos and home tests against Wilcox and Milpitas. A miracle finish of four straight wins would give Gunn a 6-4 overall record (4-2 in league) and, quite possibly a shot at the postseason. The Titans will have to ride the momentum of last week's thumping of Lynbrook, where they rallied from 10 points down with 21 points in the second quarter. Kevin Gordon brought Gunn to within 21-20 with an 86-yard kickoff return and Darius Johnson provided the winning score when he hauled in an 11-yard strike from Tucker Laurence with 1:59 remaining in the half. Laurence, a sophomore, accounted for four touchdowns with a pair of TD tosses and runs, gaining 98 yards on nine attempts. Johnson rushed for 99 yards on 10 carries and helped spark an offense that scored six unanswered touchdowns. Gunn's defense, meanwhile, held Lynbrook to just 36 yards rushing in the game. Menlo's defense did quite the opposite. The Knights gave up 34 points and 391 total yards to winless San Mateo in a wild shootout. Menlo senior wide receiver Alex Haimson saved his team's playoff hopes by scoring three touchdowns in the second half - the final two putting after the Bearcats had closed to within 35-34. At that point, Haimson returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and 42-34 lead. He also caught a 44-yard TD pass with five seconds to play to cap the wild win. Haimson had given Menlo a 28-20 lead with a 30-yard scoring reception on a halfback option pass from Andy Gregg in the third quarter. He finished with four catches for 105 yards. Menlo quarterback Jeff Langskov completed 15 of 26 passes for 256 yards and four touchdowns. Matt Moone led Menlo's rushing attack with 96 yards and 12 carries. Quite opposite of the Menlo-San Mateo game that saw both teams combine for 798 yards in total offense, Menlo-Atherton and Carlmont combined for only 292 in their defensive battle Saturday. The Bears celebrated their homecoming with an aggressive defense that recorded eight sacks (three by Etika Sakalia), forced five turnovers (including two interceptions by Noah Bennett) and held Carlmont to just 18 yards rushing. "The defense just played sensational and took the game into their own hands," said M-A head coach Gregg Patner. The Bears put up only 166 yards of offense, including 79 yards passing by Clark Hagman. Two of his completed passes, however, went for touchdowns of seven and 64 yards to David Vallarino. Hagman also ran one yard for a score as the Bears grabbed a 20-0 halftime lead and held on behind their sturdy defense. Elsewhere last weekend: Sacred Heart Prep (3-3) showcased Hudson Smythe's versatile talents once again in a 41-21 nonleague victory over visiting Salesian in the Gators' homecoming game Saturday. Smythe carried 14 times for 121 yards and one touchdown, kicked five extra points, caught a 23-yard TD pass from Pat Coffey and threw an 18-yard scoring strike to Thomas Donahoe on a halfback option pass. The Gators gained 354 yards in total offense and forced five turnovers. Marcus Zwick also hurt the Chieftains with 119 rushing yards on just four carries. Sacred Heart Prep will host St. Lawrence on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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