M-A picks a good time M-A picks a good time (October 27, 2004)to avenge loss to Menlo

by Tim Goode

The Menlo-Atherton football team last week found itself in a similarly distressful situation as last season - a disappointing record (2-4, 1-3) with no margin for error the rest of the season.

Fortunately for the Bears, they responded in a positive fashion by beating Menlo School, 21-0, last Friday at Menlo in an important PAL Bay Division contest.

Last season, M-A started out 1-5 before winning the remaining four games and finishing in second place with a 5-5 record.

The Bears are actually in better shape this season following their second straight victory, which keeps their Central Coast Section playoff hopes alive and put Menlo's postseason aspirations in jeopardy.

"Same situation, different reasons," said M-A coach Gregg Patner. "We can't worry about the rest of the season. We can only think about one game at a time."

M-A moves into fourth place in the Bay Division, out of contention for one of the division's three automatic berths but within reach of an at-large berth. The Bears have games remaining, in order, at San Mateo (1-6), at Capuchino (1-6) and at home against PAL Ocean leader Woodside (7-0).

Should the Bears win all three, they'll finish 6-4 and have a legitimate shot at the postseason.

Last Friday's win, meanwhile, avenged last year's 19-9 loss to Menlo and gave the Bears a 7-4 series lead in the rivalry that began in 1975. While the long-term implications of the victory were important, the win over Menlo was equally satisfying for M-A.

"This was for bragging rights," said Patner. "They beat us last year and that was a hurtful loss for us. But these are different kids this year and we're in a do-or-die situation (that's bigger than one game). We're just trying to finish the season strong."

M-A's defense was very strong against what had been a successful Menlo School offense.

The Bears held Menlo to 120 yards of offense, including 37 in the second half. Patrick Mateo had three sacks and Saluni Saafi added two more for M-A. Tyroane Pettis and Michael Jorgenson had interceptions for the Bears.

"Today Menlo-Atherton played the best defense we've faced this year," said Menlo coach Mark Newton. "They're a great defensive team and their coaches did a good job mixing up their looks. Their defensive backs did an excellent job of covering our receivers."

M-A's defense forced Menlo to go three-and-out on seven of its 10 possessions and M-A's offense was instrumental in keeping the Bears' defense well rested.

"The defense has been playing well all season," said Patner. "As a team we're playing better football now and today we executed effectively on both sides of the ball."

The Bears ran 62 plays to Menlo's 37 and scored on its first and third possession of the games, both long, time-consuming drives.

David Vallarino caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Clark Hagman to cap the first scoring drive, a 40-yard drive that took seven plays and 4:30. Later in the second quarter, the Bears marched 61 yards on 10 plays with Jeremy Jordan scoring from five yards out. Jordan added a one-yard scoring run in the third quarter. Jordan finished with 107 yards on 21 carries in three quarters of play.

Hagman completed eight of 11 passes for 92 yards. Vallarino, who entered the game as San Mateo County's leading receiver, caught four passes for 44 yards - all in the first half.

Menlo (2-3, 4-3), still has postseason aspirations. The Knights play, in order, visiting Burlingame (5-2) on Saturday at 2 p.m., at Carlmont (3-4) and Ocean Division foe Jefferson (2-5) on the road -- and may have to win all of those games to garner enough points to earn an at-large berth.
Los Gatos 31, Palo Alto 0

It may have been a showdown between the only remaining undefeated teams in the SCVAL De Anza Division, but Paly coach Earl Hansen knows this score wasn't the most telling one of the night.

That belonged to the Wilcox-Milpitas game, where the Chargers blasted the Trojans, 40-7. Paly, after all, defeated Wilcox two weeks ago, 29-19, and plays host to Milpitas on Friday at 7:30 p.m.

The Vikings (3-1, 5-2) have two division games remaining. The other being at Homestead on Nov. 5. If Paly wins both, it clinches second place and earns one of the three automatic berths for the CCS playoffs. Wilcox (2-2, 4-2-1) and Saratoga (2-2, 4-3) are waiting for Paly to falter, even though the Vikings hold the tiebreaker over both teams should they need it.

Hansen and his Vikings already have put last Friday's loss to Los Gatos behind them, a setback that echoed was everything was thinking anyway - that the Wildcats are the division's best team.

Paly's big, but young, offensive line, couldn't handle a more athletic Los Gatos defense that shut down the Vikings' running game (only two yards in the first half) and had senior quarterback Nathan Ford out of his comfort zone all night.

"Our offensive line didn't protect the quarterback like they have been in our last four games," Hansen said. "Los Gatos brought everything at us and Ford was running for his life back there."

Ford finished with 19 completions (out of 35 attempts), but for only 138 yards with two interceptions. The Vikings added just 31 more yards on the ground.

The best news of the night came before the Vikings' varsity took the field. Paly's JV squad improved to 4-0 in league (7-0 overall) by beating Los Gatos, 23-19.
Saratoga 33, Gunn 3

The Titans (0-3, 2-5) lost three fumbles, were held to 115 total yards and allowed the Falcons 341 yards on the ground in a lopsided homecoming setback that all but eliminated them from posteason play.

With home games against first-place Los Gatos on Friday night, at home against Wilcox (No. 5) and at home against Milpitas (Nov. 12), Gunn would have to win all three to have even a remote chance at the playoffs.

Of Gunn's 26 rushing plays against Saratoga, nine went for minus yardage. Despite all of their problems, the Titans were still in the game when the Falcons took a 14-3 lead in the third quarter. Two plays following the ensuing kickoff, however, Gunn fumbled. Saratoga recovered at the Gunn 41 and scored three plays later for a 20-3 advantage.

When the Titans went three and out on their next possession, Saratoga took over and scored in five plays for a 27-3 game-breaking score.
SHP 60, St. Lawrence 8

The Gators (4-3) made their final home game of the season a special one with a blow out Saturday. Senior Hudson Smythe scored three straight touchdowns to get the ball rolling and rushed for 130 yard on eight carries to spark a rushing attack that totaled 454 yards.

Sacred Heart held a 40-8 halftime lead and wound up holding the visitors to 145 total yards, seven first downs while forcing five turnovers. Zack Pollock and R.J. Horsley had interceptions for the Gators, who play The King's Academy on Friday at 7 p.m.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.