by Pete Borello
MMenlo's path to the postseason, so clear before last Friday's 14-13 loss to Jefferson, is now filled with obstacles. A win against visiting Jefferson would have guaranteed the Knights their first-ever Central Coast Section playoff berth. But the loss drops them into a three-way competition for the North Peninsula League's remaining automatic playoff bid. Title-winner Terra Nova (5-0) has secured the first bid, which leaves Menlo (3-2), Jefferson (4-2) and South San Francisco (3-2) fighting for the second.
If Menlo is to win this battle, several things must happen in this final week of the regular season. First, the Knights must win at Half Moon Bay (2-3) Thursday at 2:45 p.m., and South San Francisco must beat Westmoor (1-5) Friday. Jefferson already has played out its league season.
Then Menlo will need some luck. Since all three teams would finish with 4-2 league marks--including 1-1 records against each other--a coin toss would decide which team advances.
And to think, the Knights could have avoided this entire situation by preventing Jefferson from scoring in the closing moments of last Friday's game.
A reverse to receiver Tony Pierce accounted for the touchdown, which cut Menlo's lead to 13-12 with 14 seconds remaining.
"I warned them of the reverse before the play," Menlo coach Ashley McPhaul said, "but they still weren't able to stop it."
Halfback Dennes Hernandez started the play by running right, pulling the defense in that direction. He then handed to Pierce, who raced down the left sideline for the score.
"That play worked for us earlier in the year, so we went to it again," explained Jefferson coach Dan Duke.
Duke's next decision also proved wise, as he elected to go for the two-point conversion. On a pick play, quarterback Doug Lealao found an open Hernandez in the right corner of the end zone to give the Indians the lead.
It was a sour ending to what was otherwise a stellar game for the Menlo defense. Jefferson, which came into the contest boasting the top passing attack in San Mateo County, mustered a mere 145 yards through the air. The Knights intercepted five passes, registered six sacks and stopped the Indians three times on fourth-and-short situations.
Defensive back Grant Partridge and linebacker Caley Roberts seemed to haunt Jefferson the most. Partridge picked off three balls--all in the second half--and Roberts broke through for three sacks.
But the Menlo defense seemed to run out of gas on the Indians' game-winning drive, which spanned 76 yards on 13 plays. The defense had good reason to be tired; it had already spent much of the second half on the field.
Menlo's offense was largely ineffective in the final two quarters, gaining just 56 yards. The Knights' only fruitful drive of the half came late in the third quarter when halfback Stanford Tuupo bolted up the middle for a 6-yard touchdown, his second score of the day. Brandon Clapp's extra point missed wide left, so the Knights led 13-6.
Tuupo sprained his knee on the drive and was forced to join fullback Kaoi Taufoou, who sustained a knee injury in the first half, on the bench. The loss of Tuupo (15 carries, 133 yards) and Taufoou (six carries, 20 yards) proved devastating to the Menlo offense. The Knights went the entire third quarter without picking up a first down, as quarterback Rich Kenney (4-16, 23 yards) was unable to move to the team by air.
"We have a good passing game, however, we haven't had to rely on it," McPhaul said. "When they know you can't run and have to pass, it's easier to defend."
Tuupo predicted he will be ready to play against Half Moon Bay, but Taufoou's status is uncertain.
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