PREP FOOTBALL: Paly's run of success

Vikings can win their fifth straight Friday against Gunn

by Craig Wentz

There's no better feeling for a football team than being able to run the ball at will and keep opponents out of the end zone. The two things Palo Alto High has consistently done well for the past month, resulting in four straight wins. In their most recent victory last week in Sunnyvale, the Vikings (2-0, 4-1) shredded an outmanned Fremont bunch, 41-8, behind an explosive running game that netted 353 yards.

With the combination of a quick and fundamentally sound offensive line and two hard-running backs, the Paly ground game is getting better each week. And the scary part is that the Vikings can improve upon their recent success.

"I knew that we could potentially be this good running," said Paly coach Earl Hansen. "And if we stay healthy, we can get even better."

Paly will take its full load of momentum into Friday's annual crosstown showdown against visiting Gunn in a nonleague matchup at 3:15 p.m. And if history plays a part in Friday's contest, the Vikings are in for a big day.

Paly has won 10 straight games over the Titans by the average score of 33-9, dating back to 1987. And a Hansen-coached team has shutout Gunn five times in nine games.

Paly leads the all-time series dating to 1965, 22-10. If there's a weak link to Paly, it's the passing game. And it's not due to personnel, but rather to infrequency because of its successful ground attack.

The Vikings have attempted only 45 passes in five games, completing 15 for an efficient 278 yards and four touchdowns.

"We have to do a better job with pass blocking and the passing game," said Hansen. "Our concern with Gunn is speed and their secondary has some very good athletes."

But if Paly can move the ball on the ground against Gunn like it did versus Fremont, the Titans' defense will be in for a very rough afternoon.

Against Fremont, Paly running backs Steve Torgersen and John Klotsche rumbled for a combined 262 yards on 34 carries (8.0 avg.) and scored four touchdowns. Klotsche, a deceivingly quick and powerful runner, ran for a season-high 161 yards and produced touchdown runs of 40, 12 and 39 yards.

Torgersen and Klotsche have combined for an average of 201 yards rushing (6.1 yards per carry) per game for the Vikings, so the biggest concern right now is maintaining their health. Klotsche has been nursing a tender ankle and must be used wisely, because he's also Paly's defensive leader at linebacker and the Vikings' punter.

Paly led Fremont, 21-0, at halftime and outgained the Firebirds in the first 24 minutes, 267 to 80. The Vikings continued their dominance in the second half, building a 41-0 advantage before Fremont scored a late touchdown.

The Viking defense has also sparkled all season, yielding only nine points per game and last Thursday held a physically strong Fremont team to just 166 total yards. Paly recorded three sacks, with sophomore defensive end David Whitson notching a pair.

Even though there may be a time or two when Paly will have to throw the ball to win this season, the Vikings will stick with their strengths--a bruising ground attack and stingy defense--to produce victories in hopes of a CCS playoff berth. Menlo School and Menlo-Atherton football stories appear in the Menlo Park edition of the Weekly.

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