Palo Alto takes control of football race with win over Los Gatos

By Keith Peters

Palo Alto Online

It has been a spirited homecoming week for Palo Alto High. First, the girls’ volleyball team defeated Los Gatos in five games to win the SCVAL De Anza Division title. One night later, the Vikings’ football team put itself in position to accomplish the same thing.

The division football title isn’t quite wrapped up, but Palo Alto took a very big step in that direction with a 34-12 triumph over Los Gatos on Friday night.

Junior quarterback T.J. Braff threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns, senior speedster Maurice Williams scored on two long electrifying plays and senior Joc Pederson caught two TD passes to lead the Vikings.

Not only was this Paly’s first homecoming win over Los Gatos this decade, but it was the Vikings’ first homefield victory over the Wildcats since 1995.

Palo Alto’s quarterback in that game 14 years ago was Peter Hansen, son of head coach Earl Hansen. Peter, now on the football staff at Stanford, was on hand for the homecoming festivities Friday and watched his father finally end that frustrating streak.

“This is huge,” Earl Hansen said. “They’ve had our number for a long time.” Los Gatos had won eight of the previous 10 meetings between the teams.

Palo Alto (6-1-1 overall) is controling things now. The Vikings are 3-0-1 and atop the SCVAL De Anza Division standings. Los Gatos (3-1, 6-2) fell into a tie for second with Wilcox (3-1, 6-2), which routed Milpitas, 49-26, on Friday and dropped the Trojans (2-2, 6-2) into fifth place behind Homestead (2-1-1), which beat Fremont in a nonleague game.

Since Los Gatos still has to play Wilcox (next week) and then Milpitas, Palo Alto is in the proverbial driver’s seat with games remaining against Mountain View (0-5, 3-5) and Wilcox.

The Vikings’ 20-20 tie with Homestead three weeks ago could come back to haunt them, should Los Gatos or Wilcox win their final two and finish 5-1 while the Vikings split and finish 4-1-1.

Then again, even if Wilcox beats Paly, the Vikings could win the title outright if Los Gatos beats Wilcox and Milpitas beats Los Gatos. All three of those teams would finish 4-2 in league with Paly on top at 4-1-1.

If Paly continues to play the way it did Friday, however, it won’t matter how the Wildcats or Chargers finish.

“We outplayed Los Gatos from the beginning,” Hansen said. “Our offensive line played great. Braff played great.”

Braff won the battle of the backup quarterbacks. He is subbing for the injured Christoph Bono while junior Hayden Hibberd played Friday for the injured Nick Hirschman. Hibberd threw for 215 yards, but was pressured much of the second half when Paly took the lead for good.

“This is a really big win,” said Braff, who played on both sides of the ball on Friday. “Our defense played really well.”

“We pressured the quarterback,” Hansen said of the difference in the game.

The Paly defense held the Wilcats to just 40 yards rushing as Hibberd was thrown for a minus-39 yards. The Vikings sacked him twice to end the game, registering six sacks in all. Defensive tackles Troy Boyland Jr. and Marco Scola, defensive ends Michael Cullen and Kevin Anderson and linebacker Jared Beeson were among the standouts.

While the defense was doing its job, the Paly offense took over. Holding a tenuous 7-6 lead, Paly held Los Gatos on its opening possession of the third quarter and took over on its own 5-yard line. Three plays later, Braff hooked up with Williams on a 95-yard touchdown. Williams was double-covered, but reached back for the slightly underthrown pass and made a fingertip catch. A quick cut inside and he was gone.

Three plays following the kickoff, Paly’s Pederson intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards to the Los Gatos 21. Pederson wound up having to attempt a 36-yard field goal, but was roughed on the play and Paly took over again. Three plays and a holding call later, Braff plunged over from the 1-yard line for a 21-6 lead.

Los Gatos ran four more plays before fumbling the ball away on an attempted flea-flicker. Davante Adams recovered at the 50. On the very next play, Braff handed to Williams on a reverse and the speedy Williams ran through the Los Gatos defense for a 50-yard score and 27-6 lead.

The Wildcats scored again with 1:49 left in the game, but Braff hooked up with Pederson for a second TD connection, this time from 49 yards out. The Vikings caught the Wildcats thinking run on the play and Pederson was wide open.

Pederson also gave Paly a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, when he wrestled the ball away from defender Andrew Berg as both tumbled into the endzone. Pederson came away with the ball and Paly was on its way to a long-awaited homecoming win over Los Gatos.

Los Gatos 0 6 0 6 — 12

Palo Alto 7 0 14 13 — 34

PA — Pederson 33 pass from Braff (Pederson kick)

LG — Hackman-Salazar 5 pass from Hibberd (kick blocked)

PA — Williams 95 pass from Braff (Pederson kick)

PA — Braff 1 run (Pederson kick)

PA — Williams 50 run (kick blocked)

LG — McDowell 1 run (kick blocked)

PA — Pederson 49 pass from Braff (Pederson kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Los Gatos, McDowell 12-40, Heimer 20-27, Berg 2-12, Perry 1-0, Hibberd 10-(minus 39). Paly, M. Williams 1-50, Ibarra 6-32, Anderson 9-27, Beeson 4-13, Glazier 1-3, B. Williams 1-3, Braff 6-(minus 7). Totals: Los Gatos 35-40; Palo Alto 28-121.

PASSING: Los Gatos, Hibberd 16-24-1-215. Palo Alto, Braff 12-17-1-254.

RECEIVING: Los Gatos, Hackman-Salazar 11-164, Berg 3-46, Gletzer 2-5. Paly, Pederson 3-107, M. Williams 2-104, Adams 2-11, Glazier 1-12, Jones 1-9, Cullen 1-8, Beeson 1-2, Anderson 1-1. Totals: Los Gatos 16-215; Palo Alto 12-254.

Standings: Palo Alto 3-0-1 (6-1-1), Los Gatos 3-1 (6-2), Wilcox 3-1 (6-2), Homestead 2-1-1 (3-4-1), Milpitas 2-2 (6-2), Saratoga 1-4 (3-5), Mountain View 0-5 (3-5)