Bay Area high school football roundup 2023: Best of Week 11 action
Serra easily defeats St. Ignatius. Clayton Valley is defeated by No. 2 De La Salle. San Ramon Valley, ranked third, defeats rival Monte Vista. Branham wins the BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill championship.
Welcome back to the high school football roundup from the Bay Area News Group.
You’ll find all the details from the weekend’s action in this news organization’s coverage area, which includes teams from Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
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Now for the roundup…
Teams that have been ranked
No. 1 Serra 43, No. 10 St. Ignatius 10
When Central Coast Section officials meet Sunday to fill out the playoff brackets, the No. 1 seed will be obvious. Serra ran away from St. Ignatius to complete its second consecutive perfect regular season. After one quarter, the score was 22-3, and at halftime, it was 36-3. The Padres (10-0, 7-0 West Catholic Athletic League) have won 20 consecutive regular-season games. Their last defeat in such a game came on November 6, 2021, when they were defeated 44-21 by St. Francis. Serra evened the score three weeks later in the CCS playoffs, defeating the Lancers 16-12. Senior quarterbacks Maealiuaki Smith and Brooks Trimmer combined to throw five touchdown passes on Senior Night at Serra, much to the delight of baseball alumni Barry Bonds and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder James Outman. Smith also scored on the ground. Kyon Loud had two touchdown receptions from Smith. While discussing the Padres’ back-to-back regular-season perfectos, Padres coach Patrick Walsh became emotional. “From where we started to where we are now, if you had asked me 10, 20 years ago if we could do this, I would’ve said it would have taken a miracle,” he said. “I’m overjoyed and humbled by what we’ve accomplished.” “There have been so many hands that have helped to stir the pot.” — Mike Lefkow
No. 2 De La Salle 48, No. 17 Clayton Valley 0
De La Salle won its eighth straight game to end the regular season and shut out an opponent for the second time in a dominating, running-clock win over Clayton Valley at home. De La Salle led 14-0 after one quarter and 41-0 at the half. Toa Faavae led the way with 76 yards and a touchdown on the ground and 107 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Dominic Kelley added two rushing touchdowns and Derrick Blanche added a receiving touchdown for the Spartans. The No. 1 seed in the NCS Open/Division I playoffs, which begin next week, is expected to be De La Salle (8-2). Clayton Valley (5-5) is one of eight teams vying for a spot in that bracket. Darren Sabedra’s
No. 3 San Ramon Valley 34, Monte Vista 0
Quarterback Luke Baker threw two touchdown passes to Owen Scott and ran for another two yards as the Wolves defeated Monte Vista for the eighth time in nine games dating back to 2017. SRV also finished the regular season 9-1 and won the East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division title with a 4-0 record. The Wolves’ next stop will be the North Coast Section playoffs, where they will likely be the No. 2 seed in Open/Division I behind De La Salle. The Wolves’ only loss this season came in overtime against the Spartans. Baker’s 2-yard scamper got things started against Monte Vista, and he followed it up with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Scott to make it 14-0. At the half, Austin Shelton’s 44-yard field goal increased the Wolves’ lead to 17-0. Marco Jones scored on a 30-yard pick-6 in the third quarter, and Baker and Scott connected on a 76-yard pass play later in the quarter to make it 31-0. Baker now has 33 touchdown passes on the season. Shelton rounded out the scoring with his second three-pointer of the game, this time in the fourth quarter. Monte Vista finished the season with a record of 4-6. – Michael Lefkow
No. 6 McClymonds 58, Fremont-Oakland 0
McClymonds defeated its fourth consecutive Oakland Athletic League opponent on Friday night to stay undefeated in the OAL. John “Sharky” Tamale gained 208 yards on the ground, caught two passes for 68 yards, and scored four touchdowns. Redmani Albert, who had been playing quarterback in recent weeks, switched back to receiver and caught a touchdown while also rushing for another. Isaac Espinosa completed all four of his passes for 127 yards and one touchdown while also going 6 for 6 on extra points. Jayden Parker ran six times for 72 yards and one touchdown, and DB Markus Thomas returned an interception 22 yards for a touchdown. To close out the regular season, McClymonds (6-2, 4-0) will host Oakland Tech, while Fremont (1-8, 1-3) will welcome Castlemont. – Dycus, Joseph
No. 7 Los Gatos 30, Menlo-Atherton 6
Los Gatos finished its PAL Bay schedule with a convincing win over Menlo-Atherton. After going 8-2 with a 5-0 record in league play, coach Mark Krail’s public school team will advance to the CCS Open/Division I playoffs. M-A will be one of the Bay’s five automatic playoff qualifiers. Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung of Los Gatos rushed for 152 yards and three touchdowns to surpass 1,000 yards for the season. Los Gatos added a touchdown on a trick play in which quarterback A.J Minyard threw a backward pass to Jaylen Thomas, who lobbed a 76-yard touchdown pass to Scott Garwood. Los Gatos’ defense was led by Lyndon Bailey’s sack, Henry Masters’ double-digit tackles, and Theo Greenland’s forced fumble. Menlo-Atherton fell to 4-6. – Dycus, Joseph
No. 8 St. Francis 28, Bellarmine 10
The visitors did not have an easy victory. At halftime, the score was 7-7, and St. Francis didn’t take the lead until 6:45 of the third quarter, when QB Aaron Knapp and TE James Jordan connected on a 60-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, Knapp also threw a 71-yard touchdown pass to Perrion Williams. The Lancers finished the season 7-3 overall and 6-1 in the WCAL, finishing second to Serra. When the CCS playoff matchups are announced on Sunday, St. Francis should be the No. 2 seed in the Open/Division I bracket. Bellarmine finished the season 2-8, 1-6 under first-year coach David Diaz-Infante. Knapp completed eight of sixteen passes for 244 yards and two long touchdown passes. The junior, who battled lymphoma during the offseason, finished the regular season with 1,241 passing yards and 11 touchdown passes. What’s more, he’s cancer-free. Kingston Keanaaina rushed for 120 yards and one touchdown, bringing his season total to 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns. St. Francis totaled 392 yards of offense. Parker Threatt’s quarterback sneak gave Bellarmine a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Bells didn’t score again until Connor Tripp’s 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, which made the score 21-10. The scoring was completed by Williams’ 71-yard touchdown catch. – Michael Lefkow
No. 11 Wilcox 60, Santa Clara 14
Wilcox continued its dominance over crosstown rival Santa Clara, cruising to a non-league victory at home that completed the Chargers’ 7-3 regular season and presumably a spot in the CCS Open/Division I playoffs. The Chargers would be in D-II if they weren’t in that bracket. Adrian Salinas’ 101-yard interception return for a touchdown and Elijah Walker’s touchdown runs of 80 and 66 yards were among the many highlights for Wilcox on Friday. In the MaxPreps era (2004-present), Wilcox is undefeated against Santa Clara. The Bruins finished with a record of 3-7. Darren Sabedra’s
No. 12 Valley Christian 35, No. 19 Archbishop Mitty 0
Valley Christian defeated Mitty at Foothill College, with Ekiah Mclemore and Marcel Leggett each scoring two touchdowns and Lovante Metcalfe, Remy Hernandez, and Federico-Mario Cobarubio each recording a sack. Jesse D’Anna also threw a touchdown pass to Kai Hamilton for the Warriors. Valley led Mitty 21-0 after the first quarter and 28-0 at halftime to finish the regular season 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the WCAL, one week after playing a close game against juggernaut Serra. They are expected to advance to the CCS playoffs in the eight-team Open/Division I bracket. Mitty (5-5, 2-5) is also expected to compete in the section playoffs, possibly in Open/Division I or Division II. Darren Sabedra’s
Sacred Heart Prep 31, No. 14 Menlo School 19
SHP won the Valpo Bowl thanks to two touchdowns from Anthony Noto, denying Menlo an undefeated regular season. Noto (13 carries, 84 yards) scored on a 30-yard run and a 48-yard fumble return to give the Gators a 28-13 halftime lead. With a 4-yard run, Ravu Savali (13 carries, 67 yards) opened the scoring. Jack Scully (11 of 17, 162 yards) connected with Jack Stevens for a 30-yard touchdown pass. Mikey McGrath scored twice for Menlo, once passing to Harry Housser and once running 3 yards. Menlo’s Jack Freehill connected with Bradford Tudor for another touchdown. SHP is 6-4, Menlo is 9-1 entering the CCS playoffs.
No. 16 Campolindo 25, No. 15 Acalanes 24
Micah Parker scored on a 23-yard run with 2:53 remaining, and Scott Lyon followed by catching Isaiah Ortiz’s two-point conversion pass to cap off Campolindo’s late comeback from a 14-point deficit. The Cougars shared the DAL Foothill Division championship with Acalanes and Las Lomas. The full story is available here, thanks to Darren Sabedra.
No. 18 California 48, Foothill 0
Cal High quarterback Jayden Macedo threw for four touchdowns and ran for one in the Grizzlies’ EBAL Mountain victory over Foothill. California (6-4, 2-2) will find out on Sunday if it is one of the eight teams that will compete in the NCS Open/Division I playoffs. Chase McGill scored his ninth touchdown of the season, and Nick Fasshauer, Brodie Bamer, and Trevor Chacon each had one. Josh Calcagno scored twice as a wide receiver. Foothill finished the season with a record of 1-8. – Dycus, Joseph
No. 21 Liberty 52, Heritage 21
The Lions did what they needed to do, taking a 15-0 lead into halftime and then exploding for 37 points in the second half. On Sunday, it will be determined whether that is enough to earn an invitation to the NCS Open/D-1 playoffs. Liberty coach Mike Cable said on Saturday that the eighth and final playoff spot could come down to his team or Clayton Valley. Liberty finished 7-3 overall, while Clayton Valley finished 5-5. The Ugly Eagles faced a much more difficult schedule. Liberty’s only losses came against Los Gatos, San Ramon Valley, and Pittsburg, all of which were very good teams. Sophomore Jaxon Bell rushed for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the regular-season finale against visiting Heritage, giving him 1,537 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season. He has also caught two touchdown passes. Ryan McKendry, a senior receiver, had eight catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns, bringing his season totals to 52 catches for 1,024 yards and 15 touchdowns. Heritage, which received touchdown receptions from Brooks Davis and Charlie Blaise against the Lions, appears to be on the D-II playoff bubble. The Patriots entered the weekend ranked seventh in the division by calpreps.com, but they had to make room for division champion Berkeley, and Dublin and Livermore were both 5-5 compared to Heritage’s 4-6 record. The Patriots had the most difficult schedule of the four schools. – Michael Lefkow
No. 22 Las Lomas 45, Miramonte 7
After defeating Miramonte, Las Lomas earned a share of the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division title. The Knights, Campolindo, and Acalanes all finished the league season 5-1. Campolindo defeated Las Lomas, Campolindo defeated Acalanes, and Acalanes defeated Las Lomas. Las Lomas will compete in NCS Division III. Dylan Thomas, the Knights’ quarterback, completed 10 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, with Roman Mercado catching six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. Sava Pouridis, Thomas, and Kaden Lagaya all scored on the ground. Miramonte (6-3, 3-3) has been assigned to Division V. – Joseph Dycus
No. 24 Live Oak 28, No. 20 Christopher 24
Live Oak stunned host Christopher by completing an epic comeback that clinched the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division title while handing the Gilroy school its first loss, trailing 21-0 in the first quarter. Josh Gagni of Live Oak rushed for 136 yards, and Anden Rogers scored the game-winning touchdown with five minutes remaining. Glenn Reeves was in Gilroy and has a complete report here.
Aragon 34, No. 25 Hillsdale 7
Sean Hickey threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns as Aragon cruised to a lopsided victory in the traditional rivalry match. Hickey’s touchdown passes were intercepted by Willie Faaumau, Aaron Pita, and Max Thronson. Ivan Nisa gained 117 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Both teams have qualified for the CCS playoffs. Amaziah Tanielu took a defensive stance. Hillsdale (7-3, 3-2) tied for second with Palo Alto and The King’s Academy in the PAL Bay, while Aragon (8-2, 4-1) tied for first with Capuchino in the PAL Ocean. “It’s possible we’ll play them again next week,” said Aragon coach Steve Sell. “I believe we will end up in the same division.” That’d be insane.” — Glenn Reeves
East Bay
Castro Valley 34, Tennyson 24
Conner Cooper rushed for 68 yards and two touchdowns, had nine tackles (two behind the line of scrimmage), and forced a fumble as Castro Valley defeated Tennyson in MVAL/WACC Foothill play. Cooper Matthews added 150 yards and two touchdowns passing, as well as 50 yards rushing, for the Trojans, and Drew Leipold added three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Nathaniel Belli finished with eight tackles (three for loss), a forced fumble, and a sack, while Sevag Hakimian scored on a 16-yard run. Castro Valley’s record improved to 4-6, 2-3. Tennyson finished with a record of 2-8, 1-4. Darren Sabedra’s
Hayward 34, Washington-Fremont 20
Hayward’s dynamic quarterback Kennedy Braziel threw for two touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards and another in an MVAL/WACC-Mission Division game against Washington-Fremont. Hayward finished the regular season 7-3 and has a chance to advance to the NCS Division III playoffs. Mateaki Pongo rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown, and Jordyn Wilson also scored. Dillan Bui’s one reception resulted in a 29-yard touchdown. Washington finished the regular season with a 5-5 record. — Dycus, Joseph
James Logan 42, Moreau Catholic 14
Logan coach Eddie Smith has resigned himself to the same fate he has had in his first two NCS playoff appearances: a first-round match against Open/Division I top seed De La Salle. With a convincing win over Moreau Catholic on Friday night, the Colts secured a playoff berth. It was their sixth straight victory, including a 5-0 record in the MVAL/WACC Foothill, which put them one game ahead of Bishop O’Dowd in the division standings. However, it is what happened during the non-league portion of the season that will most likely earn them a No. 8 seed in the playoffs. Logan finished 1-4 against a difficult schedule that included back-to-back losses to California and Antioch, two more of the 11 teams competing for a spot in the eight-team Open/D-I bracket. Neither competition was close. Logan is doing well right now. Quarterback Jonathan Craft threw four touchdown passes and ran for another as the Colts led Moreau 28-7 at halftime. This season, the junior transfer from Valley Christian has thrown 16 touchdown passes. The Mariners (5-5, 3-2) should be able to make the D-VI playoffs. The only question is whether they are one of the top four seeds and get a first-round home game. They’re 5-2 since a 0-3 start, but one-sided losses to Logan and Bishop O’Dowd, the Foothill’s top two teams, won’t help. – Michael Lefkow
Piedmont 29, Newark Memorial 26
With three minutes remaining, Sam Shelby scored the game-winning touchdown as the Highlanders rallied to defeat Newark Memorial and win the MVAL/WACC Shoreline championship. Although both Piedmont and Kennedy-Fremont were 5-1 in league play, the Highlanders defeated the Titans 35-29 two weeks ago. Shelby’s touchdown gave Piedmont a 27-26 lead, and coach Jordan Seiden decided to go for the 2-point conversion. It was effective, putting Piedmont up by three points. “They have a very good kicker,” Seiden explained, explaining why he didn’t want to give New Mexico placekicker Diego Arreola a chance to tie the game. Piedmont is now in the NCS D-V playoffs after finishing 7-3 this season after dropping the varsity team after six games last year. Seiden is hoping for a top-four seed, which would allow his team to avoid extensive travel in the first round. Piedmont lacks a home field because some athletic facilities, including the football stadium, are being renovated. Newark Memorial is a D-IV playoff contender, but this is one of the deeper NCS brackets. The Cougars entered the weekend ranked 11th in the division by calpreps.com and may require some assistance. – Michael Lefkow
Vallejo 49, Richmond 0
A week after emerging victorious over St. Patrick-St. The season finale for Vincent, Vallejo was a much less stressful win over TCAL-Stone opponent Richmond. The Redhawks led 42-0 at halftime and are the league champions in the NCS Division IV playoffs. Jasier Smith threw for 147 yards and three touchdowns on 7 of 8 attempts. Sedrick Vaughn had 148 yards rushing, two receiving touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. Darrell Hurd and DeShawn Prack both scored touchdowns. Vallejo finished the regular season with a 7-3 record. Richmond dropped to 1-8. – Dycus, Joseph
South Bay/Peninsula
Branham 21, Pioneer 20
Branham won the BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill Division title outright on Thursday, holding off a late two-point conversion to edge host Pioneer. The Mustangs cut the deficit to one point in the fourth quarter when quarterback Damien Flores connected with Edgar Orozco for the duo’s second touchdown of the game. Branham, on the other hand, came in late to celebrate a 5-0 league record and an 8-2 overall record. The Bruins will now focus on preparing for the CCS playoffs. Pioneer finished with a 4-6, 2-3 record. Branham established a double-digit lead twice. Preston Conrad’s 18-yard pass to Brayden Hodges put the Bruins up 7-0 in the first quarter. On Elias Antillon’s 25-yard run in the third quarter, the visitors increased their lead to 14-0. Pioneer closed to 14-7 after Kian Upton’s pick-six, but Branham scored again early in the fourth quarter to make it 21-7. Flores’ touchdown pass to Orozco with five minutes remaining cut the lead to seven. Darren Sabedra’s
Cupertino 41, Monta Vista 14
Shen Hernandez-Ong threw three touchdown passes and ran for another as the Pioneers bid farewell to retiring coach Chris Oswald. “Thirty-one years is enough,” Oswald said. Hernandez-Ong’s touchdown passes were intercepted by Malachi Perez and James Xue. Arvin Hosseini scored on the ground as well. Following a strip sack, Will Hawkins recovered a fumble in the end zone. Dylan Zamouruev stood out defensively as well. Cupertino finishes 7-3 overall, and 6-1 in the PAL Lake. Monta Vista finishes the season 3-7, 2-5. Glenn Reeves’
Del Mar 42, Prospect 31
Andre Latimore rushed for 344 yards and four touchdowns to lead Del Mar to the BVAL West Valley Division title and a spot in the CCS playoffs. In a back-and-forth game, prospect quarterback Tommy Lewit threw for a touchdown and ran for two more. Joseph Dycus was in Saratoga at the time, and he has the full story here.
Evergreen Valley 45, James Lick 21
Jordan Vo had a big game for Evergreen Valley as the Cougars celebrated senior night with a win over James Lick at home on Thursday. Vo, a junior, had 16 carries for 99 yards and three touchdowns and caught four passes for 95 yards and a two-point conversion. Kenneth Brown had 136 yards passing and 145 yards rushing for Evergreen Valley, which led from start to finish. Brandon Chan and Noah Holseberg each had 13 tackles on defense. Holseberg forced three fumbles, and Chan had nine solo tackles. Evergreen Valley improved to 3-7 overall and 3-4 in the BVAL West Valley Division after Pedro Hernandez went 4 for 4 on PATs and also made a field goal. Malik Martinez of Lick rushed for 167 yards on 24 carries, and Eva Grigalba rushed for 42 yards and scored one of Lick’s touchdowns. Lick finished with a score of 1-9, 1-6. Darren Sabedra’s
Fremont-Sunnyvale 37 Homestead 0
Fremont defeated rival Homestead in the annual Battle for the Bell after Don Martinez returned an interception 108 yards for a touchdown and Henry Buenrostro ran for 68 yards and two touchdowns. Martinez finished with two interceptions, two of Homestead’s five turnovers on the night. Fremont scored 27 points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. On Fremont’s first drive, Jordan McKinney scored on an 18-yard run and finished with 49 yards rushing. Ido Saban and Gustavo Escobedo of Homestead combined for 60 yards rushing. Fremont finished the regular season with a 7-3 record, its best since going 9-2 in 2014. Homestead finished the season with a record of 1-9. Darren Sabedra’s
Westmont 27, Leigh 34
Leigh rallied on the road to beat Westmont and clinch the BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley Division title, led by Blake Zanger’s two late touchdown runs. The Longhorns came up with a goal-line save to end the game. The full game story is available here, thanks to Nathan Canilao.
Leland 24, Lincoln 7
Diego Vasquez led the Chargers with three touchdown runs of 16 and 25 yards, as well as a pick six. Luke Whitson made a field goal from 36 yards out. Lincoln’s Kyan Phillips scored on an 8-yard run to cut Leland’s 14-0 halftime lead to 14-7. Both teams finish the regular season with a 3-7 record. Leland is 2-2 in the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division, tied for third with Santa Teresa and Oak Grove. Due to tiebreakers, Santa Teresa and Leland will receive the division’s final two CCS playoff berths. Glenn Reeves’
Milpitas 35, Woodside 28
Jacob Alvarado rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns as the Trojans (6-4) finished above.500 for the first time since 2019. That is unlikely to help the Trojans make the Central Coast Section playoffs. They finished fourth in the PAL Ocean, which qualifies for two automatic bids. The CCS playoffs feature forty teams divided into five eight-team brackets. The automatic bids go to Capuchino and Aragon, both of whom are 4-1 in the league. San Mateo (3-2) finished third, followed by Milpitas and Sequoia (both 2-3). Woodside (6-4) had already qualified for the playoffs when they faced Milpitas. The Wildcats finished in a three-way tie for second place in the PAL El Camino with Fremont-Sunnyvale and Carlmont, all with 3-2 records, but they defeated both teams in head-to-head play. Los Altos won the division title. Milpitas led Woodside 17-14 at halftime and never looked back. The Trojans sealed the game with a touchdown run with three minutes remaining, making the score 35-21. Jerrell Phan, a sophomore kicker, had a big game on Senior Night at Milpitas, kicking two field goals and adding three extra points. With ten tackles, Emiliano Diaz led the defense. Evan Frampton rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown for Woodside, but they were without leading ballcarrier Evan Usher for the second straight game. Usher, who has 1,158 yards and 14 touchdowns this season, is out with a shoulder injury. Coach Justin Andrews texted that he hopes Usher will be able to play in the playoffs. – Michael Lefkow
Mountain View 42, Los Altos 13
Mountain View led 42-0 at halftime thanks to three touchdowns from Arturo Hernandez and three from Kevin Conway. In the first quarter, Alex Pelkofer had two interceptions to help fuel the early onslaught. Conway’s touchdown passes were caught by Lex Silver, Ami Sekona, and Brigham Robinson. Mountain View finishes 4-6 from the PAL Bay. Los Altos is 5-5 in the PAL El Camino. Glenn Reeves’
Oak Grove 19, Santa Teresa 7
Ryan Wright scored on the ground and threw a touchdown pass to Junior Alvarado as Oak Grove defeated rival Santa Teresa to finish third in the BVAL’s Mt. Hamilton Division, tied with ST and Leland. Oak Grove, on the other hand, lost tiebreakers for the division’s final two automatic CCS playoff spots and is unlikely to advance. According to league commissioner Bill Murray, Santa Teresa won the three-way tie for third place because it has the most section power points of the three. Leland then broke the two-way tie for fourth place by defeating Oak Grove. Oak Grove also got a touchdown run from Aidan Cisneros, an interception from Kufre Etok, and a fumble recovery from Shamar Mathews in its win on Friday. Oak Grove finished the season 4-6 overall and 2-3 in division. Santa Teresa is also 4-6 and 2-3. Darren Sabedra’s
Overfelt 30, Sobrato 28
Overfelt overcame a 20-point deficit at home in the fourth quarter to stun the visitors from Morgan Hill, with both teams needing a win to qualify for the CCS playoffs. “We overcame mistake after mistake,” Overfelt coach Carlo Maningo told the Bay Area News Group via text message. The Royals trailed 28-8 before staging a wild rally to finish tied for second in the BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley Division standings with Sobrato and Westmont. Overfelt (6-4, 3-2) will join league champion Leigh as the division’s two automatic qualifiers for the CCS playoffs because it defeated both Sobrato and Westmont. Walter Smith had nine receptions for 108 yards and forced Sobrato’s final fumble. John Stowers rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 16 attempts while also recording 16 tackles, including two sacks and four for loss. Javier Mendoza had 12 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown, six tackles, and an interception. Noah Taylor, one of the nation’s leading rushers, had another strong game, and Sobrato intercepted two passes, one of which was returned for a touchdown. The Bulldogs won 6-4, 3-2. Darren Sabedra’s
Palo Alto 34, The King’s Academy 28
Palo Alto rallied past The King’s Academy in a PAL De Anza Division game on Thursday, thanks to a huge fourth quarter. Palo Alto, TKA, and Hillsdale are now tied for second place in the division, trailing champion Menlo School. The division has three automatic berths in the CCS playoffs. It appears that CCS power points will be used to determine the two teams that will join Menlo as division AQs. It is possible that a fourth De Anza team will receive an at-large bid. Palo Alto (5-5, 3-2) scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a nine-yard game-winning touchdown run by Jeremiah Madrigal with two minutes remaining to put the Vikings ahead for good. Palo Alto running back Joseph Kessler gained 135 yards and two touchdowns, while Madrigal gained 61 yards and two touchdowns on 12 attempts. Declan Packer of the Vikings threw a touchdown pass to Jason Auzenne, and Landa Mendoza had three sacks. Jeaden Underwood of TKA rushed for 140 yards and one touchdown, and Reid Black threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for one. TKA (5-4, 2-3) got two touchdowns from Kyle Welch. On Sunday, the CCS playoff brackets will be released. — Dycus, Joseph
Piedmont Hills 20, Gilroy 14
Piedmont Hills finished its season on a high note, defeating Gilroy in BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill play. Gilroy struck first, taking a 6-0 lead after Talan Warren rushed for a 10-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Piedmont Hills took a one-point lead after Alex Tran threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Zachary Pallach. Gilroy led 14-7 at halftime thanks to Warren’s 41-yard pass to Juel Martinez and a Tyler Russell Hodges two-point conversion. Piedmont Hills dominated the second half, with Dylan Blank scoring on a one-yard run in the third quarter to tie the game. Piedmont Hills won thanks to Alonzo Johnson’s 88-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Piedmont Hills finished with a 4-5, 2-3 record. Gilroy finished the season with a record of 0-10, 0-5. — Dycus, Joseph
Sequoia 23, Carlmont 17
Sequoia came from behind to win the Terremere Trophy in the annual rivalry game with Carlmont thanks to Logan Kern’s 5-yard touchdown run in the final minute. Kern scored his second touchdown of the game. Sequoia also scored on a pass from Brody McKenna to Aaron Harkov and a field goal by McKenna. McKenna also completed 21 of 35 passes for 229 yards for Sequoia. Kern gained 120 yards on 21 carries. Tony Veimau was outstanding on both the offensive and defensive lines, Luke Hitch had an interception in the end zone, and LB Giancarlo Toriello was in the backfield all game rushing the passer. Carlmont (3-7, 2-3 PAL El Camino) jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to runs of 50 and 3 yards by Braeden Kumer. He also hit a 30-yard field goal to put the Scots back in front, 17-16, after Sequoia (4-6, 2-3 PAL Ocean) took the lead. Glenn Reeves’
Silver Creek 21, Independence 14
Alonzo Hernandez’s final-minute touchdown broke a 14-14 tie and gave Silver Creek the win, second place in the BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill Division standings, and the division’s second automatic berth into the CCS playoffs. Alijah Guzman had 108 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Hernandez gained an additional 87 yards on the ground. Mathias McClain finished the game with five solo tackles, four assists, and 1.5 sacks. Loni Ongolea had six solo tackles, two assists, and one sack. Silver Creek finished the regular season with a record of 7-3 overall and 4-1 in the division. Independence finishes the season 4-6, 2-3. Glenn Reeves’
