Bay Area high school football roundup 2023: Best of Week 6 action

Bellarmine QB Parker Threatt scores on two 80-yard runs, but late TD lifts St. Ignatius to victory. Las Lomas rallies from huge deficit to stun Northgate. Miramonte (5-0) beats College Park. Leigh stops two-point try to edge rival Branham.

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…

Ranked teams

No. 2 De La Salle 21, No. 8 McClymonds 0

Dominic Kelley scored twice on touchdown runs and Toa Faavae threw his first touchdown pass of the season, a 38-yarder over the middle to Robert Santiago, as De La Salle (4-2) won its fourth consecutive game. Mack has a 2-2 record. More information is available from Darren Sabedra.

No. 4 Pittsburg 37, No. 6 Los Gatos 27

Pittsburg built a 16-0 lead and held off Los Gatos’ comeback attempt to win the nonleague game on the road in one of the night’s top matchups. Pittsburg improved to 5-0 thanks to big plays from QB Marley Alcantara and WR Noah Quesada. Los Gatos has a 3-2 record. Glenn Reeves has a comprehensive recap here.

No. 11 Wilcox 45, Mountain View 14

Mountain View scored first on a 74-yard trick-play touchdown by Lex Silver, but Wilcox took over from there, dominating at home in a Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division opener. Tyson Bonilla, quarterback for Wilcox, finished with 209 yards on 10 carries. The game’s story is told by Madeline Kenney.

No. 12 California 41, Granada 17

Devan Love rushed for 131 yards and two touchdowns for California, and quarterback Jayden Macedo threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns. As the Grizzlies dominated at the line of scrimmage, California defensive end Ethan Cullen had three sacks. The full report is available from Joseph Dycus, who was in San Ramon.

No. 13 St. Ignatius 31, Bellarmine 30

St. Ignatius won a nail-biter in San Francisco when Cameron Jones scored on a 7-yard run with 34.1 seconds left and Odhran Kenny kicked the extra point through the uprights. The touchdown capped a late drive that began with Bellarmine taking the lead with 2:26 remaining on the last of several outstanding plays by quarterback Parker Threatt. Threatt, who was scrambling near midfield, released a deep pass that Joe Fuqua caught inside the 20. The tight end didn’t stop until he crossed the goal line, breaking a 24-24 tie. However, Bellarmine’s point-after kick was off target. Threatt scored on two 80-yard runs before halftime, the first of which tied the game 14-14 and the second of which gave Bellarmine a 21-17 lead at the break. In the first quarter, he also threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Luca Bovone, tying the game at 7-7. Pierce St. Geme scored on a 34-yard catch-and-run for SI. Bellarmine now has a 1-4 overall record and a 0-2 record in the West Catholic Athletic League. SI now leads 3-2, 1-1. Bellarmine will play Riordan at San Jose City College on Friday, while SI will travel to St. Francis. Darren Sabedra’s

No. 15 Archbishop Mitty 35, Sacred Heart Cathedral 27

Mitty built a 35-7 lead in the third quarter on its designated home field at Foothill College and held on for the West Catholic Athletic League victory. Lazaro Faraj-Washington had 144 yards of offense and a touchdown, and Owen Harrington had two interceptions to help the Monarchs improve to 4-1, 1-1. SHC dropped to 0-5, 0-2. SHC took the lead on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Michael Sargent to Jackson Irons. Talon Salehieh’s 2-yard run tied the game at 7-7, and Mitty went on to build a huge lead as the San Jose school rebounded from a loss at St. Francis last week. AJ Cenizal added two rushing touchdowns for the Monarchs. Mitty will play Serra at Foothill College next Friday, while SHC will play Valley Christian at Kezar Stadium. Darren Sabedra’s

No. 16 Campolindo 48, Benicia 0

For the first quarter and a half, Benicia and Campolindo were nearly even. The home team was up 6-0. From there, it was all Campo as the Cougars won comfortably to improve to 3-1-1 overall and 1-0 in the DAL Foothill Division. Campo led 27-0 at halftime and had increased the lead to 34-0 by the end of the third quarter. Isaiah Ortiz had two touchdown passes to Tim Daugherty and Mack Fisher, and Jacob Gocobachi, Cort Woodford, Matthew Sugiyama, and Micah Parker each had one. Parker’s goal came from 65 yards out. Campo’s defense was led by Landi Giordani, who had two interceptions. Benicia dropped to 1-4, 0-2. Campo returns home to face College Park on Friday, while Benicia hosts undefeated Miramonte. Darren Sabedra’s

No. 19 Hillsdale 31, Half Moon Bay 15

Hillsdale (5-0, 1-0) won its Peninsula Athletic League De Anza Division opener Thursday behind three touchdown passes from Erick Waugh, the modern prep version of Brock Purdy. Hillsdale is now 9-0 since Waugh took over at quarterback for the last four games of last season. He threw a pair of first-quarter touchdown passes to Jack Haywood and Kyle King as Hillsdale jumped out to a 14-0 lead against Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay closed to 14-8 after a Harrison Tobias touchdown and two-point conversion. Hillsdale led 17-8 at halftime thanks to Drew Rollolazo’s field goal. Waugh and King connected on another scoring pass, Waugh’s 14th of the season, and Dante Allendorf broke a long run for a touchdown after HMB scored to make it 17-15. Hillsdale’s Nick Costello stood out on defense against Homestead on Thursday. HMB (1-4, 0-1) will play The King’s Academy at home on Friday. Glenn Reeves’

No. 21 Liberty 41, Freedom 0

As the Lions won the battle for the Brentwood Bell for the seventh consecutive year, sophomore running back Jaxon Bell scored four rushing touchdowns, two in each half. Both schools were playing in their first Bay Valley Athletic League game. Liberty improved to 4-2 on the season, while Freedom dropped to 1-5. The Lions have won eight straight games against their rival, including a 37-0 thrashing in the 2017 North Coast Section playoffs. Bell’s four touchdowns bring his season total to 17 this season. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the Lions’ six games this season. The running back is Nate Bell’s younger brother, who is now a freshman at Eastern Washington University. Liberty led 28-0 at the half and never looked back. Ryan McKendry caught his seventh touchdown pass of the season, and Richie Beltram, an OLB, blocked a punt that was returned for six yards. – Michael Lefkow

No. 23 Sacred Heart Prep 41, Burlingame 7

The rest of the game was all Sacred Heart Prep after Burlingame took a 7-0 lead on Angelo Medina’s rushing touchdown. The Gators were tied at halftime thanks to Anthony Noto’s 3-yard run, the first of his four touchdowns. In the second half, they scored 34 unanswered points. Noto added two more rushing touchdowns to his total, as well as one on a 7-yard pass from Jack Scully. On short runs, Greg Gamitian and Ravu Savali also scored. On Friday, Sacred Heart Prep (3-3, 1-0 PAL Bay) travels to Los Gatos, while Burlingame (2-3, 0-1) travels to Mountain View. Glenn Reeves’

No. 24 Acalanes 50, Vallejo 0

After a scoreless first quarter, the visiting Dons erupted, scoring at least two touchdowns in each of the next three quarters. Sully Bailey, the senior quarterback, had a huge game, accounting for the first five touchdowns with runs of 29, 3, and 7 yards, as well as touchdown passes of 21 yards to Paul Kuhner and 25 yards to Trevor Rogers. Acalanes (2-3) led 23-0 at halftime and 36-0 after three quarters. Deonte Littlejohn, a sophomore running back, capped the scoring with touchdown runs of 3 and 50 yards in the fourth quarter. Acalanes will play Northgate in DAL Foothill action next Friday. This season, Vallejo is 3-3. – Michael Lefkow

No. 25 Las Lomas 38, Northgate 31

Las Lomas scored the game’s final 24 points, all in the second half, to defeat archrival Northgate in Walnut Creek’s annual football rivalry. With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, sophomore quarterback Dylan Thomas and receiver Roman Mercado connected on a 57-yard touchdown pass to break a 31-31 tie. Las Lomas is undefeated at home, going 5-0 and 2-0 in the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division. Northgate (0-5, 0-2) is winless after five games for the first time since 0-10 in 2006. The Broncos have lost both of their league games by an average of eight points. Late in the third quarter, Daniel Soccol kicked a 25-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 31-17. The Knights then recovered an interception and Kaden Lagaya scored the first of his two touchdowns to make the score 31-24. Lagaya scored again on a 5-yard run with four minutes remaining to tie the game at 31-31. Thomas then threw the crusher to Mercado for the game-winning score. Thomas and Mercado also connected on a 33-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, bringing the score to 24-14. “We’re finding ways to win,” said Las Lomas coach Doug Longero of his undefeated team. The Broncos’ big individual efforts were ruined by the Knights’ rally. Ben Hosler had 198 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and R.J. Blayne Ballard hit Anderson for an 80-yard touchdown pass. – Michael Lefkow

East Bay

Alameda 47, San Lorenzo 0

Alameda’s defense remained stingy, blanking an opponent for the third time this season. The Hornets won the MVAL/WACC-Shoreline Division by forcing four turnovers. Babacar Sy and Will Rozien both intercepted passes, and Matthew Thorton blocked a punt. Alex Gonzales had two touchdown runs, and Dion Bier and Evan Green each had one, thanks to outstanding blocking by linemen Hayden Arndt and Sinisa Finau. Quarterback Eli Slez scored on a slant route after connecting with Ryan Aleman. San Lorenzo (2-3, 1-1) travels to Newark Memorial on Friday, while Alameda (5-0, 1-0) hosts Piedmont next Saturday. — Dycus, Joseph

Antioch 18, Heritage 17

With two minutes remaining in the team’s Bay Valley Athletic League opener, Antioch marched down the field on a methodical drive that Yusef Jenkins capped with a short-yardage touchdown with 13 seconds remaining. Senior Curtis Tucker opened the scoring for Antioch with a rushing touchdown, but Heritage then went on a 17-point run. Brooks Davis of Heritage caught seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, and Charlie Blaise caught a 19-yard touchdown and kicked a 35-yard field goal. Heritage quarterback Phillip Babbitt threw for 116 yards and both touchdowns, and running back Nico Zovich rushed for 139 yards. Antioch’s Elijah Stingley scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter to cut the score to 17-6. After a bye, Antioch (5-1, 1-0) will play at Liberty on Oct. 13, while Heritage (2-4, 0-1) will travel to Pittsburg on Friday. – Dycus, Joseph

Atascadero 41, Oakland 8

Oakland’s unbeaten season came to an end at the hands of reigning 6-A state champion Atascadero, which Oakland coach Terry Hendrix described as “a really good, fundamentally sound team.” Oakland’s lone touchdown came on a two-yard pass from Rah’Shaan Buffin to wide receiver Josh Oludayo. Ymer Belvine had 15 yards rushing and also played defense. Oakland (4-1) kicks off its Oakland Athletic League season on October 13 at Fremont-Oakland. — Dycus, Joseph

Hayward 13, Dublin 20

Dublin rallied against Hayward in a non-league game after trailing 10-0 at halftime. Quarterback Jack Duncan came off the bench and was unstoppable. Dublin coach Brandon Black said the junior dual-threat player was limited in practice due to minor injuries. Duncan completed 7 of 10 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Garrett Esomonu scored both touchdowns, the first of which came on the first play of the second half. With less than a minute remaining, Esomonu’s final reception of his 125-yard game was an 18-yard touchdown to give Dublin the lead. Duncan rushed for a 43-yard touchdown in between those two strikes. The Gaels’ Kemauri Stinson rushed for 102 yards on 15 carries. Dublin coach Brandon Black stated, “The kids played with great effort and no quit.” Dublin (4-2) begins EBAL Valley play at Granada on Friday, while Hayward begins its MVAL/WACC Mission schedule at Mt. Eden. — Dycus, Joseph

Livermore 30, Foothill 28

Junior running back Kamarri Robinson set a school record with 355 yards rushing in a non-league victory over Foothill. Robinson broke the Livermore rushing record for the second time this month. On September 1, he ran for a then-record 317 yards in a 28-7 victory over Castro Valley. The Cowboys needed all of Robinson’s yards and two touchdowns to tie the game at 3-3. With less than four minutes remaining, Livermore led 30-12, but the Falcons stormed back with 16 quick points on a pair of touchdowns by Michael O’Donoghue, followed by 2-point conversions after each touchdown. After the final touchdown, Foothill (1-4) attempted an onside kick, but Livermore recovered to secure the victory. Foothill’s four touchdowns were all scored by O’Donoghue. In addition to Robinson’s two touchdowns, Livermore scored on a quarterback sneak by Matteo Lortie, a pass reception by Joey Williams, and a field goal by Blake Bystrom. – Michael Lefkow

Miramonte 21, College Park 12

Miramonte remained unbeaten in a Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division game against College Park, thanks to a strong defense. Gabe Roman and Carson Blair both scored on the ground, and coach Jack Schram said receiver Jack Quinnild had a “amazing” third-quarter touchdown reception. Schram stated that the junior was impeded but still made the catch. Andrew Davenport chewed up blockers, allowing linebackers Roman and Luke Milmoe to make plays. Miramonte (5-0, 2-0) travels to Benicia next Friday, while College Park (2-3, 0-2) visits Campolindo. — Dycus, Joseph

South Bay/Peninsula

Aragon 21, San Mateo 7

San Mateo dominated the first half, limiting Aragon to 15 offensive plays. The Bearcats led 7-0 at the half after scoring on a fumble recovery in the end zone. Aragon’s offense came alive in the second half. Sean Hickey, the quarterback, scored on a 5-yard run. Ivan Nisa’s 106-yard run gave the Dons the lead, and Amaziah Tanielu scored on a 10-yard run. Tanielu was also a defensive standout for Aragon, playing outside linebacker. On Thursday, Aragon (4-1, 1-0 PAL Ocean) will host Sequoia. San Mateo (2-3, 0-1) plays Terra Nova at home on Friday. Glenn Reeves’

San Jose 18, Del Mar 44

Del Mar scored 44 points in BVAL West Valley Division play for the second week in a row. But, according to coach Robert Chapman, the Dons’ victory was not easy, as Del Mar led only 8-6 at halftime. As is customary, quarterback Andre Latimore led the veer offense with four rushing touchdowns and an interception returned for a touchdown while playing defensive back. Bradley Tavish scored on a 15-yard run to round out the scoring. Senior tackles Leo Estelles and Julio Jaimes, according to Chapman, paved the way for over 300 rushing yards. Brian Santos scored on a 38-yard run for San Jose. Cooper Gardner, the Bulldogs’ quarterback, connected with Cisco Avila for 36- and 80-yard touchdowns. On Thursday, San Jose (1-4, 0-2) travels to Yerba Buena, and Del Mar (2-3, 2-0) visits Evergreen Valley on Friday. — Dycus, Joseph

Fremont-Sunnyvale 42, El Camino 13

El Camino sophomore Quentin Bromaghim’s two touchdown passes tied the game at 13-13 in the second quarter. Fremont took a 20-13 lead on Jonathan Delos Santos’ 10-yard run, and the Firebirds never looked back as they improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the PAL El Camino Division. El Camino has a 0-5 record. Fremont was led by QB Henry Buenrostro, who ran for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries, and Elijah Smith, who ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. For the Firebirds, Don Martinez had an interception and six tackles. They play at Los Altos on Thursday. On Friday, El Camino will host Woodside. Darren Sabedra’s

Leigh 13, Branham 12

Leigh stopped a two-point conversion attempt with 1:35 left in a tense game between neighborhood rivals and ran out the clock to celebrate a thrilling victory. Branham led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter. Tyler Donaldson’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Carter Williams with 5:09 left in the second quarter put Leigh up 7-6 at halftime. In the third period, Donaldson’s 4-yard keeper increased Leigh’s lead to 13-6, but the Longhorns failed to convert the PAT. Branham’s final touchdown narrowed the gap to one. “What a crazy fun atmosphere!!”Leigh coach Kyle Padia texted me. “Typical Branham-Leigh game,” said Leigh, who ended a two-game losing streak and improved the San Jose school’s record to 3-2. Branham lost 3-2. On Thursday, Leigh hosts Mt. Pleasant in the BVAL Santa Teresa-Valley Division opener. Branham plays Gilroy in its BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill opener on Thursday. Darren Sabedra’s

Mills 31, Saratoga 0

The game’s first goal came on an unusual play. Mills threw an interception in the end zone that was returned for a safety after a Saratoga player was flagged for a block in the back. Givanni Angelini’s quarterback sneak put Mills up 8-0 at the half. As the Vikings pulled away in the second half, Matthew Juul scored two touchdowns. DE Ethan Vuong was a defensive standout, recording three sacks and several quarterback hurries. The Mills secondary had four interceptions. On Friday, Mills (2-3, 2-1 PAL Lake) travels to Lynbrook. On Thursday, Saratoga (1-4, 0-2) will host Monta Vista. Glenn Reeves’

Milpitas 15, Sequoia 13

The Trojans won their fourth game in a row when sophomore kicker Jerrel Phan hit a 23-yard field goal with six seconds remaining. Phan’s 3-pointer capped a 74-yard drive that started with Milpitas at its own 20-yard line and 2:30 remaining. Both teams’ Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division opener was close throughout. Sequoia (1-4) led 7-6 at the half. Reynaldo Dunbar and Atticus Roberts-Daniels interceptions were crucial for the winners. Milpitas’ two touchdowns were scored by Jacob Alvarado. Sequoia has dropped its last three games by a combined score of 11 points. – Michael Lefkow

Overfelt 34, Pioneer 9

To lead the Royals, John Stowers carried 15 times for 223 yards and three touchdowns while also making 12 tackles on defense. Gabriel Martinez went 5 of 7 for 133 yards and one touchdown. Jeremiah Lara and Olomaga Vaifale each brought two sacks. Taylor Gordon caught two passes for 103 yards and a touchdown while also intercepting one. Damian Flores, the Pioneers’ quarterback, rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown and completed 13 of 21 passes for 130 yards. On Friday, Pioneer (2-3) travels to Independence. On Oct. 13, Overfelt (3-3) will host Westmont. Glenn Reeves’

Prospect 45, Hill 0

Prospect won its fourth game of the season and its second in BVAL West Valley play, led by captains Tommy Lewit and Kieran Friss. Lewit threw for a touchdown, and Friss returned from a knee injury to score on the goal line. Prospect coach Rick Esparza credited senior offensive linemen Blake Quinonez and Aaron Diaz with allowing Prospect ballcarriers to run. Lewit added a 39-yard field goal. Running back Ahmed Alnaimi did “all the dirty work for us and gained the hard yards,” according to Esparza, and Jack Austin scored a touchdown. Junior George Bulychev scored the game’s first touchdown on a pick-six and later grabbed a second interception. Prospect (4-1) travels to Gunderson on Friday, while Hill visits James Lick. — Dycus, Joseph

Santa Clara 33, Woodside 20

In the PAL El Camino opener for both teams, the host Bruins broke open a close game with two touchdowns in a three-minute span of the fourth quarter. Santa Clara improved to 2-3 on the season, while Woodside dropped to 3-2. When the fourth-quarter fireworks started, the Bruins were up 19-14. With nine minutes remaining, quarterback Matthew Conklin completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to Jeremiah Karongo, and Alex Lopez ran over the 2-point conversion to make it 27-14 Santa Clara. After Woodside turned the ball over on downs three minutes later, Matthew Nguyen scored his second touchdown of the night, this time on a 65-yard run, to make the score 33-14. Nguyen also broke a 7-7 tie in the third quarter with a 9-yard run. With four minutes remaining, Kyle Cortes threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Evan Usher, but the Wildcats were unable to get any closer. – Michael Lefkow

Santa Teresa 35, Leland 19

Santa Teresa defeated Leland at home on Thursday in a Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division opener for both teams. Jaikob Wright ran for two touchdowns and Noah Ebbah returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown. Santa Teresa (3-3) has now won three straight games. Leland (1-5) has dropped five straight games since opening the season with a win at Half Moon Bay. In the first quarter, Wright’s 40-yard touchdown run and Ebbah’s pick-six gave Leland a 14-0 lead. Leland’s Jacob Gibson threw three touchdown passes, one to Hudson Vye and two to Brady Hernandez. Vye’s field goal cut the deficit to 14-7. Leland responded with 21 points in a row to put the game out of reach. For Santa Teresa, Nayden Balladares and Jaraden Morris each scored a touchdown before the team travels to Christopher on Oct. 12. Leland also has a bye week next week before hosting Live Oak on Oct. 12. Darren Sabedra’s

Willow Glen 17, Independence 6

Willow Glen extended its winning streak to four games on Thursday night thanks to timely defensive plays. In the third quarter, linebacker Joseph Dumas returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown, and free safety Joshua Taormina also had an interception. In the first quarter, Cedeno Chavez threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Oakley Staples. Willow Glen (4-1) has a bye week before hosting Leigh on Oct. 13. Pioneer visits Independence on Friday. — Dycus, Joseph