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Menlo-Atherton turned the lights on its football field for the first time Friday night. Sacred Heart Prep turned off the lights for the Bears in a flash.
In the first-ever meeting between the schools’ teams, Sacred Heart raced to a 48-14 victory over M-A in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 under portable lights. The triumph earned the Gators (3-1, 6-2) one of the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division’s four berths into the Central Coast Section playoffs. M-A dropped to 0-3 (1-7).
Terra Nova (4-0, 5-3) remained atop the division with a 35-21 victory over King’s Academy (2-2, 5-3) on Friday, leavin the Gators alone in second place.
After Robert Ojeda took the opening kick 35 yards, the Gators scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 40-yard pass from quarterback John Geary to a streaking Chris Gaertner.
Prep then scored consecutive touchdowns on drives of three plays and two plays to open a 19-0 first quarter lead from which M-A could not recover.
Matt Walter scored the touchdowns on those two drives on runs of 24- and 19-yards. Walter led all rushers with 110 yards on 12 carries.
The Gators rushed for 273 yards and Geary threw for a season-high 121 yards and two touchdowns. Gaertner had 85 yards receiving to go with his 47 yards of rushing and also scored two touchdowns.
Although the Bears did not muster a comeback, Menlo-Atherton rushed for more than 200 yards and passed for more than 100 yards for the first time in a game.
Jonathon Hoech, the fifth quarterback used by M-A this year, came in the game in relief of Junior Sakalia and completed 10 of 17 passes for 112 yards. Hoech’s passing allowed Sakalia to return to running back where he rushed for 109 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown.
Fullback Stephen Fafita also was effective for M-A.The 6-foot-3, 285-pound fullback grinded out 64 yards on 10 carries and scored a fourth-quarter touchdown.
But there was much too much Gators’ offense and defense for M-A to handle. Prep’s defense had eight tackles for losses and prevented Sakalia from getting outside except for a 35 yard run in the second half.
Colin Terndrup came up with lone turnover of the game, grabbing an interception for Sacred Heart and returning it 65 yards to the Gator 23.Terndrup took the next two carries 11 and 12 yards for Prep’s final touchdown.
■ Prep scores, game details from PA Online Sports.
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