The Menlo-Atherton football team came within 20 seconds of a shot in overtime for the school’s second Central Coast Section football championship. However, those 20 seconds dashed the hope of the Bears and brought an end to an otherwise dream season.
In the Large School Division title game Friday night at Foothill College, M-A had come back to tie Palo Alto High School at 7-7 with 6:01 left to play. But Paly came right back, driving downfield and scoring the winning touchdown on a 14 yard pass from quarterback Will Brandin to wide receiver Mike Scott with 13.6 seconds left to complete the upset.
M-A was the No. 1 seed in CCS, and had been favored to win the game.
“I am just surprised and shocked,” said M-A co-captain and middle linebacker Andrew Klein. The entire M-A sideline just fell silent in disbelief, as some players even fell to the ground in grief.
Still, “it was the greatest season ever,” said Klein.
Nevertheless, that touchdown pass, the final play for Klein and other M-A seniors on defense, made the difference between “the greatest season ever,” and the greatest championship season ever.
“We knew Paly like the back of our hands. It’s just really uncharacteristic of our team,” said Klein who had an interception in the game.
M-A entered the game with a nine-game winning streak, during which they averaged 38.9 points per game. However, the stringent Paly defense, which prevented M-A from scoring after reaching the red zone twice, held M-A to seven points, while forcing three turnovers.
“We didn’t capitalize,” said M-A co-captain and quarterback Troy McCabe. McCabe finished 12-of-17 for 135 yard with a touchdown and two interceptions.
“We ran up and down the field on them, but we didn’t execute towards the goal line,” M-A head coach Bob Sykes.
M-A, regardless of the loss, did not complete the season without merit, finishing with an impressive 11-2 record, including going 7-0 in Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division and winning the league championship, its first since 1992.
“There is a lot of positive stuff that we accomplished,” said Sykes “We got to this point. We got to the championship game, and we didn’t come up a winner, but we sure played well. I’m real proud of our guys.”
“I love these guys to death. … It’s a great team,” said Klein.
Colin Becht is a Menlo School student and sportswriter.
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