The Menlo-Atherton football team, which lost its coach on Thursday, won a game on Friday when place-kicker Eric Stanske booted an 18-yard field goal with 10 seconds to play to lift the Bears to a 24-22 non-league victory over host Leigh.
M-A head coach Bob Sykes, who guided the Bears to the Central Coast Section Large School Division finals last season, resigned on Thursday.
The team was informed of Sykes’ resignation during a team dinner at the Mohr household.
Menlo-Atherton parent Ted Knapp, whose son Sam is a starting wide receiver, said the news did not come as a big surprise.
“Most of the boys sensed something wasn’t right because of his (Sykes’) absence at practice,” Ted Knapp said. “He (Sykes) was sort of AWOL (absent without leave). That sort of got people wondering.”
Knapp said Sykes showed up at only one practice Wednesday, Sept. 24, and that was for about only 10 minutes. He was gone on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Menlo-Atherton athletic director Pam Wimberly said there were several “indications” throughout the year that things weren’t going well as needed for all parties.
“The one thing that Coach Sykes did by his absence was prepare the coaches,” Knapp said. “They had to step up during the week.”
Sykes reportedly had missed practices for two weeks.
Wimberly said there were no hard feelings on either side and that former M-A coach Ben Parks would return to the team and oversee the program. Former assistant Phillip Brown, who took over as head coach for Friday’s game, evidently will remain in that position.
“He did a great job of channeling every distraction into production,” Knapp said.
Wimberly said a search for a new head coach will begin following the season.
Parks coached football and wrestling during his 30-year career at M-A. He is currently the wrestling coach at Sequoia.
Despite the announcement of Sykes’ leaving, Knapp said the players responded well.
“As young boys can be, they were resilient,” Knapp said. “The kids just moved on.”
That was evident Friday night in San Jose as the Bears overcame a late deficit to win.
Senior running back Vaughn Smith ran for 174 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown on a 52-yard run to help spark the Bears (2-1), who also got a solid effort from quarterback Turner Baty, who completed 12 of 25 passes for 203 yards. Rod Nash caught four passes for 60 yards and one touchdown. Sam Knapp had three receptions for 51 yards and a score.
Leigh scored late in the game and added a two-point conversion for a 22-21 lead. Baty, a junior in his first season as the starting quarterback, calmly rallied the Bears. Taking over on his own 37 following the kickoff, Baty fired a strike to Russell Perkins, who completed a 55-yard play down to the Leigh 8. Stanske booted the game-winner three plays later.
Menlo-Atherton will play host to Seaside on Saturday, Oct. 4, in a non-league game at 2 p.m.
