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Menlo School added the icing to a historic regular season by defeating Sacred Heart Prep at home 18-15 Saturday in the 19th annual Valparaiso Bowl.
SHP won the 18th edition, which was played in April of this year after being postponed due to COVID. It was only blemish in a shortened season for the Knights.
On Saturday, Menlo (10-0) ended a four-season drought and regained the Valpo Cup Trophy, which made an appearance at Menlo’s Open Division girls volleyball match with Mitty.
Knights quarterback Sergio Beltran finished the regular season with a Central Coast Section record 44 touchdown passes, adding one — a 4-yard shovel pass to junior Cort Halsey to complete the opening drive — against the Gators (3-7). He completed 19 of 22 passes for 128 yards and ran for 134 yards on 21 carries.
A majority of Beltran’s rushing yards, 45 to be exact, came on a drive at the end of the third quarter that put Menlo on the SHP 9-yard line, from where junior Ty Richardson ran it in on an option play.
After punting to SHP late in the third, the ball came loose on the next play from scrimmage. Senior Sam Scola scooped it up and ran 3 yards into the end zone. Shay O’Kelly also recovered a fumble for SHP.
“This is a game people wanted to win the most,” Scola said. “If we would have finished 1-9, although that wouldn’t be great, this is the game we would have wanted to win. Nothing feels better than being here right now. It was just do your job, be in the right place and make the play and things are going to go our way.”
Menlo held a 12-0 lead until late in the third. Sacred Heart Prep scored on Anthony Noto’s 5-yard run set up by a 31-yard pass from Mitchell Taylor to Zach Friere, who successfully converted two fake punt attempts.
After Menlo’s third touchdown, the Gators started its possession on Menlo’s 40-yard line. Menlo junior Eron Chen broke up a pass; senior Tyler Flynn recorded a sack and junior Robby Enright blocked a 35-yard field-goal attempt.
Jack Herrell rushed in from 2 yards out with 17 seconds left and converted a two-point pass play to Jack Halloran to bring the Gators within 18-15.
Scola fielded the ensuing onside kick to end the game.
