For the Menlo-Atherton football team, this year is all about last year when the Bears saw their sensational season end in a frustrating 14-7 loss to Palo Alto in the Central Coast Section Large School Division title game.
This season has been dedicated to those who missed out last year and to those who are trying to give the Bears their first section crown since 2002. It has been all about getting back to the CCS finals.
And now the Bears are there. Top-seeded Menlo-Atherton (9-2-1) will play for the CCS Large School Division title for the second straight year after holding off Woodside, 28-21, in two overtimes on Saturday night at Terra Nova High in Pacifica. The Bears will play No. 6 Wilcox (8-4) this Friday for the section title at Foothill College at 7 p.m.
The Bears used the strong legs of senior running backs Will Preston and Vaughn Smith into the overtime periods, then relied on some solid defense to clinch the thrilling victory — topping the finish of two weeks ago when the Bears drove 80 yards in under four minutes to score the winning TD to beat Woodside, 28-25.
Preston rushed for a career-high 160 yards on 10 carries, scoring on runs of 67 and 70 yards. Smith, who has a pair of 200-plus games this season carried 19 times for 150 yards. His big gainer was an 86-yard scoring run. Smith also scored on a 10-yard run in the second overtime period for the eventual winning points.
The game, however, goes down as a tie since the teams were deadlocked at 21 at the end of regulation. A 20-yard scoring run by Woodside’s Cory McDonald tied the game and sent it to overtime.
In overtime, each team get the ball and four plays from the opponents’ 10-yard line. If neither team scores, a second overtime is needed.
That’s what happened Saturday as both teams missed field goals in the first extra period.
In the second overtime, Smith ran it in from the 10 and then Woodside had four plays to tie or go for the win. Defensive tackle Stephen Fifita stopped the Wildcats’ first play for a two-yard loss. Woodside’s Jason Simpson gained just one yard on second down, McDonald misfired on a pass on third down and M-A’s Chris Gow batted down a McDonald pass to end the game.
— Palo Alto Weekly sports staff
