SAN JOSE - Senior Jordan Mims broke off two long touchdown runs and the swarming Menlo-Atherton defense posted its second consecutive shutout as the Bears claimed the Central Coast Section Open Division 1 title with a 17-0 win over Milpitas Friday night at Independence High.
Mims ran for a 76-yard touchdown to open the scoring at the 3:09 mark of the first quarter and then iced the game with a 72-yard scoring run with four minutes left. The Bears (11-2) completed the CCS playoffs with back-to-back shutouts after knocking off Bellarmine, 21-0 in the semifinals.
Despite the loss, Milpitas (10-3) is a good bet to claim an at-large berth into the Northern California regional playoffs. As a CCS Open Division champion, Menlo-Atherton joins Serra (Division 2) and Valley Christian (Division 3) as automatic qualifiers. The top two Open runners-up receive the final two bids and Milpitas should have an edge over Mitty (7-6) for the final spot despite the Monarchs' impressive run in Division 2.
Milpitas appeared to take the lead midway through the first quarter but a touchdown pass from Tyree Bracy to Dion Leonard was nullified by a holding penalty. M-A also had two potential scores called back on offensive penalties in a penalty-laden first half.
After Mims' first touchdown run, kicker Spencer Corona gave Menlo-Atherton a 10-0 lead with a 34-yard field goal with 11:15 left in the first half. The score remained 10-0 until late in the game as both defenses dominated. Milpitas was unable to muster a first down in the final period.
Both teams will await their NorCal playoff fates on Sunday.
