As is tradition, the Peninsula Athletic League finishes its season this week with rivalry games. There are a couple of wrinkles as Menlo-Atherton is playing King’s Academy while Jefferson faces Woodside for the sake of competitive balance. The switch, which should be a temporary one, should allow the teams to finish their seasons with tight games instead of games that conclude with a running clock.
92nd Little Big Game: Burlingame (4-5) @ San Mateo (8-1), Saturday, 11 a.m.
Burlingame leads series, 55-32-4
For the first time in a decade, there’s serious intrigue surrounding the Little Big Game beyond the pageantry that comes with San Mateo County’s oldest rivalry. Burlingame has won nine straight meetings and 20 of the last 22, but the Bearcats have their strongest team since 2009, a year in which San Mateo beat the Panthers on a trick play in the final minute. The Bearcat defense has allowed just 95 points all year, but they’ll have to try to stop bruising running back Lucas Meredith, who is over 1,000 yards on the season.
55th Skull Game: Half Moon Bay (9-0) @ Terra Nova (6-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Terra Nova leads series, 34-16-2
By far the most unpredictable of the PAL rivalries, Half Moon Bay’s unbeaten season is on the line in a clash known for upsets. In 2010, the Tigers won the PAL Bay Division crown yet lost to their rivals, 34-10. After losing three straight meetings by at least 33 points, the Cougars scored 30 in the fourth quarter for a wild 49-48 win in 2014, erasing a 16-point deficit in the process. Terra Nova returned the favor with an upset win in 2016, entering with a 2-7 record but winning 35-31 at John Francis Field, taking the lead for good on a Saini Saini touchdown with 4:57 left. As unpredictable as this game is, in part because the unique structure of Half Moon Bay’s offense, one thing that can be counted on is the presence of elite running backs. Jalen Camp has torn it up for Terra Nova as of late, including a 311-yard performance against Burlingame. HMB’s Tristan Hofmann has been ridiculous as well, rushing for 363 yards and six scores in a win over Menlo.
61st Battle of the Strip: Mills (8-1, 4-0 PAL Lake) @ Capuchino (4-5, 2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Capuchino leads series, 39-21
Oh, how quickly things can change. Two years removed from a 62-0 beatdown by their rivals, the Vikings are already in possession of at least a share of the title and can win it outright if they snap a four-year losing streak against the Mustangs. A win would likely set up a home playoff game for Mills.
17th Valparaiso Bowl: Sacred Heart Prep (6-3) vs. Menlo (3-6), Friday, 7 p.m. at Sequoia
Sacred Heart Prep leads series, 9-7
Typically a down-to-the-wire game, the Gators seem to have the upper hand as Menlo has talented skill players with the likes of running back Samson Axe but lacks the manpower on the line to block against SHP’s front. Not only will the Gators aim to beat their rivals for a third year in a row, they’ll be looking to get out some frustrations after running into a buzz saw in last week’s upset loss at Burlingame.
Menlo-Atherton (6-3, 4-0 PAL Bay) @ King’s Academy (7-2, 2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
Menlo-Atherton leads series, 2-1
With last week’s loss to Terra Nova, in which the Knights struggled defensively without linebacker Noah Short (ankle), this game lost a bit of its appeal as Menlo-Atherton has already wrapped up an outright PAL Bay title. Still, there should be a good display of football as both teams gear up for the postseason. It wouldn’t be surprising if it’s a game full of unsung heroes, though. Coaching staffs may be reluctant to show their hands with the playoffs looming and the league championship already wrapped up.
65th Battle for the Terremere Trophy: Sequoia (4-5, 1-3 PAL Ocean) @ Carlmont (3-6, 0-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
Sequoia leads series, 32-31-1
One of the tightest rivalries year in and year out, the last two meetings between the Cherokees and Scots have delivered on the hype. Sequoia squashed Carlmont’s hopes for an at-large playoff berth with a 14-13 overtime win in 2017, while the Scots finished a 9-1 regular season last year by escaping with a 14-7 victory.
55th Battle of the Fleas: Aragon (1-8) @ Hillsdale (6-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Aragon leads series, 35-19
What was once the most lopsided rivalry in San Mateo County has had some parity in recent years, with the Fighting Knights winning three of the last five meetings, including a 14-13 upset last year. Hillsdale is effectively in a must-win situation, needing a victory to earn an at-large playoff bids after losing out on an automatic berth in last week’s loss to San Mateo.
58th Bell Game: South San Francisco (0-9, 0-4 PAL Lake) @ El Camino (1-8, 1-3), Saturday, 2 p.m.
El Camino finally snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Warriors last year, but the game ended on a puzzling and anti-climactic note when the referees cut the game short in the fourth quarter after a litany of personal fouls. Now it’s South San Francisco that will try to snap a lengthy losing streak, having dropped 19 straight contests overall. The Warriors’ last win? 36-6 over the Colts in 2017. This will mark just the third Bell Game played at El Camino, as the rivalry was always played at Clifford Field until 2015.
Woodside (2-7, 2-2 PAL Lake) @ Jefferson (6-3, 3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
It’s been a largely successful first season at the helm for Sergio Portela Jr., and if the Grizzlies can win a seventh game to close out the year, there’ll be plenty of optimism for the future. Jefferson will graduate quarterback Felix Luna Jr. and running back Daniel Abesames-Hammer, but backfield partner Brooks Daniels is only a junior.
