Precious few expected Menlo-Atherton to be unbeaten in the PAL-Bay at this point, not with last season’s starting quarterback Robby Beardsley having moved to Southern California and veteran coach Sione Taufoou electing to step down
But this is high school football and, as we see in the WCAL weekly, anything can happen.
So expect the unexpected tonight when Burlingame (7-1, 3-1) hosts Menlo-Atherton (5-3, 4-0) in a huge PAL-Bay game.
Menlo-Atherton can clinch a title with a win, but Burlingame can nab a piece of first place by winning. A Panther victory combined with a Sacred Heart Prep triumph against Sequoia would create a three-way tie atop the standings between Menlo-Atherton, Burlingame and SHP.
“M-A is a very talented team and you can see them playing better and with more confidence each week,” Burlingame coach John Philipopoulos said by email. “They’re very explosive offensively, especially in the backfield. They're offensive line is big and strong and they play downhill. They're tight end is also very good and complemented with more speed at the receiver positions.”
Philipopoulos is also impressed with the Bear defense.
“Defensively they are big, strong, and fast especially their front seven,” he said. “They are very stout and this will be a tremendous challenge for us offensively. We also need to be very sound in the kicking game. Their return men are very dangerous and can change the momentum or outcome of the game with one play.”
Menlo-Atherton, winners of five consecutive games, relies on running back Jordan Mims who has rushed for 988 yards and 12 touchdowns. Mims picked up 324 of those yards in a victory over Aragon, setting an individual-game M-A record. He is also a track star.
Burlingame counters with Leipeli Palu who has rushed for 952 yards and 16 scores. The Panthers’ only loss this season was to SHP last week, 42-33.
An unsung player for the Panthers is offensive lineman/outside linebacker Bassil Muffareh who creates holes up front on offense and has 11.5 tackles for loss on defense. Athletic, Murrareh is also a top big man for coach Pete Harames’ basketball team.
Even with Burlingame’s talent and the home-field advantage, Philipopoulos knows Menlo-Atherton is no easy mark.
“We will definitely have our hands full," he said. "But we're looking forward to both the challenge and opportunity. For us to beat Menlo Atherton we will need to be able to limit the big play defensively, take care of the football offensively, and win the kicking game.”
Here are five more games to keep an eye on:
Palma vs. San Benito (6-2, 3-1) at Salinas Sports Complex, 7:30 p.m.: San Benito defeated Christopher 50-7 two weeks ago and then had a bye last week. A San Benito win could lead to an eventual three-way tie for the title between the Balers, Chieftains and Salinas. Last year’s CCS Division I titlist San Benito is led on defense by Isaac Regalado (two interceptions against Christopher) and Tyler Biersdorff. The Balers are paced on offense by running backs Hunter Nye and Kyle Cameron. Kyle is son of Baler coach Chris Cameron. Also, R.J. Clark has been gaining confidence at quarterback for the Chieftains. Palma is paced by QB Jack Richardson and running back Emilio Martinez.
The King’s Academy (7-1, 3-1) at Half Moon Bay (7-1, 3-1), 7 p.m.: Both teams need a win in case Hillsdale stumbles and allows a chance for a co-title. Freshman quarterback Michael Johnson Jr. (son of the coach) leads the Knights with nearly 1,800 total yards and 20 TDs. Knight RB Maurice Washington has run for 1,128 yards and 18 TDs. The Cougars’ strong defense is led by Phillip Anderson, Jon Alves, Justin Terra, Sean Baird, Cody James, Chase Hofmann and Jack Cartwright. The pass-catch combo of Gavin Tomberlin to Pablo Gutierrez (five TD hook-ups last game) is deadly and RB Matt Spigelman is a force on the ground.
St. Francis (7-1, 4-1) at Archbishop Mitty (5-3, 2-3), 7 p.m.: St. Francis reaches the third game of its killer gauntlet after falling to Bellarmine 28-26 and then rallying past Serra in the final minutes 43-42 after trailing by 12 with four minutes left. The Lancers, paced by QB Kamalii Akina, need a win on the Mitty campus to keep pace with either Bellarmine or Valley Christian (which play each other) at the top of the WCAL standings. The Monarchs, paced by QB Sam Serra, can play spoiler in what has been an up-and-down season for coach Keith Burns' team.
Valley Christian (7-1, 4-1) vs. Bellarmine (7-1, 4-1) at SJCC, 7 p.m.: The winner will control its destiny toward capturing a piece of the WCAL title, which in Valley Christian’s case would be a second consecutive co-championship after tying with Serra last season. The Warriors are paced on offense by running back Morian Walker Jr. and Javon Sturns and are stout on both their offensive and defensive lines. Bellarmine needs a win in pursuit of at least a piece of its first league title since 2012. The Bells are led on offense by QB Troy Martig and running back Kyle McCauley. CalPreps.com picks the Warriors by five points.
Silver Creek (7-1, 4-1) at Independence (5-3, 4-1): Both teams need to win to have a shot at an automatic bid into the CCS playoffs. Also in the mix is Westmont, which defeated Independence last week. Silver Creek and Westmont square off next week. Silver Creek is led by RB Dontye James who has rushed for 1,586 yards and 10 TDs and QB Miguel Lopez who has passed for 523 yards. Independence is explosive, led by QB Chauncy Gilmmore (851 yards passing, nine TDs) and RBs Derje Blanks (814 rushing yards, nine TDs) and Anthony Talingdan (647 yards, five TDs). Devin Ary has caught 29 passes for 622 yards and six scores.
