The CCS Division IV championship, though based in Terra Nova High School (Saturday, 7 pm), will be an Atherton-exclusive event between cross-town rivals Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo School. The game will serve as a chance of redemption for the No. 4 Knights (10-2), who lost 31-28 to the No. 2 Gators (11-1) in the 10th annual Valparaiso Bowl earlier this season.
“Obviously, Sacred Heart Prep beat us the last time, so we know that they are a strong team,” Menlo junior quarterback Jack Heneghan said. “However, it was still a hard-fought game that either team could have won. Both teams have a ton of respect for the talents of the players and coaches on the other side.”
The Knights advanced to the championship in an unexpected 41-27 win over the top-seeded Seaside. Heneghan completed 22 of 37 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns, seemingly cutting through the Spartans’ unyielding offense with ease. Seaside quarterback Michael Turner (260 passing yards, 4 touchdowns) put up a good fight against Menlo as he hit Ronald Turner, Kordell Reed, Joseph Jakubowsky, and Chris Evans with crisp double-digit passes, but was ultimately no match for the Knights’ dynamic offensive line.
“Our team is excited for the opportunity to play for a championship against Sacred Heart Prep,” Heneghan said. “We respect them very much as an opponent and are enthused to play them again with CCS on the line.”
The Gators similarly pulled off a big victory against Soquel last Saturday. SHP’s tried-and-true defensive line - headed by such players as Daniel Thaure, Jack Del Santo, and Ben Burr Kirven - limited Soquel running back Fabiano Hale to 129 yards on 21 carries. Though still impressive enough to crown Hale as the Santa Cruz County all-time single-season rushing leader, the stats are a far cry from his last 375 yards on 39 carries against Carmel.
Meanwhile, Gator running backs Ryan Gaertner (135 yards) and Andrew Segre (107 yards, 3 TDs) and wide receiver Rex Shannon roared to life on the field, rushing for a total of 301 yards and completing six passes for 166 yards.
“We need to keep controlling the ball on offense and try and limit big plays on defense in our game against Menlo this week,” SHP head coach Peter Lavorato said. “The players will need to overcome the hype of the game and play within themselves.”
Though SHP did edge the Knights in regular-season play, the game was a close one decided only by a Menlo fumble in the final five minutes of the match. Gator defensive back Patrick Tinsley pounced and recovered the ball on the Knights’ 25-yard line with SHP six points down. Running back Ben Burr Kirven then closed the deal with a two-yard touchdown to take the win for the Gators.
Considering the Gators’ narrow victory, Lavorato believes Saturday’s match may be all but a toss-up between the two teams.
“We are a better running team than Menlo,” Lavorato said. “On the other hand, we are not as good of a passing team as they are.”
While Menlo averages a paltry 113.8 rushing yards per game to Sacred Heart’s 269.2, its 270.8 passing yards per game is one of the highest totals in CCS. In comparison, the Gators average only 92.8 passing yards. The Knights also take the win in terms of overall team offense - an average 48.3 in the PAL-Ocean Division to SHP’s 33.2 in the PAL-Bay Division.
“We are going to focus on executing our fundamentals and our game plan,” Heneghan said. “In addition, we’re also mentally preparing for a rematch with a team we are very familiar with. On offense, we hope to execute and move the ball forward in any way possible, while our defense is going to try to read their offense and limit big plays.”
Menlo’s outcome may ride on Heneghan’s shoulders. At a towering 6-foot-3, he averages 259.8 total yards per game and has completed 177 passes this season. Other key Knights players include wide receiver Connor Stastny (8.7 points per game) and linebacker Travis Chambers (8.2 tackles per game). They are met with Gator equals Gaertner (7 points per game) and Thaure (8.2 tackles per game).
All in all, both teams are proud to have simply made it into the championship game and grateful for the opportunity to take on their rivals a second time.
“No matter what the outcome is, it’s just important for fans to know that players on both teams are already winners by getting this far,” Lavorato said.
