ATHERTON, Calif. — Paul M. Rosa wasn’t ready to stop playing for his dad just yet.
The Wilcox senior ran for 235 yards and three touchdowns, including an eight-yard run for the go-ahead score in overtime, as his Chargers topped newfound rival Menlo-Atherton 42-35 in overtime in the CCS Division I Quarterfinals.
Oh, and he threw for a 73-yard touchdown and played defensive back in the second half as the game turned from an offensive shootout into a defensive struggle after a first half that saw four touchdowns of at least 40 yards, an 18-minute delay from a power outage and two touchdowns in the final 36 seconds of the second quarter in front of a packed house at M-A’s Coach Parks Field.
Rosa’s heroics stood tallest on a night when there were all sorts of tremendous plays, including Troy Franklin. The top junior wide receiver, who’s had a flair for big-time moments, was at his best when the lights shone brightest once again for the host Bears, including a game-tying touchdown with 3:09 left, hauling in a pass in double coverage on fourth-and-goal.
“When I went to a camp in Washington, they taught me a pretty good technique. It’s all about F.S.D., frisbee-snatching dog,” he said of the eight-yard score. “Jump, hands, eyes and then snatch, bring it down. If you’re prepared for that, you can do anything.”
Initially, with fourth-and-goal at the 3, he was lined up next to quarterback Matt MacLeod in a run-pass option play, but a false start forced head coach Steve Papin and his staff to change those plans. Franklin had six catches for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but wasn’t targeted in overtime as the Bears lost seven yards on a screen play, threw an incompletion in the end zone, couldn’t gain any ground on a reverse and then threw one last incompletion as the fifth-seeded Chargers celebrated. He was the intended receiver on the final play, but MacLeod rolled to his left and threw a pass for Jayden Stanley that went out of the end zone.
Still, MacLeod had a remarkable night, completing 18 of 31 passes for 353 yards and four touchdowns, including an 80-yard bomb to Franklin on the very first play in which Franklin hauled in the pass just shy of midfield, raised his arms in celebration at the 25 and finished his stroll to the end zone with nary a defender in sight.
As good as Franklin was, he wasn’t the only top weapon fourth-seeded Menlo-Atherton (7-4) was able to turn to through the air. Sophomore Jalen Moss had four receptions for 134 yards, including a 51-yarder with two seconds left in the first half where he cut to the far sideline and outran the entire Wilcox defense.
“Man, that’s my little guy,” Franklin said of his 5-foot-11 teammate. “Ever since he got his turn to step up, he’s done nothing but make the best out of all his opportunities. He should be one of the guys to get offers soon.”
Moss’s touchdown sent the teams to half tied at 28, but following the break, the game quickly turned into a battle for field position. Wilcox (9-2) went on a methodical 15-play drive to start the third quarter but came away without points as Fale Mosley stripped Isaiah Flores at the goal line and Eric Stuart pounced on the loose ball. An 18-yard completion to Moss on third down got the Bears out of the doghouse and fellow sophomore Thomas Taufui, making his first carry since suffering a knee injury in the first quarter, gained another 19 yards, but the hosts would ultimately have to punt after a Tyler Rowland sack.
“I got lit up twice, but you have to keep rallying to the ball and you’ll make it,” Rowland said. Also serving as Wilcox’s kickoff specialist, he ran all the way to the M-A 30 to tackle Franklin in the second quarter.
Rosa would get stuffed on fourth down at the M-A 35 on the final play of the quarter and a 46-yard completion to Moss would take the Bears into the red zone with a chance to go in front for the first time since the opening minutes of the second quarter, but Flores atoned for his earlier fumble with a sack of MacLeod on third down and Samuela Lolo blocked Lucas Giarusso’s 37-yard field goal attempt to keep the game tied.
That set the Chargers up to pull out all the stops. After Rosa gained just a yard over two carries, his 31st and 32nd of the night, he took a pitch from quarterback Geremy McCollough, rolled to the right and threw a pass for a wide-open Aaron Ah Sing, a wobbler that was hauled in and taken for a go-ahead 73-yard score with 7:52 left. Not to be outdone, Franklin would have had a 95-yard kick return touchdown immediately after if not for a block in the back flag that not only pinned the Bears at their own 17 but ruined the dramatic scene of Franklin waving goodbye to the defenders in pursuit. Undeterred, he hauled in a 15-yard completion on third-and-11, then had a 21-yard gain wiped out by an illegal man downfield. Moss then had another third-down conversion of his own, picking up 21, and an 18-yard completion to Justin Anderson put the Bears in Wilcox territory. Francisco Sanchez (8 carries-73 yards) gained another 14 and MacLeod scrambled for 11 to set up first-and-goal at the 4, but a one-yard run and pair of incompletions set up fourth-and-goal. Following the false start penalty, everyone on both teams, everyone in the stands and those watching the online broadcast of the game knew who was going to be targeted, and even with tight double coverage, Franklin rose above the competition. Combined with Laila Thompson-Wainer’s extra point, her fifth of the night, the game was tied again with 3:09 left.
Wilcox had one last chance to rumble downfield in regulation, but the Chargers decided to hedge their bets in overtime after a run for a three-yard loss and false start flag.
“We thought that’s an advantage for us, let’s get into that game. It’s probably a disadvantage for their offense cause they need some space,” head coach Paul Rosa said.
The decision paid off in the extra period as Rosa’s son, Paul M., gained two yards on the first play, then cut to the left, broke a tackle at the 4 and went into the end zone on his 37th and final carry of the night. Four plays later, with their star running back helping out in an injury-depleted secondary against a pass-heavy opponent, the Chargers had won.
“I just kind of played streetball,” the younger Rosa said of his work in the secondary, the latest role for a four-year varsity player who is primarily known as a running back but has also served as kicker, starred on Wilcox’s baseball team and was named homecoming king in October.
Just as Franklin announced his presence early, Rosa did the same, sprinting 45 yards on his team’s first play from scrimmage and scoring from six yards out to make it a 7-7 game just 80 seconds in. Less than two-and-a-half minutes later, Sanchez put the hosts ahead with a 46-yard TD before the Chargers started to impose their will with one of their signature long drives. After a bobbled Okela Turituri kick return pinned the visitors at their own 5, they ran 20 plays to cover 95 yards, tying the score at 14 on a one-yard Isaiah Flores run three plays into the second quarter. Rosa was able to get just enough for a first down three plays into the drive, McCollough ran for a gain of 24 on the next play and Turituri redeemed himself on a 13-yard completion, Wilcox’s only completed pass until the trick play in the fourth quarter, to set Flores up to tie the game.
Penalties then forced the Bears into their first punt of the night, one of just three on the night (Wilcox never punted), and McCollough slipped through the middle for a 43-yard score to give the visitors their first lead. The only three-and-out of the entire game forced the hosts to send Treavon Norton out to boot it away again and a late hit flag had the Chargers threatening in M-A territory, but a big hit on Rosa by Stanley and incompletion on fourth down off of Ah Sing’s fingertips would prevent a crisis. A 28-yard pass to Franklin would set Anderson (seven catches-78 yards) up for a 30-yard score with 2:05 left in the opening half, but after the ensuing kickoff, the power went out.
With the lights mistakenly on a timer to switch off at 8 p.m., the standard when the field is used for practices, co-athletic director Steven Kryger was able to limit the delay to just 18 minutes and the teams picked up right where they left off. Rosa gained 28 yards when play resumed, then tiptoed his way up the sideline for a 38-yard score with 36 seconds left in the half. Rowland’s touchdown-saving tackle cut Franklin’s return short, but a 17-yard pass to Anderson and Moss’s remarkable 51-yard score tied the game again before halftime.
“It was one of the best games I’ve ever played in,” the younger Rosa appropriately said.
He wasn’t the only one to light up the stat sheet. Flores had 76 yards on 16 carries and McCollough gained 87 yards on just eight runs. Taufui gained 50 for the hosts but was limited to just nine carries after suffering a knee injury in his team’s second series before Sanchez’ long touchdown run. Moss also went down in overtime, spraining his ankle on an incompletion on second down after Flores and Roan Poulivaati blew up a screen to Anderson.
For all the returning talent that M-A will have next year, from Franklin and Moss to MacLeod and fellow quarterback Raymond Price III, Friday’s thriller marked the final game for some extremely talented seniors. Anderson, who has interest from Utah and Washington State, suited up for the final time while linebackers J.D. Carson and Joe Posthauer were both sidelined by injuries for their final game, allowing Wilcox to run for 411 yards. Junior safety Skyler Thomas, nursing a shoulder injury all season, finally made it on to the field for the hosts in the fourth quarter.
M-A’s senior class was also the class of Aisea “Bojack” Mataele, who passed away as a freshman from acute hemorrhagic encephalopathy. After Aragon had forfeited the game that was supposed to serve as the Bears’ Senior Night, citing inexperience, Mataele’s memory was honored with his class and family on Friday in a ceremony held two-and-a-half hours before kickoff, and the field had his initials and number painted at the 20-yard line.
Also playing in his final game for the Bears was Sanchez, who had transferred from Aragon before the year after his family moved back to East Palo Alto.
“We all just got after it every day. I’m so glad I got to end the season with these guys,” he said. “This is my last time playing under Friday night lights, and I want to be the last one out here to cherish this moment. I love high school football with all my heart and I’m happy to say I got to finish off as a Bear.”
