LOS GATOS, Calif. - Palo Alto made the trip south to take on Los Gatos in their senior night game. Tensions were high and tempers flared as Los Gatos and Palo Alto clashed for their long awaited meeting, and the heated rivalry matchup proved to be an entertaining one, with Los Gatos defeating Palo Alto 29-22.
The Los Gatos (8-1, 4-1 SCVAL-De Anza) defense was able to almost completely eliminate the Palo Alto offense on the ground, holding them to just 56 yards. However, with the Vikings' pass-heavy tactics, the Wildcats racked up a total of three interceptions on the night, including a crucial pick towards the end of the second by cornerback Jackson Benjamin.
”I’ve never been on a team that loves each other and trust each other so much,” Benjamin said. “On defense, no matter what, you know the guy next to you is going to do his job. It just works so well when everyone comes out and plays hard like tonight.”
The Los Gatos offense also went to work, scoring 29 on a Palo Alto defense that allows an average of nine points per game. Quarterback Yost Girvan went 6-of-13 for 67 yards, 36 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Running back Adam Garwood carried the ball 12 times for 54 yards and one touchdown.
Even with the three interceptions, the Palo Alto (5-3, 2-2) offense gave the Wildcats a run for their money. Quarterback Danny Peters threw two touchdown passes and kept the Vikings in the game until the end. Jamir Shepard was on the receiving end of both of those touchdowns.
The game started with Los Gatos receiving the kickoff and going on a long six-minute drive down the field. Girvan connected with Gian Lagemann in the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown reception to put the Wildcats on the board first, followed by a good PAT from Ty Goldsbury.
On Palo Alto’s first drive, the Vikings responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass from Peters to Shepard. Looking to take the lead, the Vikings lined up for a two-point conversion, and snapped the ball directly to Kevin Cullen, who took it up the middle to put the Palo Alto ahead 8-7.
Cullen would step in several times at the quarterback position later in the game, with Peters and Cullen showcasing a duo similar to Drew Brees and Taysom Hill of the New Orleans Saints. Cullen also played a huge role on special teams for the Vikings.
On the following kickoff, the Vikings decided to use another one of their tricks. They caught the unsuspecting Wildcats by surprise with an onside kick, which was recovered by Cullen.
However, on the very first play of the drive, Peters was picked off by Will Schweitzer, who took it all the way to the Palo Alto 22. Los Gatos worked the ball down to the goaline, where Girvan punched in on a quarterback sneak. The rest of the half would continue as a defensive battle with no scoring.
Palo Alto started off the third quarter with a strong drive deep into Los Gatos territory. However, Wildcat cornerback Jared Quandt intercepted a Peters pass in the end zone, giving Los Gatos the ball on their own 20. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, they were unable to capitalize, going three and out off of the interception.
On top of that, on the punt attempt, Cullen was quick to jump onto a bad snap from Los Gatos, which put the Vikings on the Wildcat 2. Creighton Morgenfeld punched in for Palo Alto, and a good PAT from Alex Wang gave the Vikings the lead, 15-14.
Later in the third, Girvan hit Quandt on a quick slant across the middle, who would take it to the house for a 18-yard touchdown reception. Los Gatos lined up for two this time, and Girvan was able to find Lagemann deep in the end zone to put the Wildcats ahead 22-15.
On the next drive, Palo Alto receiver Junacio Henley was stripped by a horde of Wildcat defenders, and linebacker Jackson Cookus recovered the fumble on the Viking 40. Los Gatos worked the ball deep into the red zone, where Garwood scored on a 5-yard sweep as time expired for the third quarter. Another good PAT from Goldsbury increased the Wildcats’ lead to 29-15.
The fourth quarter turned into another defensive showdown, until Peters and the Vikings were able to make something happen late in the quarter. With just 2:30 left to play, Peters launched a deep ball to Shepard for a 37-yard touchdown pass. Wang’s PAT made the score 29-22, and the Vikings would prepare to execute another onside kick in hopes of gaining one last possession.
This time, the Wildcats were ready for the onside kick. Schwietzer fell on the ball on the Palo Alto 48, and Girvan and the offense came out ready to run down the clock. A crucial 19-yard rush from Garwood sealed the deal for Los Gatos, and Girvan took a knee to end the game.
“Tonight was really big for our guys,” said Los Gatos head coach Mark Krail. “[Palo Alto] beat us twice last year pretty handily, so we knew we had to play our best game.”
Palo Alto will host Mountain View (7-1) for their senior night next week. Los Gatos will head into their bye week, which they will also spend preparing for their final regular season game against Mountain View on Nov. 8.
