It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Palo Alto had no problem doing just that on Friday. They came out on top against the Half Moon Bay Cougars by a score of 33-24. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Vikings as it put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Palo Alto had a senior duo take command as Isaiah Phillips rushed for 175 yards and two touchdowns on only 14 carries and Joseph Kessler gained 164 total yards and two touchdowns. Phillips' longest rush was for an incredible 70 yards.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Palo Alto was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 290 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since back in November of 2023.
Palo Alto didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Erik Taylor. He has been hot recently, having also posted at least one defended passe the last four times he's played. Roman Jacobs was another major factor on D, making 20 total tackles (1.5 for loss).
Palo Alto now has a winning record of 6-5. As for Half Moon Bay, they dropped their record down to 8-3 with the defeat, which was their third straight on the road.
Palo Alto will take on Aptos at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Half Moon Bay does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
