It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Palo Alto Vikings had no problem doing just that on Friday. They breezed by Leigh at home to the tune of 45-14. The win was familiar territory for Palo Alto who now have four in a row.
Palo Alto's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Declan Packer, who rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 141 yards and a touchdown. The team also got some help courtesy of Joseph Kessler, who rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on only five carries.
When it comes to explaining why Leigh lost, one person who can't be blamed is Shayan Shariat. Despite the final result, he rushed for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
Palo Alto's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-5. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 48.8 points per game. As for Leigh, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-4.
Palo Alto will square off against Mountain View at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. One thing working in Mountain View's favor is that they have now posted big point totals in their last three contests. Leigh does not have any more games scheduled as of now.