By Richard Paolinelli
MaxPreps.com
Palo Alto very nearly missed the start of the 2007 football season as an accident on a Bay Area bridge left the Vikings stuck in traffic for nearly three hours Friday.
But Palo Alto just managed to reach McClymonds High in Oakland with a scant 10 minutes to spare, just in time to deliver a 20-7 defeat to the home team.
Senior running back Sione Mataele posted two second-half touchdowns as Palo Alto - last year's Division II state runner-up - appears to be ready to begin another run at a state bowl berth.
Mataele finished the game with 113 yards on just 17 carries while Will Brandin was 11-for-17 for 133 yards in his first start in replacing the graduated Nick Goodspeed at quarterback.
Riordan Edges Past Woodside
Riordan shook off a quiet first half to rebound in the second half for a 14-10 home victory over Woodside.
Riordan was held to 48 first half yards before erupting for175 yards and two touchdowns in the second half to gain control of the game. By contrast, Woodside had racked up 80 rushing yards and a 10-0 lead in the opening half but was held to just five in the second half of its season opener.
Riordan (1-1) got an impressive effort from running back Johnny Greene in the second half. Greene finished with 14 carries for 104 yards and scored both of the Crusaders touchdowns.
Menlo-Atherton Blanks Independence
Menlo-Atherton easily rolled to a 38-0 rout of Independence Saturday, the fifth consecutive non-league regular season victory for the team.
Senior quarterback Troy McCabe, who sat out most of thesecond half, was 5-of-7 for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the first half tolead the Bears, including a 77-yard hookup with Raymond Vanikolo.
Menlo Downs Sacred Heart Prep
Menlo's Travis Boyce racked up 267 yards passing and 92 more on the ground to lead the Knights to a 38-12 rout over Sacred Heart Prep, the second consecutive blowout victory for Menlo this season.
Boyce ran for one score and threw for another to lead theKnights to a 35-0 halftime lead. R.J. Carver caught Boyce's TD pass and finished with 160 yards on just seven passes.
Miramonte Steams Capuchino
Capuchino fumbled away the opening kickoff and Miramonte never looked back in a 42-7 rout over the Mustangs. It took the Matadors all oftwo plays to convert the turnover into a touchdown.
While Miramonte piled up 329 yards of total offense,Capuchino only managed to avoid the shutout when Eloy Moreno, who finished with 90 yards on 20 carries, scored on a 16-yard run with six minutes left in the game.
Aragon Falls Again to Los Gatos
For the sixth consecutive season, Los Gatos sent Aragon to the locker room on the short end of the scoreboard following the two teams'annual non-league meeting.
The Wildcats rolled to a 31-6 victory over the Dons behind Nick Kalpin, who pounded Aragon's defense for 188 yards on 32 carries and three TDs.
Seta Pohahau rushed for 129 yards on 14 carries for Aragon and scored its lone touchdown of the game.
Skyline No Match for Palma
Palma scored on each of its first five possessions in a 46-6 rout of Skyline of Oakland Saturday as quarterback Connor Farotte threw three touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown before calling it a day.
Running back Nate Ramirez caught two of Farotte's touchdownpasses, including a 57-yard pass that all but sealed the game for theChieftains late in the second quarter. Farotte finished 8-of-10 for 155 yardsas Palma piled up 418 yards in total offense. The Chieftains will next squareoff with De La Salle of Concord on Sept. 22 in what will likely be the game ofthe week that week.
