Menlo-Atherton won the last time they faced Palo Alto, and things went their way on Friday too. The Menlo-Atherton Bears strolled past the Palo Alto Vikings with points to spare, taking the game 27-13. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 153rd, while the Vikings are ranked 322nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Menlo-Atherton got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Xander Eschelman out in front who threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns on perfect 7-for-7 passing. Another rusher making a difference was Evaimalo Ama, who rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Another reason for the win was Menlo-Atherton's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. In that department, Devin Hyde was the leader with two. He also made seven total tackles, which is notable because Menlo-Atherton is undefeated when he posts at least three total tackles, but 1-2 otherwise.
Although Palo Alto took the loss, they still got scores from Jeremiah Fung and Isaiah Phillips. Joseph Kessler was another key back, rushing for 80 yards on only eight carries.
Menlo-Atherton has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 6-2 record this season. As for Palo Alto, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 5-3.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Menlo-Atherton will venture away from home to face off against Sacred Heart Prep at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Menlo-Atherton is facing Sacred Heart Prep at the right time seeing as Sacred Heart Prep is stuck on a three-game losing streak. As for Palo Alto, they and Menlo School are set to duel on Saturday. Palo Alto will also cruise into their next matchup with the timing on their side: Menlo School will have lost three straight heading into Saturday's contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
