Welcome to the Bay Area News Group (Mercury News & East Bay Times) roundup of the best action in high school football from the second weekend of the fall season. Check back every Saturday for scores, highlights and top performers from the weekend’s games, updated throughout the day.
Ranked teams
No. 1 Serra 38, Archbishop Mitty 0
The backfield combo of Dominique Lampkin and Hassan Mahasin was lethal for Serra (3-0) in the Padres’ rout of Mitty (1-2) to open WCAL play. The childhood friends connected twice for touchdowns through the air, of 15 and 40 yards, and each added scores with their feet; they accounted for all Serra’s touchdowns. The Padres built their lead methodically after a field goal from Leo Galindo to open the scoring. It was 10-0 after the first quarter, 24-0 at halftime, and Lampkin finished off the scoring at 38-0 with a keeper from 5 yards out early in the fourth quarter. Serra’s biggest test to date comes next week when the Padres host WCAL foe Bellarmine, which is also off to an unbeaten start to the season. — Evan Webeck
No. 2 St. Francis 33, No. 16 St. Ignatius 0
Viliami Teu ran for 238 yards and three touchdowns to lead St. Francis, in its first game since beating De La Salle two weeks ago, past St. Ignatius in a West Catholic Athletic League opener. Read Darren Sabedra’s complete recap here.
No. 5 Los Gatos 41, Wilcox 18
In a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division opener for both teams, Los Gatos broke open a tight game in the fourth quarter as it improved to 5-0 on the season. Phil Jensen has all the details in his game story here.
No. 6 Bellarmine 38, Riordan 6
Brody Stratz returned an interception for a touchdown on the first play of the game at San Jose City College, and Bellarmine never looked back on its way to winning its WCAL opener. The Bells led 35-0 at halftime and 38-0 after three quarters. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock. Wade Smith threw two touchdown passes — one to Rocco Trapani, the other to Thomas Divittorio — and ran for a touchdown. Brandon Broch’s interception set up Smith’s TD run. The Bells also scored on special teams as Zach Ottobre returned a punt 40 yards for a touchdown. Bellarmine is 4-0 first the first time since 2015. The Bells haven’t started 5-0 since winning their first six games in 2010. Riordan fell to 3-1, 0-1. The victory sets up a huge game for Bellarmine next Saturday afternoon at top-ranked Serra. — Darren Sabedra
MORE PREP FOOTBALL WEEK 5 COVERAGE
- Weekend scoreboard, how Top 25 fared
- Rankings: Bay Area News Group Top 25, Week 5
- Photos: Our staff’s best photos from Week 5
- OT thriller! Menlo-Atherton rallies to hand McClymonds its first loss
- No. 5 Los Gatos too much for Wilcox in SCVAL De Anza opener
- No. 14 Monte Vista outlasts No. 12 El Cerrito in defensive duel
- Foothill beats Amador on Nick Walsh fourth-down touchdown pass
- No letdown for St Francis as Lancers roll past St. Ignatius in WCAL opener
- High school students rejoice return to cheering sections at football games
No. 20 Menlo-Atherton 30, No. 8 McClymonds 27, OT
Menlo-Atherton rallied from 13 points behind in the fourth quarter, then won the thriller on its home field in Atherton when Juan Polido, whose missed extra point with 75 seconds left kept the score tied, made a walk-off field goal in overtime. Read Vytas Mazeika’s game story here.
No. 9 San Ramon Valley 29, No. 19 Las Lomas 24
Las Lomas had a second-half lead on San Ramon Valley, but the Wolves got a goal-line stand that changed the tide of the game. Trailing 17-14 in the third quarter, San Ramon Valley’s offense took possession on its own 1-yard line and proceeded to drive 99 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. QB Jack Quigley connected with WR Tanner Salisbury for two touchdowns, and RB Za’Darion Nardi also rushed for a pair of scores. “They are good,” SRV coach Aaron Becker said of Las Lomas in a text message. It was the second time the schools have faced off the past two seasons, both decided by a single possession. Las Lomas has a bye next week before beginning Diablo Athletic League play, while the Wolves get one more tuneup against Foothill before beginning their loaded EBAL-Mountain schedule. — Evan Webeck
No. 10 Clayton Valley Charter 35, Monterey Trail-Elk Grove 28
Playing on the road Saturday night, Clayton Valley (4-1) kept Monterey Trail winless, rallying in the second half to win a thriller. Monterey Trail (0-5) led 15-13 at halftime and held a 28-27 lead after scoring with about three minutes to go. But the Ugly Eagles answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion to avenge a 24-13 loss at home to Monterey Trail in March. Casey Forester caught two TD passes from Brenden Bush in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback. “Bush played lights-outs all game, excellent performance and huge pressure plays,” coach Tim Murphy wrote in a text. Rahsaan Woodland ran for more than 100 yards and lineman Jared Palega and safety Niko Bohler stood out on defense, Murphy added. Clayton Valley has next week off, then opens East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division play at California on Oct. 8. Murphy said the team needs the bye to heal up. The Uglies were missing four starters Saturday. — Darren Sabedra
No. 11 Valley Christian 27, Sacred Heart Cathedral 21
Quarterback Jakson Berman threw a 67-yard pass to heavily recruited wideout Jurrion Dickey with 1:48 left on the clock to lead Valley Christian to a come-from-behind win over Sacred Heart Cathedral in the West Catholic Athletic League opener for both schools. The Warriors (3-1) trailed 21-13 entering the fourth quarter, but closed the gap to 21-19 on a 2-yard run by Josh Minami. However, Berman’s pass on the 2-point conversion attempt went incomplete. But when Valley Christian got the ball back with time running out, it needed just three plays for the go-ahead touchdown. Minami then ran in the 2-point conversion. Sacred Heart Cathedral (0-4) outgained the Warriors 410-311 in total yards, but Berman had a nice night, completing 12 of 21 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns. His other TD throws were 10 yards to Dickey and 13 yards to Nathan Saipaia. Dickey caught seven passes for 126 yards. “We played a great game against VC,” SHC coach Barry McLaughlin wrote in a text. “They hit Dickey late for the win.” Ray-john Spears accounted for all three SHC scores, two on runs and one a 27-yard touchdown pass to Ri Miller. — Mike Lefkow
No. 13 Benicia 42, Bethel 0
Benicia (3-1) blew this one open with a 21-point third quarter, capped off by a 74-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tyson Wallace. The senior signal-caller was responsible for all three scores in the third period with a pair of touchdown passes to Khalani Sandoval (13 yards) and Tommy Turner (20 yards) to open the second half. The Panthers took a 14-0 lead into halftime after touchdown runs by Miles Bailey (2 yards) and Simeon Bailey (12 yards). Bailey put a ribbon on the win with a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter that he returned 30 yards to the end zone. Wallace completed 14 of 17 pass attempts for 152 yards; his long TD run accounted for about half the Panthers’ rushing yards. Bethel (2-2) totaled just 49 yards against the Benicia defense and turned the ball over twice. — Evan Webeck
No. 14 Monte Vista 14, No. 12 El Cerrito 0
CJ Anderson, the former Cal and NFL running back, has led Monte Vista to a 4-0 start in his first season as coach, the latest victory a defensive duel Friday night at home in Danville against El Cerrito. Evan Webeck has the details in his game story here.
No. 25 Foothill 21, No. 17 Amador Valley 17
Nick Walsh’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Noah Lombardi on fourth down with 3:26 left and Samear Lattier’s interception in the final minute gave Foothill a dramatic victory on the road over rival Amador Valley. Jerry McDonald has the full recap here.
Dublin 37, No. 21 Liberty 14
The host Gaels took a 24-7 second-quarter lead on their way to improving to 4-1 this season. In the victory, Anthony Armendariz threw touchdown passes to Jayden Petrus (26 yards), TJ Costello (21 yards) and Quinton Maddox (21 yards), as well as running for a 40-yard score. Teammate Brandon Burns added a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half. Petrus rushed for 146 yards on 14 carries, and Gary Cabida added 48 yards on eight carries and also played exceptional defense. KJ Sweeney was also outstanding on defense, and Dylan Sheppard had an interception for Dublin. A great offensive line performance was anchored by Jake Cooney. Liberty fell to 1-3 with the loss. — Phil Jensen
No. 23 Mountain View 41, Milpitas 7
Mountain View outscored Milpitas 21-0 in the second half en route to an impressive victory in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division opener for both schools. Senior quarterback Jackson Steffen had his best game of the season thus far, said coach Shelley Smith. Steffen did a nice job calling audibles and did an effective job mixing the Wing-T and triple-option offense the Spartans like to use. Mountain View had 288 yards on the ground and about 90 more passing. Things started well for Mountain View (4-1) when Kevin Conway intercepted a pass on Milpitas’ first drive of the game. Steffen threw one TD pass and ran for another, and Min Kant had about 80 yards on the ground. Steffen and Drake Wilkening hooked up on an 80-yard pass play. The defense did its part with three turnovers. The Spartans’ only loss was by one point to Mitty. Milpitas fell to 1-4. — Mike Lefkow
No. 24 San Leandro 35, Granada 7
Demetrius Freeney threw three touchdown passes to lead the host Pirates to a bounce-back victory after consecutive losses to Bellarmine and Campolindo. Ferrari Miller Jr. scored on a 36-yard run and was on the receiving end of one of Freeney’s TD passes. Freeney also connected with Devan Daniels and Joseph Levy for touchdowns. Jonathan Martin scored on a rushing TD to account for San Leandro’s other score. San Leandro improved to 3-2. The Pirates have a bye next week before opening MVAL/WACC Foothill Division play at home against James Logan on Oct. 8. Granada fell to 1-4. The Matadors play host to Fremont-Oakland next Friday. — Darren Sabedra
East Bay
Campolindo 38, Hayward 0
Campolindo won its second consecutive game as Dashiell Weaver threw two touchdown passes to help lead the way for the host Cougars. Robbie Mascheroni caught a 40-yard TD pass from Weaver. The QB also connected with Michael Coane from 7 yards out for a score. Collin Krznaric’s 1-yard run gave Campo a 7-0 lead and Max Rittmann’s 18-yard run made it 21-0 at halftime. The Cougars added two more TDs in the third quarter to put the score well out of reach. Arian Mosaddad scored for Campo on a fumble recovery in the end zone after Hayward had intercepted a deep pass at the 2-yard line. Campo improved to 3-2 heading into its bye week. The Cougars play host to Benicia in a Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division opener on Oct. 8. Hayward dropped to 0-4. The Farmers play host to Mt. Eden next Friday. — Darren Sabedra
Dougherty Valley 31, Deer Valley 16
Dougherty Valley is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2015 Leslie Williams-Jones rushed for 124 yards and scored three touchdowns, one a 95-yard kickoff return, to lead the Wildcats. Aryan Guar also ran for a score and Brandon Axton nailed a 48-year field goal to account for Dougherty’s scoring. When the Wildcats started 4-0 in 2015, they finished 6-5. Deer Valley saw its record drop to 1-3. — Mike Lefkow
Marin Catholic 56, Antioch 16
Marin Catholic turned what Antioch assistant coach Brett Dudley called “multiple pick-sixes” into an easy win over the Panthers on Saturday afternoon. Antioch fell to 1-3 for the season while Marin Catholic improved to 4-1. “Not much story to it,” Dudley wrote in a text. “MC took it to us in every way. Back to work Monday.” — Mike Lefkow
Heritage 7, De Anza 6
Heritage scored its only touchdown in the second half on a play-action pass from quarterback Jacob Wasso to Jeremiah Ruffin for 32 yards as the Patriots improved to 3-2 at the midway point of the season. The game was scoreless at halftime. On De Anza’s touchdown, the snap on the PAT was fumbled, and that proved to be the difference. De Anza is 1-3 and faces El Cerrito in its Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division opener next Friday. El Cerrito is favored to win the league. — Mike Lefkow
Berkeley 34, Kennedy-Fremont 21
Kamel Carpenter ran for three touchdowns and returned a punt 67 yards for a TD to lead host Berkeley to a victory in its MVAL/WACC Mission Division opener. The senior finished with 268 yards in 17 carries and also intercepted a pass on defense. In a loss last week at Miramonte, he had three interceptions and three TDs. Sophomore Drew Henderson, inserted into the lineup because of injuries, threw for 168 yards, including a 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Akeem Brown. Berkeley improved to 2-2, 1-0. Kennedy fell to 0-4, 0-1. — Darren Sabedra
James Logan 41, Freedom 12
The host Colts blew open a close game with 21 points in the third quarter on the way to their first win of the season. Angelo Forbes caught a 55-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter as Logan (1-4) took a 13-0 lead. Then the Colts stretched their advantage to 27-6 in the third quarter before Freedom (1-4) scored its final touchdown. — Phil Jensen
Encinal 48, Mt. Eden 29
Frederick Tyler rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns as Encinal improved to 3-1 overall while capturing its MVAL/WACC Mission Division opener. Mt. Eden is 2-2, 0-1. Encinal quarterback Garrett Deatherage was 18 of 26 for 271 yards and one touchdown. “Our goal in this game was to run the ball,” said Encinal coach Keith Minor, who wanted to keep the ball away from the dangerous Mt. Eden offense, Encinal also had an interception return by Kyle Lorenzo, a punt return by Marques Singleton and a kickoff return by Ken Lorenzo. Encinal led 21-7 at the half. — Mike Lefkow
Rodriguez-Fairfield 29, Northgate 21
Two fourth-down pass plays that resulted in touchdowns allowed Rodriguez to surprise the Broncos (2-2). “You take away those two plays and it’s a different game,” Northgate coach Ben Ballard said. Emilio Pucci and Brandon MacCarter had touchdown catches for Northgate. Lucas Thompson ran the ball into the end zone for the Broncos’ other TD. Northgate was just 6-for-26 passing. — Mike Lefkow
Skyline 16, Berean Christian 3
The non-league game was halted with three minutes left when gunshots were heard outside the Skyline campus. First-year Skyline coach Koresh “KC” Adams said the players and coaches were unable to see what was going on outside the stadium, which is surrounded by a high fence. The officials and athletic directors met, but Adams said Berean Christian coach Tim Schultz suggested they stop the game. “Both teams stayed on the sidelines, but the crowd was getting restless,” Adams said. Lucas Gerbelot scored one of the Titans’ two touchdowns and sophomore Jose Perez kicked a field goal to give Skyline a 9-3 lead at halftime. Skyline evened its record at 2-2. Berean Christian is 1-3. — Mike Lefkow
South Bay/Peninsula
Hillsdale 20, Sacred Heart Prep 13
A two-yard touchdown run by Liam Smith in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference in this non-league game. Smith also passed for two touchdowns — 11 yards to Caden Wellwood in the first quarter and 15 yards to Zach Leighton in the second quarter. Smith completed 14 of 20 passes for 157 yards. Leighton had nine of those receptions for 102 yards. Joshua Violette paced Hillsdale on the ground with 76 yards. Hillsdale improved to 4-1 overall. Sacred Heart Prep fell to 1-3. — Phil Jensen
Leland 34, Silver Creek 7
Leland (3-1) rode strong rushing performances from Mark Eby and Pierre Goldstein to an easy win over Silver Creek (2-2) in both teams’ opening game of Blossom Valley Athletic League play. The Chargers’ defensive line was able to contain Silver Creek’s running game, and their secondary forced turnovers against its passing attack. Brayden Hom picked off two passes and returned both for touchdowns. Goldstein broke off a 39-yard touchdown run. QB Nathan Wright and WR Nick Ames connected from 30 yards for Leland’s first score of the game. Up next for Leland is Live Oak, which easily knocked off Oak Grove, Silver Creek’s next opponent. — Evan Webeck
Santa Teresa 7, Lincoln-San Jose 6
First-year Santa Teresa coach Steve Papin wasn’t too happy with his team after five interceptions and several dropped passes, but the Saints (2-2) did hang on to win their BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division opener. All the scoring took place in the second quarter. Lincoln (2-2) scored first for a 6-0 lead but missed the extra point. Ezekiel Herena then ran in the equalizer for Santa Teresa, and the extra point proved to be the difference. Papin attributed the mistakes to “bringing in a new offense. But I told the players we won the game and that should make us smile.” — Mike Lefkow
Live Oak 34, Oak Grove 0
Leading 13-0 at halftime on the road, Live Oak scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to put away Oak Grove in this BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division opener. QB Xavier Catano accounted for 168 yards and four touchdowns — three passing, one rushing. The junior threw for 85 yards on 5-of-7 passing and rushed for 83. Jordan Fuentes ran for 81 yards and a TD in 19 carries for the Acorns (3-1, 1-0). Brandon Hooks caught two TD passes and Anthony Gracia caught one. Oak Grove fell to 1-2, 0-1. — Darren Sabedra
Half Moon Bay 56, Lowell 13
Half Moon Bay (1-3) picked up its first win of the season with a rout of Lowell (2-2), which had won its past two games. Dual-threat senior quarterback William Moffitt led the way with nearly 300 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns, split almost evenly between the ground (7 attempts, 147 yards, 2 TD) and the air (6-11, 145 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT). He was aided by another 206 yards from five other rushers: junior PJ Modena tops among them with 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Senior Quinn McCauley also scored twice and totaled 82 yards between a pair of catches and five rushing attempts. The Cardinals struggled to get in the end zone but QB Reese Miller had himself a game with 232 yards on 23-of-32 passing. He found WR Nicolo Chiera eight times for a game-high 136 receiving yards. With their first win under their belt, the Cougars have a bye week to rest up before they begin Peninsula Athletic League play. — Evan Webeck
Overfelt 34, Piedmont Hills 14
Omar Arreola and John Stowers each scored two running touchdowns as Overfelt began league play in the Blossom Valley’s Mt. Hamilton Division with a convincing win. Arreola scored both of his TDs in the first half. Stowers went over from 10 and 5 yards after intermission. Omar Togiai scored Overfelt’s other touchdown on a 20-yard fumble return in the third quarter. Togiai also rushed for 200 yards and Arreola ran for another 150 as Overfelt accumulated nearly 400 yards on the ground. Overfelt improved to 3-0-1 on the season. Piedmont Hills (2-2) scored both of its touchdowns on passes by junior quarterback Raymond Heredia. The first was a 10-yard throw to Damian Nevarez, the second was 64 yards to Roland Legaspi. — Mike Lefkow
Leigh 48, Westmont 21
In a game played Thursday at Westmont, Leigh senior Sam Betz did it all. He ran for 152 yards and four touchdowns in 19 carries. He threw a 45-yard pass on a halfback option to James Bose to set up a touchdown. He also intercepted a pass and kicked six extra points. It all added up to another impressive victory for Leigh, which improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the BVAL’s Santa Teresa Division. Westmont fell to 3-1, 1-0. The teams traded touchdowns early, but Leigh added two TDs in the second quarter to take a 28-14 lead into halftime. The advantage never got closer than that in the second half as the Longhorns stretched their winning streak to nine games dating to last spring’s 5-0 season. Leigh QB Aidan Williams completed only three passes but one went for a TD to his younger brother, Carter Williams, who was celebrating his 16th birthday. Aidan Williams ran for 122 yards in nine carries, and the Longhorns turned two of Westmont’s three turnovers into TDs. Elijah Monroe ran for 126 yards and a TD in 15 carries and Jacob Lang carried nine times for 94 yards and a TD to lead Westmont, which visits Pioneer on Thursday. Leigh next plays at Independence on Oct. 2. — Darren Sabedra
Palo Alto 63, Santa Clara 13
Senior QB Danny Peters was responsible for six touchdowns as Palo Alto (3-2) routed Santa Clara (3-1-1) in both schools’ SCVAL opener. The 6-foot-5 gunslinger threw for five scores, including two to Brody Simison, but it was his 24-yard run into the end zone that signaled the rout was on. That made it 28-13, and the Vikings added 14 more points before halftime. With a running clock in the second half, Peters finished with 321 yards passing for the game, while Simison corralled six catches for 176 yards. Blake Chase scored on offense and defense with a TD reception and a pick-six. Lucas Black, Brandon Escarsega-Calderon also caught TD passes, while Charlie Hoke returned another interception to the house. Paly will put its 1-0 record in league play on the line next Friday when it hosts Homestead; Santa Clara also continues league play against Los Gatos. — Evan Webeck
Pioneer 37, Independence 14
The visiting Mustangs scored 16 points in the second quarter to take control of this Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division opener. The last points of that quarter were scored by Isaac De La Cruz, who kicked a 36-yard field goal to give Pioneer a 23-8 lead. The Mustangs (2-2 overall) reached the end zone three times on runs — two by quarterback Axel Garcia (30 and 3 yards) and one by Noah Bernal (7 yards). Garcia threw a touchdown pass to Andres Valenzuela, and teammate Jeremiah Lolohea scored on a fumble recovery on an Independence punt. Creon Fitch and Adrian Espinoza ran for touchdowns and Kevaughn Bailey had two tackles for loss for Independence (0-4). — Phil Jensen
Sobrato 22, Branham 14
The Bulldogs took a 15-0 first-half lead on their way to a win in their Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division opener. Seth Hernstedt rushed for two touchdowns for Sobrato, and Nathan Ortiz scored the team’s other touchdown. Sobrato coach Jubenal Rodriguez gave a shout-out to his special teams, which he said played a huge role with field position. Branham (2-2, 0-1) narrowed the score to 15-14 in the third quarter but couldn’t overtake the visiting Bulldogs. Sobrato improved to 2-2. — Phil Jensen
Cupertino 28, Lynbrook 7
The visiting Pioneers took a 14-0 first-quarter lead and didn’t look back to stay undefeated (4-0, 1-0 Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division). In the victory, Jayden Hall threw touchdown passes to Joshua Ryland Jr. (62 yards) and Jesse Mendoza (six yards) as well as scoring the first touchdown of the game on a three-yard run. Ricky Hernandez added a three-yard TD run for Cupertino. The Pioneers had three players rush for more than 50 yards: Hernandez (71 yards), Hall (67) and Benjamin Chen (56). Defensively, OJ Jimenez had eight tackles and Harry Singh added seven for Cupertino. Michael Wu scored the touchdown for Lynbrook (2-3, 0-1). — Phil Jensen
The King’s Academy 28, Moreau Catholic 21
Sophomore Jeaden Underwood rushed for 194 yards in 24 carries and scored all four touchdowns for the visiting Knights (2-2) in this intersectional game. The King’s Academy led 21-7 at the half and 28-7 at the end of the third quarter. Senior Zach Denis had 11 tackles and three sacks for the Knights. Moreau Catholic fell to 0-4 with the loss. — Phil Jensen
San Mateo 42, Oakland 0
San Mateo forced five turnovers Thursday, including a fumble that Noah Rodriguez returned for a touchdown, as the Bearcats improved to 4-0 heading into their PAL Lake Division opener next week against Woodside. Rodriguez also caught a 30-yard touchdown pass, and Tevita Kioa led San Mateo in rushing with 85 yards. Oakland fell to 0-3. — Darren Sabedra
Gunderson 25, Yerba Buena 6
Gunderson won for the first time this season as senior RB Zach Snow rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown in 20 carries to lead the way Thursday. Dylan Rodriguez added 62 yards in nine attempts as Gunderson finished with 270 yards on the ground. Daniel Quintero, a senior linebacker, had three sacks, and junior defensive back Jay Vasquez had nine tackles and forced a fumble as the Grizzlies improved to 1-3 overall and 1-0 in the BVAL’s West Valley Division. Yerba Buena is 1-3, 0-1. — Darren Sabedra
