Sep 7, 2008

Menlo-Atherton opens with 30-point rout

Simon recovers two fumbles, returns one for touchdown

By Tim Goode / BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

The smallest Menlo-Atherton Bear made a large impact Saturday in helping M-A to a 30-0 victory over visiting Saratoga in a non-league football opener for both teams.

Abraham Simon, a 5-foot-5, 125-pound cornerback starting his first varsity game, recovered two fumbles in the first half, the second of which he returned for a touchdown.

"The first fumble was on the ground and I just dove for it," Simon said. "The second one I saw bouncing away and I was trying to fall on it and it took a bounce in my favor. It was just good luck."

The second fumble was the result of an errant pitch at the 38-yard line of Saratoga. The ball was batted by two Falcons and three Bears in an effort to get the ball. Simon caught the ball in stride and took it into the end zone.

"After that, all my jitters were gone," Simon said.

The touchdown staked M-A to a 14-0 halftime lead and provided the Bears a boost to their stuttering offense.

M-A gained 48 yards in the first half and fumbled away two possessions of its own. Fortunately for the Bears, Saratoga was able to muster just 59 yards in the first half and lost four fumbles. It wasn't until the second half that M-A began performing like the defending champion of the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division.

M-A's defense became more active, causing two more turnovers and forcing lost yardage on seven plays. The first turnover of the half was an interception by Sam Knapp that he returned 25 yards. A late hit at the end of the play put the ball at the 9. Two plays later, quarterback Turner Baty completed his first pass of the game, a 5-yarder to Knapp for a 21-0 lead.

M-A put the game away early in the fourth quarter when Viliami Talakai recovered a fumble and Baty again took quick advantage, this time hitting David McLaughlin for a 57-yard catch-and-run to the 5. Vaughn Smith capped the scoring with his second touchdown of the game.

Smith was the game's top rusher with 72 yards on 14 carries. His longest run was a 16-yarder.

"It looked like a first game out there," M-A coach Bob Sykes said. "We didn't play well in the first half, but we picked it up in the second half. It took us a while to get going, but to win 30-0 in a first game and know what you have to work for is a good thing. This is a brand new team, and I am happy we are where we are."

Saratoga 0 0 0 0 - 0

Menlo-Atherton 0 14 10 6 - 30



MA - Smith 1 run (Stanske kick)

MA - Simon 3 fumble recovery (Stanske kick)

MA - Knapp 5 pass from Baty (Stanske kick)

MA - FG Stanske 28

MA - Smith 5 run (kick failed)

Sara MA

Yards rushing 100 108

Yards passing 57 63

Total net yards 157 171

Fumbles-lost 7-5 2-2



INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Saratoga - Spencer 11-66, El -Diwany 9-33, Youngs 5-43, Farmer 3-11, Thomas 1-7, Beam 1-2, Yen 6-(-8), Carstens 2-(-20), Guercio 1-(-38); M-A - Smith 14-72, Nash 8-22, Mayen 2-8, Talaki 2-3, Baty 1-3.

PASSING-Saratoga - Guercio 7-9-1-29, Carstens 1-2-0-28; M-A - Baty 3-13-0-63.

RECEIVING-Saratoga - Spencer 3-3, Wokas 2-37, Beam 2-13, Farmer 1-4; M-A - McLaughlin 1-57, Knapp 1-5, Smith 1-1.