Football roundup: Freshman QB leads Serra to its 1st victory

In the first varsity start for a freshman quarterback in Walsh’s 25 years running the program, Orr went 4-of-9 passing for 142 yards, and one touchdown pass to junior tight end Jace Cannon. The Padres gained 309 yards of offense, with senior running back Iziah Singleton carrying 10 times for a team-high 52 yards, and juniors Jeovanni Henley and Malakai Taufoou each rushing for touchdowns.

The Padres’ ‘D’ produced two TDs as well, with juniors Dylan Modena and Cornell James each scoring pick-6s.

Serra broke a scoreless tie with a 21-point second quarter. Valley Christian (0-1, 2-2) was held to its lowest single-game point total of the season.

The Padres return to action this Saturday, hosting St. Ignatius at 1:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Menlo-Atherton 42, San Mateo 28

The Bears (1-4) racked up 493 total yards of offense to earn their first win of the year, taking down San Mateo (3-2) at Coach Parks Field. It is the second 42-28 loss of the season for the Bearcats, who lost by the same score Sept. 6 at Menlo School.

Senior quarterback Teddy Dacey broke out for the biggest game of his three-year varsity career, completing 20 of 31 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Matthew Kwon, junior Xavier Bedolla and sophomore Kyle Gabriel each had touchdown hauls. Junior running back Jamarlo Jackson carried eight times for a game-high 91 yards and one TD, while seniors Evaimalo Ama and Monty Turner rushed for a TD apiece. Junior free safety Lucca Keighery paced the M-A defense with 10 tackles and one interception.

San Mateo rushed for 220 yards as a team, with junior Lukas Fitzgerald leading the way for 90 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Senior Tyce Copus added four carries for 83 yards and a score, and two catches for 51 yards, and senior Yianni Fitzgerald rushed for a TD and 10 tackles on defense.

Woodside 56, Santa Clara 6

The Wildcats (5-0) scored over 40 points in each of their first four games, and kept the streak alive by surpassing the half century mark for the first time this season in their fifth straight win over Santa Clara (2-3) at Bradley Field.

Senior running backs Daniel Torres and Evan Frampton combined for over 140 yards of rushing, scoring twice apiece, to front the explosive Woodside offense. Torres rushed just three times for a team-high 79 yards, while Frampton totaled 12 carries for 68 yards. Senior running back Alex Valencia added five carries for 54 yards and a TD, while junior quarterback Charlie Dalrymple connected with junior Grady Furtado on a 12-yard scoring pass.

Woodside benefitted from four Santa Clara turnovers, including interceptions from junior Max Hua and sophomores JJ Lange and Kolby Nelson. Lange now has four interceptions on the year.

Mills 35, Cupertino 0

The Vikings (1-0 PAL Lake, 2-2 overall) opened PAL Lake Division play with a shutout at Cupertino (0-1, 0-4), marking the second straight year Mills has blanked the Pioneers after suffering a lopsided 49-10 loss in Cupertino in 2023.

Senior running back Valentino Maza recored the first triple-digit rushing performance of his two-year varsity career, the totaling nine carries for 100 yards and one touchdown. Senior running backs Jayden Carmona and Jhared Sese added rushing scores, while sophomore quarterback Brian Lourenco was 10-of-17 passing for 122 yards and one TD, with a scoring catch from sophomore Leo Wasmuth (three catches, 48 yards).

Menlo 50, Northgate 28

The Knights (5-0) broke a 14-all halftime tie with 21 unanswered points in the third quarter at Northgate-Walnut Creek (2-3) to close out the non-league slate with their fifth straight win to start the year. Senior quarterback Jack Freehill put on a show, gaining 257 total yards with five touchdowns, going 13-of-20 passing for 182 yards and three TDs, while rushing seven times for 75 yards and two more scores.

Menlo gained 423 total yards of offense. Running back Chuck Wynn and Merrick Ward balanced the attack. Wynn, a senior, carried 17 times for 77 yards and a TD. Ward added five carries for 71 yards and a TD. Senior receiver Tyler Van der Pyl had six catches for 81 yards and two TDs, and sophomore JayAr Davis finished with three catches for 70 yards and a score.

Aragon 42, Gunn 0

Junior quarterback Isaiah Johnson threw for five touchdowns and the Dons (3-2) rolled to a non-league win at home over Gunn-Palo Alto (2-3).

Johnson was 12-of-18 passing for 185 yards, while hitting four different receivers for touchdowns. Aragon’s workhorse, however, was sophomore running back Jaxson Sullivan, who carried 26 times for 216 yards and a touchdown. Sullivan also had one reception for 21 yards.

Senior Charlie Wilcox had two TD receptions, totaling three catches for 43 yards. Junior Isaac Martinez added four catches for a team-high 77 yards and a score, while Nick Castroviejo and Nick Mazzola hauled in a TD apiece.