It’s a hard fact of life for the football teams of the Peninsula Athletic League Lake Division. But all it takes is one stumble over the course of the eight-game schedule in the “C” league, and your postseason chances go poof.
Robert Saulny-Green
After winning its first seven league games of the year, Jefferson (7-1 PAL Lake, 7-3 overall) saw its postseason hopes dashed Thursday night with a 28-7 loss at Gunn-Palo Alto. The Grizzlies last qualified for the CCS playoffs in 2017.
Michael Slugher
“We’re out of the playoffs,” Jefferson head coach Imani Stewart said. “Only one team makes it in the Lake.”
The Grizzlies got bit by the turnover bug from the outset. Jefferson committed five turnovers, including an interception pass on the opening series of the game.
“Yeah, we did the same thing against Monta Vista,” Stewart said of the Oct. 17 home game. It didn’t cost the Grizzlies in that one, as they held on for a 15-14 win.
It didn’t fly against a Gunn team (8-0, 10-0) that has outscored opponents 368-31 this season, however, including five straight shutouts to open PAL Lake Division play. The ground-intensive Titans — featuring running backs Yonatan Smolyar and Andre Lee, and quarterback JJ Racz — as they’ve done to so many teams this season, ran the ball down Jefferson’s throat.
“They kept running the ball on us,” Stewart said.
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The only highlight of the game for the Grizzlies came in the fourth quarter while facing a 28-0 deficit. Junior quarterback Robert Saulny-Green connected with senior Michael Slugher for a 45-yard touchdown pass.
“We just couldn’t get it going,” Stewart said.
Saulny-Green, a transfer from Serra who missed the first eight games of the year, made his season debut last week in Jefferson’s 24-0 win over Saratoga. The junior enjoyed quite a night, rushing 10 times for 123 yards.
In the week leading up to Thursday’s season finale, however, Saulny-Green suffered a high ankle sprain, Stewart said. Despite the injury, he still made the start and played the entire game.
“He’s a tough kid,” Stewart said.
Jefferson finishes the year with a 7-3 overall record, its best since 2019.
“This team was tough,” Stewart said. “They’re hard workers. They’re learning. They came out and worked hard every game. It’s just about consistency. We have no consistency.”
Gunn’s undefeated regular season marks quite a turnaround for the Palo Alto-based program. Over the past two seasons under head coach Dethrick Slocum, the Titans have posted a 3-17 overall record, including just one win in league play. Gunn won its last league title in the PAL El Camino Division in 2021, sharing the championship with Los Altos.
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