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Junior quarterback Matt MacLeod has already seen his share of pressure-packed situations. A third-and-30? No problem.
MacLeod calmly stepped up in the pocket and found Jeremiah Earby, who had gotten behind the defense, for a 60-yard scoring toss. Earby didn’t have to make any adjustments in his route. He caught the ball against his number and never slowed down until he reached the end zone. The ball traveled about 45 yards in the air.
That was one of four touchdown passes MacLeod threw in leading Menlo-Atherton past visiting Half Moon Bay, 36-20, in a Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division football opener Friday night.
In a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division opener, host Gunn simply put its head down and ran all over defending EC co-champion Saratoga, 58-21, as Richard Jackson IV rushed for 208 yards, including a 75-yard run, and scored four touchdowns.
MacLeod has more experience than your normal junior. He was thrust, as a freshman making his varsity debut, into the Central Coast Section championship game and led a thrilling come-from-behind victory during the Bears successful run to a 2018 state championship.
MacLeod showed he didn’t even need all the time his offensive linemen were giving him. On the rare occasion he faced pressure, he simply evaded it and tossed a 63-yard scoring pass to Johnnie Barbie.
That’s after he had hooked up with NCAA Division I prospect Jalen Moss for a couple of scores of 55 and 21 yards. That’s 199 passing yards on just the four touchdown passes.
Earby’s best catch of the evening wasn’t for a touchdown but it did set up Dwayne Green’s 10-yard run that capped the Bears’ scoring. Earby reached with one hand and safely tucked in a 43-yard pass completion.
For good measure, kicker Juan Pulido nailed a 40-yard field goal near the end of the second quarter. He later tried a 44-yarder but just missed.
The Bears led 30-0 at halftime.
Most of M-A’s starters were out of the game by the middle of the third quarter and the Bears were content with their early lead.
Moss and Joseph Flood also showed some swagger on defense, which limited the Cougars to zero points in the first half.
Meanwhile, Gunn’s explosive offense led to the stunning victory over a perennial contender. The Titans rewrote their football history last year and they are intent on taking it further.
It was anybody’s game early. Gunn took control by scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter and then returning after halftime to add three more touchdowns in the third quarter.
Beside Jackson, another offensive catalyst was quarterback James Lambert, whose 65-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds left in the first half had to deflate the Falcons, who had just scored a minute earlier. He finished with 171 rushing yards and completed one pass for 41 yards.
Lambert’s dash gave Gunn a satisfying 30-14 advantage at the intermission, helping catapult the Titans’ strong third-quarter showing.
Noah Panousis’ 85-yard interception return for a score was Gunn’s second half highlight. The game was completed with a running clock.
The Titans don’t have to wait too long to play again, traveling to Homestead for a game on Thursday.
M-A has a game at Burlingame on Friday night.
In the Peninsula Athletic League, Woodside took care of South San Francisco to the tune of 40-0.
Girls’ tennis
All four singles players recorded straight-set victories and visiting Sacred Heart Prep went on to beat Crystal Springs Uplands, 4-3, in Hillsborough on Friday for its first West Bay Athletic League victory.
No. 1 singles player Natalie Dias set the stage for SHP with her 6-1, 6-1 victory over Tali Gabovich. At the same time, Lillian Lynch was beating her opponent, 6-2, 6-1, Sara Quinlin produced a 6-3, 6-0 win and Elsie Ragatz rallied to win 7-5, 6-1.
Sacred Heart Prep (1-3) hosts Nueva, the latest addition to the WBAL, on Tuesday afternoon.
Swimming
Austin Sparrow set a team record in the 100 breast in helping the Menlo-Atherton boys earn a 129-36 Peninsula Athletic League victory over Half Moon Bay on Friday.
Sparrow swam a 57.03, more than a full second (58.83) better than the previous mark. He also had the top mark in the 50 free for the Bears.
Gabe Montoya recorded the top times in the 200 individual medley and 100 back.
Ava Peyton and Marygrace de la Cruz each recorded the top times in a pair of events. Peyton was tops in the 500 free and 100 back. de la Cruz was best in 50 free and 100 free.
Girls’ soccer
Gunn, playing in the SCVAL De Anza Division this season, held its own against host Palo Alto on Friday.
The hard-nosed competitive contest ended in a 1-1 tie.
Gunn RB Richard Jackson IV is the real deal. Come and see him when we go orange–he is a superstar destined to play college football and maybe after that as well…
Before last night, Maxpreps had Paly at #228, Gunn at #731 (in Cali).
Check back Tuesday and see if Gunn (cheated out of the playoffs last year) finally gets football respect (with the single wing, 5’7” QB, small numbers, and generally small players). +good coach.