Pee Wees blank Menlo Atherton 28-0, Midgets trounce Pacifica
24-0
On a mild Sunday afternoon in Menlo Park, Hollister’s Pee Wees continued their winning ways with a smothering defense, an accurate passing attack and an unstoppable running game, resulting in a huge 28-0 win over Menlo Atherton and a 2-0 record.
The Vikings led with their defense as Adolfo Davila stopped an MA reverse on the first play, pulling the runner down from behind. Jared Lantis followed with a QB sack.
More great plays by Ryan Disalvo, Jonathan Huaracha and Nathan Castro gave the ball to the Vikings near midfield. Quarterback Tyler Decker went right to work lobbing a pass to Mark Neal in the flat for a quick 6 yard pick up.
Decker then hit Justin Raine with a shovel pass, which was good for another 10 yards. With Menlo playing the pass, Decker handed ball off to Neal who swept to the right around a pulling Disalvo then raced 11 yards into the end zone for the game’s first score.
The rout was on as great play by the defensive unit, consisting of Adrian Soto, Tyler Pina, Junior Davila, Mikey Soto, Darin Hopkins, Kenny Salcedo, Huaracha, Evan Roascio, Isaac Munoz, Disalvo, Castro, Raine, Lantis and Isaac Navarette stopped play after play, returning the ball to their offense quickly, keeping the Menlo-Atherton defense on the field.
The Vikings offense struck quickly in the 2nd quarter. After ground gaining runs by Castro, Jacob Martin and Mikey Soto, Decker took to the air and hit Lantis with a perfect 18 yard pass for the score. Tyler Pina came in to split the uprights for the first of two two-point conversion kicks he would make good on, and Hollister led 14-0. Late in the period, after Gregory Vasquez had made an open-field tackle to stop a Menlo drive, the Vikings scored again as Castro, following precision blocking by DiSalvo & Neal, raced 70 yards downfield for the score that made it 20-0 at halftime.
n In other action:
Midgets
Hollister 24, Pacifica 0
The Hollister Vikings Midget Football team recorded its second straight shutout last Saturday night at Terra Nova High School in Pacifica. Hollister showed its defensive prowess in the first quarter by holding Pacifica scoreless, even after two consecutive roughing the kicker penalties gave the Tigersharks first downs in their own territory. The Vikings kept Pacifica going in reverse thanks to backfield tackles by Nick Acosta, Michael Murphy & Bryan Garza.
The Vikings’ offense heated-up in the 2nd quarter with 7:15 left, when running back Brandon Pina scored the first touchdown of the game by sweeping right for 35 yards into the end zone. Tito Lizarraga’s two-point kick was good, and Hollister led 8-0 The Vikings scored again just 3 minutes later when quarterback Felix Cortez found Brandon Pina all alone for a 56-yard pass play into the end zone. Lizarraga, who was perfect on three conversion tries, put the ball through the uprights, and Hollister had a 16-0 edge.
Junior Pee Wee
Menlo Atherton 13, Hollister 0
In a closer game than the score shows, the Junior Pee Wee Vikings dropped one to Menlo Atherton as each team’s solid defense made scoring very tough.
Hollister lost the battle for field position early as MA kept the ball inside Hollister’s 20 for the first thirteen minutes. Nevertheless, the well-coached Hollister defense hung tough in the shadow of their own goal line holding Menlo Atherton out of the end zone three straight times. MA finally broke through to score late in the 2nd quarter to take a 6-0 lead. Menlo’s offense, through a ball control game plan, held the ball for the majority of the game, keeping Hollister’s offense on the sidelines.
Consistent defensive play in the second half by Cody Cameron, Chris Greenwood, Mark Ponte and Damien Botelho kept the game close.
Junior Midget
Menlo-Atherton 13, Hollister 2
In another game totally dominated by defense, Hollister led 2-0 until the fourth quarter. A great opening kickoff by Cooper Sepulveda and corresponding coverage from the Vikings special teams pinned Menlo Atherton on their own 5. An interception by Alex Alvarez gave Hollister its first scoring opportunity, but their ensuing touchdown play was the first of four Hollister scores that would be nullified by a penalty.
By the end of the first quarter, Hollister had missed three scoring opportunities deep in Menlo-Atherton’s end. They got yet another opportunity when Alvarez forced a fumble with an incredible hit on a punt return, and Andre Cornell alertly pounced on the ball. Quarterback Dillon Albert quickly hit Sal Ornelas with a pass at the MA 6, but Hollister again was denied the end zone. Good defensive play by Ornelas, Jordan Ashford and the rest of the Viking defense kept the shutout going until the fourth quarter, when Menlo Atherton took advantage of the overworked defensive unit to mount two long scoring drives.
Mighty Mites
Hollister 6, Menlo-Atherton 6
Hollister’s Mighty Mites played to a 6-6 tie in Atherton, with Tyler Fhurong tallying the Vikings lone score on a 45-yard punt return. Defense dominated the game. Aaron Tobia, Dylan Yamasaki, Cody Freitas, Chris Cook, Fhurong, and Austin Tobia all had multiple tackles in the game, and Austin Cascio made a great open-field tackle in the first half to save a certain touchdown. In the second half, the Vikings preserved the tie with a great defensive stand as tackles by Dominic Padilla, Joshua George, Enrique Rodriguez and JC Canes stopped MA short of the goal line.
Hollister returns home on Saturday to take on a variety of opponents at Andy Hardin Stadium.
