Menlo School communications director Pam McKenney might be the busiest person on campus of late.
The Knights from Atherton won their fourth straight football game Saturday, defeating rival and visiting Menlo-Atherton for the first time in almost a decade, 28-13, as Jack Freehill and Mikey McGrath each threw two touchdown passes.
Nicky Scacco and Brady Jung each caught two TDs and the defense got big contributions from Palmer Riley (interception, fumble recovery) and sacks from David Mhatre, Riley and Bradford Tudor.
The Knights, who last beat M-A in 2014, moved into the Chronicle’s top 25 rankings for the first time this season at No. 25. They’ve outscored opponents 115-40, utilizing a balanced and deep roster.
“These guys want to do great not just for themselves but for the people around them,” Menlo School coach Todd Smith said. “I think that’s what is the driving factor.”
On Friday, Menlo’s cross-country team excelled at one of the country’s biggest meets, the Woodbridge Invitational in Irvine.
Led by race winner Landon Pretre, the Knights beat 23 other teams to win their division. Pretre finished in 14:46.4 and fellow juniors Will Hauser (15:04.2) and Jared Saal (15:07.0) placed third and fourth, respectively. Teammate Jonah Block won an all-sophomore race in 16:47.5 among 200 runners.
“It was definitely a special night for everyone,” Pretre said. “The atmosphere at Woodbridge is about as electric as you can get in cross country, under the lights, flat and fast.”
RK | School | W-L | Pre. |
1. | Serra | 3-0 | 1 |
2. | De La Salle | 2-2 | 2 |
3. | San Ramon Valley | 4-0 | 3 |
4. | Pittsburg | 3-1 | 4 |
5. | Marin Catholic | 4-0 | 6 |
6. | McClymonds | 2-1 | 5 |
7. | San Marin | 4-0 | 7 |
8. | Valley Christian | 3-0 | 8 |
9. | Los Gatos | 3-1 | 9 |
10 | El Cerrito | 4-0 | 12 |
11. | Riordan | 2-1 | 10 |
12. | Wilcox | 2-1 | 12 |
13. | St. Francis | 1-2 | 13 |
14. | Cardinal Newman | 4-0 | 17 |
15. | St. Ignatius | 2-1 | 15 |
16. | Mitty | 3-0 | 16 |
17. | Clayton Valley | 2-2 | 18 |
18. | Liberty | 3-1 | 19 |
19. | Amador Valley | 3-1 | 23 |
20. | Monte Vista | 3-1 | 14 |
21. | Windsor | 1-1-1 | 20 |
22. | Rancho Cotate | 3-1 | 22 |
23. | Redwood | 3-0 | 21 |
24. | California | 2-2 | 25 |
25. | Menlo | 4-0 | NR |
On Wednesday, Menlo’s girls flag football team started its inaugural season as a sanctioned sport with a game at cross-street rival Sacred Heart Prep. The team is coached by a pair of former 49er quarterbacks, Steve Young and John Paye.
Paye, who stepped down as the girls varsity basketball coach earlier this summer after 22 seasons, 417 wins and four state titles, is the head coach and Hall of Famer Young his assistant. Both have daughters on the team.
The Knights lost their season opener 2-0. Wednesday they will play in a jamboree at Sacred Heart Prep with Notre Dame-Belmont and Notre Dame St. Joseph-Alameda.
“There’s certainly a good amount of excitement (about girls flag football) in the Menlo community,” Paye said before the season. “I guess it’s a little old-fashioned but it gives everyone an opportunity to play. In my book, high school sports first and foremost should be fun and a place where you can bond with your classmates.”
Metro NFL players: SBLive/Sports Illustrated’s Bodie DeSilva recently published a story of all the California prep alums on NFL rosters, including practice squad members. Of the 207, 36 are from Metro schools. Among local schools, Serra has the most (four), followed by De La Salle-Concord, Freedom-Oakley and Monte Vista-Danville each with three.
Alameda — WR *Keelan Doss (Chargers); Antioch — RB Najee Harris (Steelers); Berean Christian-Walnut Creek — WR Isaiah Hodgins (Giants); Bishop O’Dowd — DB Jevon Holland (Dolphins), OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (Jets); California — P Ryan Wright (Vikings); De La Salle-Concord — DL Isaiah Foskey (Saints), TE Austin Hooper (Raiders), LB Henry To’oTo’o (Texans); Deer Valley-Antioch — RB Taiwan Jones (Giants); Dublin — OL Alex Cappa (Bengals)
El Cerrito — OL Aaron Banks (49ers); Freedom-Oakley — TE *Darrell Daniels (Lions), RB Joe Mixon (Bengals), RB Ronnie Rivers (Rams); James Logan-Union City — DB Nahshon Wright (Cowboys); Los Gatos — FB Nick Bawden (Jets); Marin Catholic-Kentfield — Jared Goff (Lions); McClymonds-Oakland — DB Marcus Peters (Raiders); Menlo-Atherton — DB Mekhi Blackmon (Vikings); Milpitas — DL Vita Vea (Bucs); Mitty — TE *Tommy Hudson (Saints); Monte Vista-Danville — TE Zach Ertz (Cardinals), LB Nate Landman (Falcons), OL *Corey Luciano (49ers).
Oakland Tech — QB Josh Johnson (Ravens); Palo Alto — WR Davante Adams (Raiders); Redwood-Larkspur — OL Jake Curhan (Seahawks); Sacred Heart Cathedral — OL Keith Ismael (Cardinals); San Leandro — OL Charles Leno (Commanders); Serra — OL David Bakhtiari (Packers), DL *Matt Dickerson (Chiefs), OL Antonio Mafi (Patriots), WR *Easop Winston (Seahawks); St. Francis — DL Viliami Fehoko Jr. (Cowboys); Washington-Fremont — WR DeAndre Carter (Raiders)
* Practice squad
SBLive Sports senior editor Mitch Stephens covers high school sports for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: mitch@scorebooklive.com
Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
