Pee Wee Squad Wins Playoff Game

The topseeded Morgan Hill Jr. Pee Wee tackle football team
defeated the #7 seed Menlo Atherton 7-0 on Sunday at Woodside High.
The win advances the Raiders to the championship game against the
West Valley Falcons this weekend.
The topseeded Morgan Hill Jr. Pee Wee tackle football team defeated the #7 seed Menlo Atherton 7-0 on Sunday at Woodside High. The win advances the Raiders to the championship game against the West Valley Falcons this weekend.

The Vikings controlled field position, the clock and held the Raider offense, averaging 35.2 points a game, to only five first downs, 122 yards and scoreless until less than nine minutes remained in the fourth quarter. But that’s all the Raider defense needed to secure the win, playing ” bend don’t break” defense while pitching their fourth shutout of the year.

For the first time this year the offense was stymied by the 10 man box of Menlo Atherton producing only 122 yards of total offense with Tyler Lerma whacking out 85 of those yards on two long runs. The Raiders had five first downs but four false start penalties played big as the punting unit was called on the bail out the offense time and again. Conor Havstad had the punting duties on the day. Owning the fourth quarter has been the Raiders motto and they got a break with their best field position of the day, at Menlo’s 40.

On second and 8, Lerma went off tackle for 30 yards to the Viking 3-yard line but a first down false start set the ball at the 8 with the score tied 0-0 with under nine minutes left to play.

Derrick Taylor took a sweep on second down and goal from the 5 for the only score of the day. Fullback Lorenzo Aguayo plunged in for the 1 point conversion and a 7-0 Raider lead.

Lerma capped his day with 117 yards on nine carries. Taylor had 19 yards ons ix touches, with one touchdown.

Relying on a defense that has given up just 3.5 points a game, the Raider’s shut down a relentless attack from the underrated Vikings, holding off a first and goal from the Raider 6 on Menlo’s first possession. Playing from their own end most of the day, the Raiders used three key take aways to shut down Menlo’s offense.

Clayton Howard’s fumble recovery came shortly before half time at midfield after Lerma jarred the ball loose. Dominic Bejarano pounced on a third quarter fumble and returned it 24 yards to stop another Menlo drive and Anthony Villerreal intercepted a hail mary pass to preserve the win late in the fourth.

Franky Palmer and Danny Saporito led the Raider’s defense with six solo tackles and two assists each. Havstad, Tyler Pederson, Howard, and Mitch “Scrappy Doo”Crowley all had five tackles and assists.

The Jr. Pee Wee’s will move to the Championship game this weekend against the West Valley Falcons at Woodside High. A win would be the first Pennisula Division I or II Championship that Morgan Hill has enjoyed since the Division I Midgets won it in 1982.