 |
|
|
|
|
Sports Briefs
Palo Alto defeats Matadors 27-20
Ryan Katz shattered a milestone when he topped the 2,000-yard career rushing mark at Monta Vista last weekend.
But the senior running back probably didn't feel much like celebrating. Despite his 200-plus yard night, the Matadors lost a tough 27-20 nonleague decision to Palo Alto last Saturday at Cupertino.
Katz entered the season with 1,714 yards in two varsity seasons in the Monta Vista backfield. He's opened the season with 396 yards in two games to up his career mark to an impressive 2,110 yards.
But Katz and his Monta Vista teammates almost weren't playing at all last weekend. The Mats were scheduled to face Carlmont, but the Peninsula Athletic League canceled all games following the week's national tragedy.
Palo Alto was slated to play South San Francisco of the PAL, and when both the Vikings and Matadors found themselves without opponents, they hooked up to play each other on Saturday night.
And it was a heckuva game.
The clubs traded touchdowns until the Vikes finally pulled away in the fourth quarter to clinch the hard-fought victory.
Paly scored in the first quarter, but so did Monta Vista. Katz scored on a 15-yard run, and the Mats were down just
7-6 after a period.
The Vikings added another touchdown in the second quarter to lead 14-6 at intermission, but Monta Vista tied it in the third. Katz took off on a 34-yard touchdown run, then shot over for the 2-point conversion to make it 14-14.
Paly upped its lead to 21-14 before the end of the third, but once more Monta Vista came fighting back. It was Katz doing the damage once again, scoring on a 13-yard run. But the Mats came up short on the run for two, and trailed 21-20.
The Vikings would add one more touchdown in the game, but the Matadors couldn't answer that one and ended up falling 27-20.
Monta Vista will try to get back on the winning track this week when they host powerful Los Gatos on Sept. 21, 7:30 p.m., at Cupertino.
|
|
|
|
Cupertino, California Since 1947
