Undefeated Cougars have all the answers vs. Bears
Before the game Friday night, Half Moon Bay honored its 21 seniors, a special class that has won two Central Coast Section championships and has its sights on one more.
The run of success elevated the program at the small coastal school into a top-tier league this season, raising questions about whether a team of 27 players could compete against the big boys.
Half Moon Bay answered that question emphatically Friday as Chase Hofmann rushed for three touchdowns and Dylan Williams booted two field goals — including a 49-yarder — to lead the Cougars to a 28-10 victory over Menlo-Atherton.
The win improved Half Moon Bay’s record to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the Peninsula Athletic League’s Bay Division, a division that Menlo-Atherton won outright last season on its way to CCS and regional crowns and shared two seasons ago.
“I couldn’t be more proud,” Half Moon Bay coach Keith Holden said after he and his staff commended the players for a job well done. “Our kids played tough.”
The game started a little sluggish for the team that had outscored its previous six opponents by an astounding 320-29. Half Moon Bay lost two fumbles in the opening minutes but did not yield any points.
The home team eventually grabbed the lead late in the first quarter when Williams, a transfer from Menlo, drilled a 32-yard field goal to make it 3-0.
“I was at Menlo from sixth grade on, and this small town kind of caught me,” said Williams, who also returned a kickoff 75 yards and had a big run on a reverse. “How could it not? You saw the crowd here and the vibe with the team. The guys are just the best.”
A Menlo-Atherton turnover on a punt return set up Half Moon Bay’s first touchdown, an 18-yard run by Hofmann.