Serra starts fast, edges Valley Christian
Six seconds is all the time Hassan Mahasin needed to race into the end zone from his opponent’s 22-yard line, jump, spin and raise his hands just in time to pull down the first touchdown pass of Serra’s 33-26 win over Valley Christian.
Two possessions later Friday night, it didn’t take the speedy Serra junior much more time than that to dash past defenders on a 60-yard run for a second score.
The Padres, ranked third by the Bay Area News Group, started fast, but coach Patrick Walsh knew he was in for a battle against the same foe they faced in the Central Coast Section Division I championship game a season ago. Valley Christian is ranked fourth.
“Those fast starts, they always equal misery, in my opinion,” Walsh said following the win. “It’s like oh, opening kickoff, we’re gonna roll. It never happens that way.”
Serra would eventually widen its lead as far as 16 points in the second half, but Valley Christian provided a scare at the end.
DE LA SALLE 63, MONTE VISTA 27 >> LuMagia Hearns wasn’t going to play. When state health officials loosened coronavirus restrictions for outdoor youth sports last month, clearing the path for high school football to return, the Cal-bound De La Salle senior planned to watch the shortened season from the sideline.
Then practice started, and Hearns changed his mind — a decision that made what unfolded Saturday night on De La Salle’s home field in Concord possible. Hearns returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, both before halftime, as the No. 1 Spartans coasted past Monte Vista in East Bay Athletic League Mountain Division play. The defensive back’s first kickoff return covered 95 yards. The second, though 23 yards shorter than the first, was Houdini-like given the manner in which Hearns weaved through opponents along the left sideline.
PITTSBURG 59, FREEDOM 14 >> Pittsburg coach Victor Galli sounded a little concerned over the phone this week. His team was unable to scrimmage last weekend, not ideal given that its opponent Friday played a real game. But when you have a roster as loaded as Pittsburg’s, there really is no need to worry, even a little. In a matchup against Freedom on Friday, the No. 2 Pirates charged to a 17-point lead in the first seven minutes and cruised on its home field in Bay Valley Athletic League play. “It was a little sloppy at times, but the first game in a year and a half, don’t have too much to complain about,” Galli said. “The little cushion let us play through some mistakes.
CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER 20, CALIFORNIA 16 >> For the second week in a row, No. 5 Clayton Valley Charter won the fourth quarter, and now has improved to 2-0. The Ugly Eagles scored on about a 35-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Brenden Bush to wide receiver Isaiah Underwood with 1:36 left to play to come from behind and beat California. Last week Clayton Valley did the same thing to Inderkum-Sacramento, scoring in the final period to rally for a win. California scored all 16 points in the second period and took a 16-7 lead into halftime.
SAN RAMON VALLEY 21, BISHOP O’DOWD 13>> San Ramon Valley, ranked seventh, used three fourth-quarter interceptions to seal a win over Bishop O’Dowd in a non-league contest Saturday night. On the game’s final play, San Ram on Valleys en iorJ.P. Murphycame down with theg ame-ending interception. O’Dowd quarter-back Jesse Madden let goof a Hail Mary heave, his 44th pass attempt of the game, but it sailed into the hands of San Ramon Valley’s star 6-foot-4 tight end, who was in playing prevent defense.
CAMPOLINDO 24, BENICIA 14 >> Benicia struck first in its Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division matchup at home Friday against Campolindo after a short rushing touchdown in the first quarter. A subsequent possession saw Benicia turn over the ball on downs in its own territory, which led to J.T. Clarke tying the game for Campolindo. The Cougars, ranked ninth, would go on to win. Dillan Thoms ran for 129 yards in 24 carries to lead the Campolongo ground attack. The Cougars also got a sack from Jake Leuteneker and an interception from Cole Jeter.
ST. FRANCIS 24, SAN BENITO 19 >> Trying to protect a five-point lead into the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, the St. Francis defense rallied and stopped San Benito on downs to clinch the team’s season-opening victory. Close throughout, Lancers head coach Greg Calcagno said the Haybalers “gave us everything we could handle.” A two-pronged running attack controlled the game for the No. 12 Lancers, led by junior running back and middle linebacker Camilo Arquette and senior running back and defensive back Adonis Hernandez.
MENLO-ATHERTON 36, HALF MOON BAY20>> Quarterback Matt MacLeod threw four touchdown passes as the No. 20 Bears built a 30-0 halftime lead in their season opener against the No. 13 Cougars (1-1). Two of MacLeod’s TD tosses were caught by heavily recruited receiver Jalen Moss. The quarterback was 11 of 14 passing for 310 yards and four touchdowns.
LIBERTY 20, ANTIOCH 0 >> The Matt Hoefs era at Liberty, ranked 14th, is off to a nice start as the coach’s long-awaited debut began with a BVAL victory on the road. Biz Reifel’s touchdown reception from Nate Bell stretched the lead to 10-0 in the second quarter and Bell’s keeper in the third quarter widened the advantage to 17-0. The defense kept Antioch off the scoreboard, making Hoefs’ first game since taking over from the highly successful Ryan Partridgeaspecialone.
WILCOX 56, PALO ALTO 28 >> Junior Luther K. Glenn scored five touchdowns as the No. 16 Chargers rallied from behind to beat the Vikings in a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League-De Anza Division game. Palo Alto led 14-7 in the second quarter when quarterback Danny Peters suffered an injury and didn’t return. Wilcox scored 22 unanswered points to close out the half to take a 29-14 lead. Still, the Chargers were impressive with Glenn dominating. One of his touchdowns was an 80-yard kickoff return.
ACALANES 35, LAS LOMAS 28 >> A 17yard touchdown run by senior running back Nic Rossi with six seconds left broke a tie and gave No. 19 Acalanes a victory at home over No. 23 Las Lomas. The Dons improved to 2-0. Las Lomas fell to 0-2.
CENTRAL CATHOLIC 28, BELLARMINE 21>> Jalal Beauchman’s first game as Bellarmine’s coach could not have started better. The Bells stormed to a 21-point lead and seemed headed for an impressive season-opening victory in Modesto. But Central Catholic came all the way back to win, scoring three TDs in the second half, including two in the fourth quarter.