Palma upsets top-seed Menlo-Atherton
ATHERTON >> Dealing with deficits has become part of the process this fall — one that Palma head coach Jeff Carnazzo would like to eliminate.
But trailing in a game for an eighth consecutive week, this time by 14 points — with their football season in the balance, the Chieftains were in their comfort zone.
“Normally my stomach would be turning,” said Carnazzo, the county's all-time leader in wins. “It's not the way I'm dialed in. I would not say I've gotten numb to it. But I wasn't stressed.”
When Thomas Nunes batted down a desperation pass as time expired at the 20-yard line, Chieftain players on to the field and began doing belly slides on the wet turf in celebration.
The Chieftains are going back to the Central Coast Section finals for the first since 2011, erasing a 14-point deficit with a 28-21 win over Division III top seed Menlo-Atherton in the semifinals.
“We had dudes flying all over the field on their bellies,” said offensive tackle and Cornell-bound Thomas Ducker. “It was amazing.”
Palma (5-7) will face Alisal, which beat Scotts Valley 28-7 in the other semifinal, Friday at 7 p.m. at Rabobank Stadium, Salinas.
“The team's perspective is all the struggles during the season and turmoil we faced have been flushed,” Ducker said. “It has been a new lease on our season.”
Ducker was referring to the Chieftains having to forfeit three wins earlier this year for using an ineligible player, as well as the need to win their regular-season finale to secure a record 39th straight postseason appearance.
“It feels amazing to push past a solid opponent like that — the top seed — and grind through the game, digging out of a 14-point deficit,” Ducker said.
Owners of 11 CCS titles over the past 34 years, the Chieftains' last title was a 33-21 win over Carmel in the Division IV finals in 2011.
Owners of three straight wins for the first time this year, Palma has outscored the opposition 5914 in the postseason after spotting them a lead.
“I don't want this to continue to be our method of operation,” Carnazzo said. “I want to be the aggressor instead of sitting back and adjusting.”
Last week the Chieftains were down 3-0 to Hollister before running off 38 straight points to send their longest-running rival home for the year. Menlo-Atherton's size did present concerns coming in.
“There was an adjustment period with their size,” Carnazzo said. “We knew what kind of a program
they have here. We felt coming in like we had some momentum, although it took a hit in the first half.”
Yet, no one flinched. “I wasn't even looking at the scoreboard,” Ducker said. “The offense was driving the ball. Our defense was playing out of their minds. It was kind of like `been there, done that'.”
Of concern for Carnazzo was containing 280-pound tailback Jordan Masuisui, who opened the game with an 8-yard run before being bottled up most of the game.
“We rallied around our two inside tackles and did a nice job of gang tackling him,” said Carnazzo, who has won four CCS titles in his 23-year career.
Carnazzo was referring to tackles Nick Dominguez and Edgar Padilla, who closed the inside lanes and forced Masuisui to the outside, where linebackers Noah Orozco and Caden Scherer came up to supply support.
Despite a 4-6 record coming into the postseason, the Bears earned the No. 1 seed in Division III, playing in the loaded Peninsula Bay Division, which includes Los Gatos, Wilcox and Sacred Heart Prep.
Menlo-Atherton, which
opened the playoffs with a season-high 49-point eruption in a 12-point win over Hillsdale of San Mateo, had suffered two three-point losses and one in overtime during the regular season.
The Chieftains, who used a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs from freshman Eli Dukes to tie the game at the half, opened the third quarter with a six-plus minute drive, capped with Julius Orozco's diving into the end zone on fourth down.
Dukes carried the offense on the ground with a careerhigh 30 carries for 180 yards — 117 of those coming in the second half. Nunes threw for 102 yards and added 72 on the ground.
An interception from Notre Dame-bound receiver Logan Saldate set up the Chieftains' fourth touchdown when Nunes called his own number to stretch the lead to 28-14 with 8 minutes and 28 seconds left.
Nunes, who intercepted a pass in the end zone earlier in the quarter to keep the Bears off the scoreboard, batted down the final pass to extend the Chieftains' season.
“It was smart for Thomas to bat it down instead of trying to intercept it,” Carnazzo said. “I couldn't be more proud of this group for all it has overcome this year.”