Menlo's hopes for a perfect season ended Friday afternoon in Atherton as Maligi Maluia scored on a one-yard power run with 14 seconds left to lift South San Francisco to a 43-39 win. The loss was the first of the season for the Knights (5-1, 0-1 PAL-Ocean), who came into the game having outscored their opponents 261-64. The Warriors (3-3, 2-0) moved into first place with the win.
The run by Maluia capped a four-minute drive that answered a drive engineered by Menlo quarterback Jack Heneghan (21-of-35, 357 yards, 3 TDs, 1 rushing TD), who finished with a 5-yard run with 4:42 to go to give the Knights a 39-36 lead.
Menlo jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead on the strength of an 11-yard TD pass from Heneghan to Connor Stastny and a one-yard run by Matt Bradley, but the Warriors answered with a 16-yard run by Orlando Garcia to pull within 14-7. The Knights led 26-14 at halftime as Heneghan found Stastny (8 receptions, 111 yards, 2 TDs) once again for a 31-yard score.
Anthony Shkuratov (22 carries, 186 yards, 3 TDs) led a South City rushing attack that accounted for 427 yards on the ground. His 40-yard run and subsequent two-point conversion gave the Warriors their first lead, 29-26 with a minute left in the third quarter.
Max Parker had an 84-yard kickoff return and Wiley Osbourne caught a 53-yard TD pass for Menlo, which visits The King's Academy Friday night (7 pm). South San Francisco host Jefferson Friday night (7 pm).
