After upsetting Aragon 28-23, the Menlo-Atherton Bears are looking to continue their surge when they take on a feisty Burlingame offense. Burlingame is looking to bounce back after being shutout by a very strong Sacred Heart Prep team, 10-0. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. Friday at Menlo-Atherton.
Quarterback Royce Branning threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns to lead M-A to the upset victory over Aragon. Aragon had fought back to cut their deficit with 8:33 remaining and saw the potential game-winning touchdown taken out by an ankle tackle at the Bears’ 10-yard line with just a few seconds remaining on the clock. M-A’s Evan Perkins snagged an interception, and the game was sealed for the Bears.
“I have to give a lot of the credit to Oliver Bucka too though,” Perkins said. “He went hard and got the tip making it easy for me to go make the grab.”
Menlo-Atherton needs to focus its energy in order to win their game this Friday. The Bears definitely have the capability, but a lack of focus could result in their downfall. It is homecoming week for the Bears, so this possibility shouldn’t be so quickly ruled out.
“Burlingame is a great team and we've got to go into it expecting a hard game,” Perkins added. “We've all got confidence in all the guys around us and if we play together I think we'll have a good game.”
Burlingame is coming off a loss, but it was a loss that showed heart and determination. The Sacred Heart Prep Gators have a strong offense, and the Panthers were able to contain them to only 10 points despite not being able to score themselves. Surely, they’ll be looking to capitalize on Menlo-Atherton’s post-upset excitement and avenge last week’s shutout.
