The Sacred Heart Prep Gators (12-1) are Division IV CCS champions after overcoming a first half deficit to beat out same-street rival Menlo, 13-7.
With one minute to play in the fourth quarter and the score at 13-7, Menlo (10-3) had its chance to mount a comeback, but Jack Heneghan’s long pass attempt sailed into the arms of Sacred Heart defensive back Jack Del Santo to secure a Gator victory.
“The pass was thrown a little bit off and I happened to be there for it. We put ourselves in great positions tonight,” said Del Santo, who also had an interception earlier in the fourth quarter.
The teams from Valparaiso Avenue in Atherton got the Pacifica experience on Saturday night at Terra Nova High School. Neither team came prepared to battle the strong coastal winds and heavy rainfall, and it showed in the first quarter. Within the first 10 minutes of the game, fumbled and threw an interception, and the Gators fumbled twice.
“As soon as [Menlo] turned the ball over I said to myself, we’re gonna turn the ball over too. And we did,” said Sacred Heart Prep coach Peter Lavorato, “It takes time to get used to this kind of weather and that’s what happened tonight.”
After a scoreless and sloppy first quarter, both teams learned how to control the ball in wet conditions. In the second quarter the Gators unleashed its three-headed monster rushing attack in Andrew Segre, Ryan Gaertner, and Ben Burr-Kirven. Although offensive production was minimal, Menlo recognized that the three running backs would be tough to stop.
The Knights were forced to step out of their comfort zone due to the slippery weather. Menlo, who run a pass-first offense led by Heneghan, had to put faith in running backs Travis Chambers and Heru Peacock.
Peacock and Chambers got the majority of the touches on offense, rushing for a combined 115 yards, but Heneghan was still able to sling it. The 6-foot-3 junior completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Matt Bradley with 2:44 left in the half, giving the Knights a 7-0 lead heading into halftime.
At the start of the half, the three-headed monster went to work and the Gators dominated time of possession. The first drive of the half began on Sacred Heart’s own 35-yard line, whereby Segre, Gaertner, and Burr-Kirven led the team on a 6:27 drive that ended in a one-yard touchdown by Burr-Kirven, tying the game at 7-7.
“At halftime we were down and couldn’t deal with it," said Segre, who rushed for 130 yards on 21 attempts. "A great team came out in the second half."
The Gators limited the Knights to just 20 total yards in the third quarter, and continued to dominate time of possession in the fourth quarter. Sacred Heart Prep put together a stunning drive to start the quarter, muscling its way down into Menlo territory and ending with an 11-yard bootleg touchdown run by quarterback Kevin Donahoe. The quarterback’s first yards of the game put the Gators in the lead, 13-7, with 7:44 remaining.
With the Knights hoping they could win it with a touchdown and an extra point, Heneghan attempted to be the hero, but Del Santo had other plans. His interception with 5:20 remaining diminished Menlo’s hopes, and his game-winning interception destroyed them.
Each team went back to Valparaiso Avenue with a trophy, but only the Gators are CSS Division IV Champions.
“It’s been a great year. I don’t think anybody really thought we were going to be as good as we are, but this is a special group of kids. I love them, I love them,” said Lavorato.
