ATHERTON, Calif. — High school football coaches are typically full of clichés, and Menlo’s Todd Smith is usually no exception.

That made it all the more surprising when Smith admitted that Saturday’s 55-21 win over Hillsdale was a statement game.

“It was definitely a statement game,” Smith said. “Most importantly, it was homecoming for our community, so we wanted to be at our best.”

Consider that statement made. Facing an opponent that looked like one of their biggest challengers in the PAL-Ocean Division, the Knights rolled as Sergio Beltran threw for five touchdowns and ran for a sixth against a defense that entered allowing just 12 points per game.

“Terra Nova acted as a wake-up call for all of us,” Beltran said. “We knew Hillsdale had two weeks to prepare for us and we weren’t gonna let them stop us.”

After struggling to throw against a Terra Nova team that escaped Hillsdale with a one-point win, the Knights locked in and rededicated themselves to their offensive principles. The hard work certainly paid off.

“This week was definitely our best week of practice we’ve ever had,” said Cort Halsey, who caught a pair of touchdown passes and recorded a third score on defense.

That defensive score was the ultra-rare zero-yard pick six, which came early in the second quarter. Leading 6-0, the hosts pinned Hillsdale (4-2, 0-1) at their own 5 on a Ross Muchnick punt, then backed the Fighting Knights up even further on a false start. On third-and-13 from the 2, Aidan Housenbold batted a pass in the air, and Halsey grabbed it in the end zone for the shortest touchdown he’ll ever score.

"We had a flush call. The ends pinch and we try to flush the quarterback out of the pocket,” Halsey said. “We created some pressure and Aidan made a great play and swatted the ball out of the air.”

Menlo extended the lead to 22-0 on Beltran’s second touchdown pass of the day, an eight-yarder to Ben Banatao after he took his team into the red zone with a 39-yard completion to Tyler Flynn.

Hillsdale quickly fired back, with Josh Violette scoring from two yards out after Liam Smith’s 75-yard completion to Zach Leighton, and the visitors drew within one score after forcing a three-and-out and going back to the Smith-to-Leighton connection again, with Leighton fighting resistance at the goal line to finish a 42-yard touchdown.

Not satisfied with taking just an eight-point lead into the break, Menlo fired back with an efficient two-minute drill. Beltran, who went 19 of 24 for 284 yards, scrambled for a gain of 14, hit Banatao for a 24-yard hookup and delivered a short pass to Halsey, who broke a tackle for a 31-yard score to give his team a 28-14 lead going into halftime.

With an extended halftime to accommodate for homecoming festivities, the Knights used that extra time to plan for their most methodical drive of the year, taking the first 5:54 of the third quarter on a series of option runs before Robby Enright caught a five-yard score in the flat.

Jack Giesler, who had just three carries on the day in Austyn Carta-Samuels’ pass-heavy system, made his mark with an interception, setting up Carter Jung for a 22-yard pickup on a screen and 18-yard reception before Beltran finished off the drive with his lone rushing touchdown of the day, a seven-yard scamper. In all, the senior ran 13 times for 45 yards.

Leighton, who had seven catches for 159 yards, scored his second touchdown of the day on a 14-yard pass from Smith (9-of-18 passing, 165 yards) 100 seconds into the fourth quarter, but it would be Hillsdale’s final score of the day. After a penalty negated an interception on a trick play, Enright notched his second touchdown of the day off a 1-yard pass from Beltran, and junior Jake Bianchi took over where Beltran left off after a Ralston Raphael fumble recovery. The heir apparent to Beltran was responsible for one last Halsey touchdown, a 2-yard connection.

Halsey finished the day with five catches for 71 yards, while Jung hauled in six passes for 114, including the game’s first score, a 53-yarder after Hillsdale had driven into opposing territory and come up empty to begin the game. Violette ran 15 times for 61 yards for the visitors, who will head to Capuchino on Friday in a game that could have enormous implications in determining who receives the Ocean Division’s second automatic playoff bid.

Menlo won’t be back at home until the Valparaiso Bowl against Sacred Heart Prep on Nov. 6. After getting into a habit of playing on Saturdays at home, their next three games will be on Fridays.

“We’re gonna be a little more heavy with scheme stuff on Monday,” Smith said of the adjusted practice schedule.