ATHERON — After falling in a 20-point gap to Bellarmine final week, Menlo-Atherton made a degree to strike first Friday evening in opposition to Elk Grove.
5-star large receiver Jurrion Dickey wanted solely 48 seconds to just do that within the Bears’ 40-20 win over the Thundering Herd.
On the second play of the opening drive, senior quarterback Billy Johnson launched the ball to a sprinting Dickey who ran it in for a 79-yard landing.
It was the primary of two touchdowns for Dickey, who led the Bears in an exciting comeback win in Week 1. Dickey’s second rating of the evening sport within the second quarter when he made a 41-yard catch-and-run play that put the Bears up 13-7. By halftime, the switch from Valley Christian had already recorded 141 receiving yards.
“I’ve had the pleasure of teaching some very particular athletes… however he's his personal man, and all of us see it,” M-A coach Chris Saunders stated. “No phrases that I can say can describe what he does higher than his play.”
Dickey, who’s affect goes far past the field rating, didn’t get as a lot motion within the second half Friday as he did final week. Not that the Bears essentially wanted him to.
Junior do-it-all tight finish Alek Marshall impressed along with his two touchdowns and 48 receiving yards. His second rating got here off a five-yard go up the center to present the Bears a 26-14 benefit with 5:28 left within the third quarter.
Whereas there’s been lots of consideration on Dickey, who’s dedicated to Oregon, Saunders believes Marshall might be one of many workforce’s darkish horses this season.
“He’s 6’8, he can run, he can catch, he can block, he’s the entire bundle,” Saunders stated. “The second I met him when he was a freshman, I knew he was going to be good, and it wasn’t till actually he hit the burden room this yr I noticed he was going to be particular.”
Elk Grove tried to rally again within the second half. Herd senior working again Mason Vazquez, who had 77 dashing yards on 9 carries, broke via a mob of maroon to attain a 59-yard landing to shut out the third quarter. It was his second landing of the evening. However the Bears stunted any momentum the Herd garnered on the scoring drive when M-A senior Kameron Hawkins blocked their extra-point try.
After going scoreless on the Bears’ subsequent drive, Menlo-Atherton recovered a fumble on the Thundering Herd 19-yard line. The mid-peninsula college took benefit of the premier subject place, with Jayden Moss placing the ultimate nail in Elk Grove’s coffin with a 13-yard landing catch.
With 7:28 remaining, Moss clapped together with the blackout-themed scholar part as they chanted, “This one’s over.”
Moments later, his teammates began dancing on the sidelines because the protection acquired one other cease.
Elk Grove coach John Heffernan was pleased with the best way his workforce battled, however the Herd weren’t capable of correctly execute the sport plan.
“We simply gave up performs we shouldn’t have,” stated Heffernan, whose workforce had two fumbles within the second half. “We turned the ball over and in our offense, we will’t flip the ball over. So we acquired behind somewhat bit and it simply modifications what we wish to do.”
Elk Grove (1-2) will look to rebound from the back-to-back losses subsequent Friday when it comes again to the Bay Space for one more sport, this time to Danville to tackle San Ramon Valley.
In the meantime, the Menlo-Atherton (2-0) will relish in remaining undefeated on the season, although Saunders famous his workforce has lots to shine earlier than the Bears will head as much as Loomis, northeast of Sacramento, to play at Del Oro in two weeks.
“We will’t afford to have the bye week blues the place individuals let their guard down. You must hit the gasoline,” he stated. “So we’ll relaxation up, however we acquired work to do.”