The MVHS football team shut out Los Altos 28-0 on Nov. 8 in a decisive victory. This was the sixth time in the row that the Spartans have won the Pride Bowl, the rivalry game against Los Altos High School.
“I think everybody just played their hearts out and left it on the field,” senior running back Viliami Sekona said.
The game started poorly for the Spartans when sophomore quarterback Ishan Devarapalli fumbled a snap in MVHS territory. However, the Spartan defense was able to stop the Eagles and force a punt, which rolled to the MVHS one yard line.
The MVHS offense then drove 99 yards down the field, ending with a Devarapalli pass caught by senior tight end Liam Tyler for a touchdown. With the following extra point, the Spartans led 7-0.
“The entire [offensive] line had amazing protection tonight,” Devarapalli said.
On the Eagles’ second drive, they moved the ball down inside the Spartan ten yard line. Senior defensive back Fernando Reyes intercepted a pass to return possession of the football to MVHS.
Another long drive ensued and was ultimately capped off with senior running back Diego Ortega-Gerow breaking a tackle to run into the endzone. A poor snap on the extra point forced Devarapalli to improvise and connect with senior Jason Allen for a two point conversion, increasing the MVHS lead to 15-0.
Neither team moved the ball well for the rest of the second quarter and the half ended with the Spartans in the lead.
On the first drive of the second half, the Eagles were forced to punt. Sekona returned the ball down the left sideline for the third touchdown of the game, giving MVHS a 22-0 advantage.
On the next drive for Los Altos, multiple sacks by Tyler and senior Yannick Slimani forced another punt. The Spartans drove down the field inside the Eagles’ ten yard line, but two unsuccessful runs led to a failed fourth down conversion and the end of the third quarter.
Another Slimani sack led to another Eagle punt. Junior wide receiver Braden Greene scored another touchdown for the Spartans with a designed run, but a missed extra point left the score 28-0.
Los Altos punted once again, and a long Sekona run following a fake punt drained the clock to end the game 28-0 in favor of the Spartans.
This win was the Spartans’ second of the season, leaving their final overall record at 2-8. However, Devarapalli sees potential for the future.
“It wasn’t the best season, but we ended on a good note and we’re gonna carry on to the next year,” Devarapalli said.
As this was the last game for the seniors, Tyler said that he is expecting big things from the team.
“I hope they have a great season next year and I’m super excited to see what the freshmen and sophomores on our team can do,” Tyler said.
