Bears Force Knights to a Grizzly End in Second League Match

The Bears defeated the Menlo Knights 21-18 on Friday afternoon, increasing their overall record to 5-2 and dismaying the packed Menlo stands.

The game, which took place at Menlo’s Cartan Field, was Menlo’s homecoming and started at an irregular time of 3:15 PM.

The Bears started with the ball but were unable to get the momentum going and punted the ball back to Menlo. 

The Knights came into the match strong and drove down the field with multiple aggressive runs and passes. However, M-A’s defense held the Knights to just a field goal, putting Menlo up 3-0 with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

The defense’s impressive performance charged the Bears’ offense with a surge of energy. Late first-quarter rushes from junior running backs Eva Ama and Monty Turner and junior quarterback Teddy Dacey set the Bears up with great field position as the quarter expired.

With 11:13 left in the second quarter, Dacey ran the ball into the endzone for a touchdown, and junior Anthony Perez’s kick pulled the Bears ahead 7-3. 

The Bears blocked a Menlo field goal attempt but soon turned the ball over with pressure from the Knights.

M-A’s defense, led by senior linebackers Anthony van der Meer and William Sherman, was no stranger to strong pressure themselves. An interception from van der Meer with 1:16 left in the half seemed to stamp in the Bears’ lead for halftime. 

Unfortunately, the Knights had other plans. As Perez set up for a field goal with two seconds left in the half, Menlo’s defense blocked the kick and returned the ball all the way across the field for another touchdown as the half expired, putting them up 10-7.

The second half started with Knight possession, but a relentless pass rushing from van der Meer and senior edge Devin Hyde forced a turnover, giving the ball back to the Bears. 

“I’m most proud of how we flipped the switch coming from halftime. We started off slow, realized that, and improved,” senior cornerback Kareem Franklin said.

With 7:52 left in the third quarter, senior quarterback Xander Eschelman found senior wide receiver Angelo Marin deep in the endzone, putting the Bears back on top, 14-10. 

Just three minutes later, the Bears forced the Knights to punt again. Despite the fact that the Bears were deep in their own territory, Ama still found the endzone, sprinting across the field for his first touchdown of the game. With 2:31 left in the third quarter, the Bears increased their lead to 21-10.

“We really bounced back during the second half. Eva was making great plays, the line was making great plays, and the quarterbacks were just doing their thing,” Marin said.

The Knights finally found a burst of momentum as they drove down the field and scored with a minute left in the third quarter. The Knights successfully pursued a two-point conversion after the touchdown, decreasing the Bears’ lead to just a field goal at 21-18. 

Both defenses stepped up their play in the final quarter, leading to punts from both sides.

The Bears, however, capitalized on Ama and Dacey’s runs and Eschelman’s passes and made it into the red zone with 5:50 left in the quarter. Unfortunately, Menlo’s defense intercepted Dacey’s pass into the endzone, leading to a touchback.

The Knights failed to score against M-A’s strong defense and turned over the ball with three minutes left.

Two first downs from Turner and Ama solidified the win for the Bears as they kneeled to end the match, 21-18.

“We had a very slow start, and I wasn’t happy about that. I talked to the team during halftime and that brought a spark for the second half,” Ama said.

“Our practices were kind of dead this week and that showed during the game. If we fix that, we’re gonna have a good season,” Marin said. 

“It was very fun to beat them in their homecoming game,” Ama added. “I guess we run Menlo now.”

The Bears will play their Homecoming game against the Palo Alto Vikings at 7:00 p.m. next Friday at Coach Parks Field.