The football team defeated the Menlo Knights 23-16 in overtime on Friday night, fending off Menlo’s second-half comeback to secure the win.
The Bears opened the game on offense, with senior running back Jamarlo Jackson converting on the first third-down run to extend the drive. Junior quarterback Bishop Manumaleuna connected with junior wide receiver Kyle Gabriel on a deep 39-yard touchdown pass, immediately putting pressure on the Knights. Following this, junior kicker Juanpablo Maciel finished the extra point to give the Bears an early 7-0 lead with 8:34 remaining in the first quarter.
M-A’s defense wasted no time shutting down the Knights as sophomore safety Spencer Ama stopped a Knights play on third down, forcing a punt. However, the Bears struggled to maintain their momentum on the next drive, with an intentional grounding penalty against Manumaleuna pushing them back. Menlo responded with a deep pass that advanced the Knights downfield, eventually scoring a touchdown with 1:59 left in the quarter, evening the score at 7-7.
Junior kick returner Oscar Barron provided a spark for the Bears with a pungent kickoff return. Jackson followed with an impressive hurdle over a defender on first down as the first quarter came to a close tied at 7-7.
The Bears began the second quarter with fierce runs up the middle from Ama and Jackson. Jackson continued to find openings, fending off multiple defenders to gain extra yardage and push M-A closer to the end zone. Despite advancing near the goal line, the Bears settled for a field goal, taking a 10-7 lead with 9:39 left in the half.
Menlo tried to respond, but a fumble recovered by the Knights slowed down the Menlo offense. Senior defensive lineman Kaito Yoshida recorded a tackle for loss to stall the Knights. Menlo later attempted a fake punt on fourth down, but senior cornerback Diego Madrid broke up the fake to force a turnover on downs with 4:49 left.
M-A took advantage of the opportunity, moving downfield with passes to senior wide receiver Xavier Bedolla and Jackson to bring the Bears within a yard of the end zone. Jackson then powered through, finishing the drive with a touchdown making the score 16-7. The extra point was unsuccessful and M-A carried the nine-point advantage into halftime.
The Bears started the second half with suffocating defensive pressure, including plays from Yoshida that disrupted Menlo’s offense. Nevertheless, the Knights sustained a lengthy drive, controlling possession and draining much of the third-quarter clock. M-A broke up multiple passes, eventually forcing a punt with 5:53 outstanding in the quarter.
A penalty on M-A’s offense then pushed the Bears deep into their own territory. After a dropped pass stalled the drive, M-A was obliged to punt, and Menlo capitalized on the resulting field position by advancing into the red zone. Sophomore cornerback Blake Danielewicz deflected a pass to hold the Knights to a field goal, cutting the score to 16-10 with 1:20 on the clock.
The Bears returned the kickoff inside their own 20-yard line, but additional penalties pushed them further back. M-A struggled to establish its offense, leaving the score at 16-10 to end the third quarter.
Holding penalties continued to disrupt the Bears’ starting fourth quarter, offsetting several promising plays and pressuring another punt with 9:58 remaining. Menlo responded with multiple powerful plays, steadily advancing downfield. The Knights eventually scored a touchdown to tie the game at 16-16, although their extra point was muffed.
With the game on the line, Jackson delivered another crucial run up the sideline to pick up a first down. The Bears also caught Menlo off guard with a freeze play on fourth-and-one, successfully converting the first down. However, dropped passes by M-A receivers cut the offensive drive short.
With less than a minute remaining, Manumaleuna connected with Bedolla to keep the Bears’ hopes alive. However, a late interception with 34 seconds left gave the Knights another opportunity. A facemask penalty on the Bears at the end of regulation time provided Menlo an additional play, but M-A’s defense held up to initiate overtime with the score tied at 16-16.
The Bears won the toss and began on their own 40-yard line. A holding call stalled the Bears, but M-A quickly recovered when Manumaleuna found Bedolla for a 31-yard gain, putting M-A in a promising scoring position. Jackson finished the drive bulldozing up the middle untouched for the touchdown, and Maciel converted the extra point to give the Bears a 23-16 lead.
Menlo had one final chance to tie the game. Wasting no time, Ama and junior cornerback Jayden Page-Ramirez broke up a pass on third down, although the Knights secured a first down to keep their drive alive.
On Menlo’s fourth-and-eight, Page-Ramirez swatted another pass to end the Knights’ final possession and lock in the 23-16 victory for M-A.
“My mind was kind of all over the place after the turnover late in the fourth, but I just kept telling my offense that if we get another chance, we gotta go down and score,” Manumaleuna said.
“Our record didn’t define us, and this group has shown that we’re willing to stick together and keep working,” Gabriel said.
The Bears will travel to face the Sacred Heart Gators on Friday at 7 p.m.
