In a CCS first-round matchup against one of the Peninsula Athletic League-Bay Division’s heavy hitters, the Menlo School football team picked apart Half Moon Bay in a 47-28 victory Saturday at home.
With the win, the fourth-seeded Knights improved to 11-0 and advanced to the CCS Div. II semifinals at top-seed San Benito at 7:00 pm on Friday, Nov. 19. San Benito beat Burlingame 31-28 in overtime in the quarterfinals.
Credit: P. McKenneyThe Knights scored at will - by running, returning kickoffs and naturally, by passing. Sergio Beltran, the senior quarterback who racked up 44 regular-season passing touchdowns, added four more against the Cougars. He also had two rushing touchdowns and 356 total yards. Two of Menlo’s TD passes were to fellow senior Carter Jung, who finished with six catches for 134 yards.
“Sergio, of course, had an amazing game and we can just trust each other with the ball and that’s what I appreciate about this team,” Jung said. “We just need to keep the mindset that we had and keep on grinding, and we’ve got each others’ backs no matter what through the thick and thin. We always have each other and that’s what’s most important.
The Knights defense was similarly multi-faceted, and while they allowed the most points they have to a team all season, they held back a team that averages nearly 40 points a game. “The team played incredibly well, a shout-out to our secondary and our front and our linebackers.”
The Menlo defense went to work right away for Menlo. On the opening possession, Half Moon Bay managed two first downs before Robby Enright delivered a hit, knocking the ball loose and Tyler Flynn recovered. The Knights got creative on fourth down, with a fake punt: Ross Muchnick threw to Enright to get the first down. Beltran moved the ball quickly from there, hitting Cort Halsey and Enright. A holding penalty pushed them back, but Beltran connected with Jung for a 39-yard touchdown.

Credit: P. McKenneyHalf Moon Bay tied the score on a 27-yard keeper by William Moffitt
Then, the Knights countered when Beltran found Jung for a 9-yard score. The Knights stretched the lead to 21-7 on a six-play drive that started in the first quarter and ended in the second with Beltran running it in from 3 yards and finding Jung again for a pass conversion, and the lead for good. Beltran tossed to junior Jake Bianchi who threw a 37-yard pass to Flynn to set up Beltran’s touchdown pass to Robby Enright, who had seven catches for 58 yards. Half Moon Bay would score right before the half, but Menlo led 28-14..
Menlo bolted out of the half when junior Ty Richardson took the kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown.
Half Moon Bay concluded a 12-play, 8–yard drive with a touchdown though Jung blocked the extra-point attempt. Menlo extended its lead with Beltran’s scoring run to start the fourth and followed with a 70-yard reception from Beltran to Jung and the Knights finished how they started. An outstretched Enright leapt for an interception, but a penalty nullified that and Chris Liao’s pass defense caused an incompletion and Sam Scola delivered a sack for a 9-yard loss. Half Moon Bay would score once more before another Scola sack, Jack Giesler’s pass defense and Liao’s interception closed the game.

Half Moon Bay 7 7 6 8 – 28
Menlo School 13 15 7 12 – 47

First quarter
M – Carter Jung 39 pass from Sergio Beltran (Ross Muchnick kick), 6:29H - William Moffitt 27 run (Julian Jimenez kick), 2:17
M – Jung 9 pass from Beltran (kick blocked), 1:11

Second quarter
M – Beltran 3 run (Jung pass from Beltran) 11:56

M – Robby Enright 16 pass from Beltran (Muchnick kick) 9:27
H – Moffitt 3 run (Jimenez kick) 2:17
Third quarter
M – Ty Richardson 88 kickoff return (Muchnick kick), 11:47
H – Moffitt 11 run (kick blocked), 35-21
Fourth quarter
M – Beltran 4 run (kick failed)
M – Jung 70 pass from Beltran (kick blocked)
H – Villalobos (Kai Zanette from Moffitt)