9.3.2022 – Against a familiar foe, the Menlo football team used its defense and a third-quarter spark to defeat The King’s Academy 31-6 and improve to 2-0 in play Saturday.
Both teams play in the PAL but are in different divisions with Menlo now in the Bay and TKA in the Ocean.
Menlo’s Ross Muchnick’s punt and a penalty put TKA deep on its 5 on their first possession. In the second, Menlo stopped TKA’s 14-play drive to Menlo’s 26 with its pass defense; Eron Chen and Harry Houser broke up plays, coupled with a TKA penalty to end the threat.
Menlo charged on the next possession as senior quarterback Jake Bianchi engineered a seven-play, 80 yard drive. Bianchi found senior Ty Richardson for a 39-yard gain and later junior Willis Johnson would score on an 11-yard run.
The Knights would double their score when Bianchi found fellow senior Cort Halsey for a 29-yard TD catch to open the second half. A possession later, Muchnick nailed a 44-yard field goal, set up by a 21-yard gain from Ty Richardson and Menlo led 17-0. Richardson’s 24-yard punt return gave Menlo excellent field position and five plays later, he would score from 11 yards out for a 24-0 lead with 3:32 left in the third.
The King’s Academy got on the scoreboard when Aidan Chiu ran in from 4 yards out with just over 5 minutes left.
Menlo finished a 10-play drive with Bianchi delivering on 4th and goal at the 2 with 39 seconds left.

The King’s Academy 0 0 0 6 - 6
Menlo School 0 7 17 7 - 31

Second quarter
M: Willis Johnson 11 run (Ross Muchnick kick), 2:27

Third quarter
M: Cort Halsey 29 pass from Jake Bianchi (Muchnick kick) 9:46
M: Muchnick 44 FG 6:17
M: Ty Richardson 11 run (Muchnick kick) 3:32

Fourth quarter
M: Bianchi 2 run (Muchnick kick) :39