11.12.2022 – The Menlo School football team picked off its first CCS opponent with a dominating second half and opportunistic special teams play in a 37-20 victory over The King’s Academy at home Saturday.
No. 3 Menlo (6-5) next plays at No. 2 Live Oak - 9-2 and a 49-9 winner over Soledad at 7:00 pm on Friday.
Junior Brady Jung scored three touchdowns - one on offense, one on defense and one on special teams - to complete the trifecta for Menlo. 
Against King’s, Menlo jumped ahead late in the third quarter. Menlo’s defense forced TKA into two incomplete passes at the Menlo 2. Freshman Palmer Riley blocked a punt and Jung recovered in the end zone to give Menlo its biggest lead of the game to that point 24-13. A possession and short punt later, junior Willis Johnson, in a successful return from injury, helped work Menlo to the 38 where quarterback Jake Bianchi found fellow senior Charlie King for a touchdown, and Menlo led 31-13.

Bianchi completed 12 of 20 passes for 181 yards and two TD passes; he also gained 23 yards on two keepers.King had eight receptions for 122 yards and finished with 154 all-purpose yards. 
The King’s Academy was deep in Menlo’s territory to start the fourth after a holding penalty on the return. On third down from TKA’s 9, Jung stepped in for an interception and ran it in for a 5-yard pick-six, giving Menlo a 24-point edge. .
In the first quarter, Menlo countered TKA’s early touchdown with one of their own minutes later. King picked up a 39-yard gain, well into TKA territory. Menlo senior Ty Richardson then took a screen pass from Jake Bianchi and dodged two would-be tacklers and rumbled into the end zone 5 minutes into the game for a 7-6 lead. Senior Ross Muchnick, who also made four PATs, delivered a 30-yard field goal to end the first.

Richardson finished with four rushes for 50 yards while Willis Johnson had seven carries for 40 yards.

The teams kept it close with TKA scoring to open the second and Menlo minutes later, when Jung scored his first of three TDs for the day. Menlo’s Eron Chen made an interception along the sideline, and Bianchi turned and scrambled for 30 yards, to set the stage for Jung’s first touchdown.
One of the last plays of the game, Menlo senior Ari Krane stepped in and picked off a TKA pass to close the door. Knights senior led the team with nine tackles, including two for a loss. King had eight and Avery Romain tallied seven.

The King’s Academy 6 7 0 7 – 20
Menlo School 10 7 14 6 – 37

First quarter
TKA – Lukas Morris 81 pass from Reid Black (run failed), 8:42
M – Ty Richardson 18 pass from Jake Bianchi (Ross Muchnick kick), 7:00
M – Muchnick 30 FG, 1:56

Second quarter
TKA – Ethan Price 8 pass from Reid Black (Will Hartley) 11:55
M – Brady Jung 13 pass from Jake Bianchi (Ross Muchnick kick), 7:54

Third quarter
M – Jung punt block recovery in end zone (Muchnick kick), 4:25
M – Charlie King 38 pass from Jake Bianchi (Muchnick kick), 2:01

Fourth quarter
M - Jung 5 INT return (errant snap) 8:39
TKA - Lukas Morris 23 pass from Toby Trotter ( Hartley kick), 3:54