8.26.2023 –The Menlo School football team took the lead just before halftime then held off American Canyon for a 15-14 season–opening victory at home Saturday.
Late in second quarter, the Knights engineered an 11-play drive that culminated in senior quarterback Mikey McGrath’s 17-yard scramble into the end zone. Then, with 1:56 left Ben Salama found fellow junior Tyler Fernandez for the conversion that would account for the winning score.
When the Wolves got the ball back, quarterback Mason Harris deftly recovered his own fumble before McGrath, now a safety, plucked the ball out of the air and ended any threat before the half.
In the second half, the Knights defense forced the Wolves to go three-and-out three times, including a drive to start the third in which Brady Jung and Brady Kagan combined for a sack, Kagan’s second of the day. On American Canyon’s last-effort drive, Bradford Tudor twice came up with big stops, Jamie Forese and Jung made two more and the Knights’ defense got Menlo the ball back.
Menlo countered American Canyon’s opening-drive score. Runs by seniors Nicky Scacco and McGrath combined with a Wolves’ face-mask penalty set the Knights up for a score and Scacco punched it in from 2 yards to tie the score 7-7 with 8:17 left.

American Canyon 7 7 0 0 - 14
Menlo School 7 8 0 0 - 15

First quarter
AC: Abdul Kates 62 pass from Mason Harris (Harris kick), 10:25
M: Nicky Scacco 2 run (Tyler Fernandez kick) 8:17
AC: Harris 20 run (Harris kick)

Second quarter
M: Mikey McGrath 17 run (Fernandez pass from Ben Salama), 1:56