Football improves to 5-0 after win vs. Homestead

9.30.2023 – The Menlo School football team extended its season win streak to five following a 55-22 win over visiting Homestead in a Peninsula Athletic League DeAnza Division opener Saturday,
Fresh off a bye week, the Knights (5-0) once again struck on the opening drive and never looked back.
Senior Mikey McGrath threw for four touchdowns - two of those to Nicky Scacco, as the Knights finished with touchdown passes from three quarterbacks and four receivers. Jack Freehill, a sophomore, delivered two more and rushed for another and Ben Salama, a junior, threw another.

Brady Jung scored twice for the Knights against HomesteadMcGrath finished 12 of 14 for 279 yards, no interceptions and four TDs (three of his first five passes were touchdowns). Freehill completed 13 of 15 passes for 242 yards,1 interception and two TDs and Salama was 5 of 6 for 99 yards and a TD.

Brady Jung led 10 receivers with seven catches for 190 yards and two TDs. Fellow senior Scacco had five catches for 145 yards and two TDs. Junior Jack Enright finished with four receptions for 116 yards and also a pair of TDs.
On its first two drives, Scacco caught a 41-yard TD pass from McGrath. On the second Knights’ drive, Freehill launched a 58-yard pass to senior Brady Jung before Scacco scored on an 18-yard pass from Freehill. Knights senior Bradford Tudor delivered a huge tackle and Homestead took a 12-yard loss then was forced to punt. Harry Housser, also a senior ran back the punt 22 yards to put the Knights at the 43 and Tudor grabbed a 57-yard pass from McGrath for a 20-0 first-quarter lead. The Knights defense forced the Mustangs to go three and out on their first five possessions.
After Brady Jung started the second quarter, breaking free with a 65-yard TD catch from McGrath for a 27-0 lead. Homestead emerged midway through the second, capping a 10-play drive with Wyatt Hook’s TD catch from Nick Zarzour.
Menlo countered with Freehill’s rushing TD set up by his passes to Housser, Jack Earnhardt and Earnhardt’s 14-yard run.

Homestead squeezed in another score with :48 left in the half when Menlo led 34-14.
Right out of the gate after halftime, Homestead is pressured by the Knights, fumbles on the run after a hit by Ryan Jabal, and Knights sophomore Palmer Riley recovers. Jung hauled in a 60-yard pass for a TD and a 41-14 score just 25 seconds into the second half. Jabal would pick off a Mustangs’ pass, and while the Knights didn’t convert on that drive, they would add another score when Jack Enright had a TD catch from McGrath to end the third. Enright closed the game with a beautiful over-the-shoulder 57-yard TD catch from Salama
Menlo senior Andre Gonzalez Lombera, in his first year, made all seven of his PATs.

H – 0 14 0 8 - 22
M – 20 14 14 7 - 55

First quarter
M - Nicky Scacco 41 pass from Mikey McGrath (pass failed), 10:59
M - Scacco 18 pass from Jack Freehill (Andre Gonzalez Lombera kick) 7:06
M - Bradford Tudor 57 pass from McGrath (Gonzalez Lombera kick) 4:21

Second quarter
M - Brady Jung 65 pass from McGrath ( Gonzalez Lombera kick) 11:16
H - Wyatt Hook 15 pass from Nick Zarouor (Isaac Cardenas kick) 6:44
M - Freehill 2 run (Gonzalez Lombera kick) 3:44
H - Zarour 3 run (Cardenas kick) :48

Third quarter
M - Jung 40 pass from Freehill (Gonzalez Lombera kick) 11:35
M - Jack Enright 13 pass from McGrath (Gonzalez Lombera kick) 1:06

Fourth quarter
H - Maxx Ward 72 run (Hook from Zarzour) 6:01
M - Enright 57 pass from Ben Salama (Gonzalez Lombera kick), 2:59