Los Altos advances to CCS semifinals
By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer
 Joe Hu/Town Crier Los Altos High’s Taeaonaisaua Tuufuli brings down Mills quarterback James Knecht for a 19-yard loss in Saturday’s playoff game. The Eagles recorded three sacks in the 38-14 victory. |
The play didn’t decide the game - it was just another example of a Los Altos High player doing all he could to ensure his football team would win its first postseason contest in 21 years.
Kenny Peterman was cramping up and could have gone down after making an interception deep in Eagles’ territory with just more than two minutes left. Instead, he found the energy to race 91 yards for the final touchdown in Los Altos’ 38-14 home win over Mills Saturday.
“I was winded at first and was ready to go out of bounds,” Peterman said. “But then I put on the afterburners. I wanted to score.”
When opportunities such as this presented themselves, the Eagles went all-out to seize them in Saturday’s Central Coast Section Middle School Division quarterfinal. Whether it was scoring off turnovers, going for it on fourth-and-1 or blowing up a play on defense, Los Altos did whatever it took to get the win.
The fourth-seeded Eagles (10-1) didn’t start as strong as they would have liked - allowing No. 5 Mills to drive 70 yards for a touchdown on its opening series - but they found their groove by the second quarter.
After Mills (7-4) snapped the ball over its punters’ head and through the end zone for a safety, Los Altos began its next drive at the visitor’s 42-yard line with less than a minute left in the first quarter. The Eagles needed just seven plays to go ahead, with quarterback Danny Young scoring on a 1-yard keeper. Peterman’s run for the two-point conversion put Los Altos up 10-7 with 10:14 left in the second quarter.
Mills’ next possession also ended in disaster, as a leaping Ben Kohl intercepted a deep pass at the goal line for Los Altos. After the teams traded punts, the Eagles marched 78 yards in eight plays for another score before halftime. Evading the rush, Young tossed a screen pass to DJ Archie, who snaked his way into the end zone from 28 yards out.
“That play was as significant as any play,” Los Altos coach Jeff Kalb said. “That put us up 17-7 at the half and gave us some breathing room. It may have been the most important play.”
The Eagles fumbled on their initial drive of the second half, but it didn’t hurt them. Peterman dropped Mills halfback Lucas Hanberg for a loss on a fourth-and-1 play at the Los Altos 26.
Two plays later, a streaking Peterman scored on a 67-yard pass from Young.
“I told coach that their safety was hurt and I could beat him on the post, and sure enough I did,” Peterman said.
The Eagles’ 24-7 lead didn’t last for long, as Mills countered with a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. That’s as close as the Vikings would get.
Los Altos embarked on a 16-play drive spanning 80 yards, capped by Justin Arcune’s 1-yard dive into the end zone. Kevin Serviss’ kick put the score at 31-14.
Arcune rushed for 65 yards in all and Archie had a team-high 86. Young completed seven of his 11 passes for 151 yards.
The Eagles next face St. Ignatius in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Saturday at Foothill College.
“I don’t know much about them,” Kalb said of top-seeded St. Ignatius (8-2-1). “But any team is beatable in the playoffs.”
Spartans stumble
Mountain View’s season came to a close Saturday with a 20-18 loss at Leigh in the CCS Medium School Division quarterfinals.
The sixth-seeded Spartans led 11-7 at halftime, only to see No. 3 Leigh go ahead in the third quarter with a touchdown.
Mountain View finishes 6-5; Leigh improved to 9-2.
