Tarika Pillay
Vikings prepare for the snap in the game between the Vikings and the San Mateo Bearcats Friday night at home. According to Viking senior wide receiver Kacey Washington, the Vikings’ strategy was to restrict the Bearcats’ runs. "We knew they loved to run the ball, so we just focused on being able to stop that run," Washington said.
In their fourth consecutive loss of the season, the Palo Alto High School Vikings (0-4) fell to the San Mateo High School Bearcats (3-1), 14-31, in a physical, run-heavy game Friday night at home.
In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, Paly students in the stands wore yellow to show their support.
According to Bearcat junior quarterback Lucas Fitzgerald, he was happy with the Bearcats’ recovery after the first quarter.
“We came out and went down 14-0, but we scored 31 unanswered points for the rest of the game. So that was a big turning point for us.”
The Vikings kicked off the game with a 77-yard touchdown pass from Viking junior quarterback Justin Fung to Viking junior cornerback Clement Romanski, igniting the crowd. The Vikings then held strong on defense, preventing the Bearcats’ rushing plays from gaining yards. Back on offense, Fung completed a deep pass to Viking senior wide receiver Kacey Washington, securing a 41-yard touchdown. However, the Bearcats responded with incremental gains down the field, allowing Bearcat senior wide receiver Sergio Oliveros to finish it off with a 33-yard touchdown catch. Under heavy pressure, Fung threw an interception to Bearcat senior wide receiver Hamilton Pitney who carried the ball 44 yards for another touchdown. The first quarter ended 14-14.
The Bearcats dominated the second quarter with rushing plays from senior middle linebacker Yianni Fitzgerald and L. Fitzgerald that consistently reset to 1st down and running the clock down. After Y Fitzgerald ran around the left side for a touchdown, the Vikings struggled to find the open pass on offense leading to a turnover. Viking junior linebacker Peter Born pushed hard against the Bearcats, forcing them to kick for a field goal, furthering their lead to 24-14.
Washington said the Vikings made a slight shift in strategy during the game.
“We ran a lot more spread out. We noticed when we stretched them thin, they didn’t have the players to blow up a certain play,” Washington said. “Especially on the screens, we noticed they didn’t shift anyone over.”
The Bearcats started the second half with more offensive drives from the Fitzgeralds, with teammates pushing the pile for additional yards. This put them just 3 yards before the end zone, and L. Fitzgerald scored with a short touchdown run. Back on offense, the Vikings gained some ground with multiple midrange passes to Viking junior wide receiver Mack Reller, but it wasn’t enough. The Bearcats took the win 31-14.
According to Viking senior guard Zeke Maples, the Vikings will work on their defense.
“I think we need to work a lot on tackling and staying low on our defense,” Maples said.
Viking coach Edward Tonga said the Vikings need to improve on decision making in the future.
“Decision making is something that we have to work on, but I know that it’s fixable,” Tonga said. “It’s something that we’re going to go over tape and come together as a team to fix it.”
The Vikings are set to play against the King’s Academy (2-1) 7 p.m. on Friday at home.