Senior running back B.J. Boyd steam rolls San Benito’s defense on his 65 yard rushing touchdown.  Paly beat San Benito in its first game of the season, 28-18 at Palo Alto High School on September 2. 

– Matt Ersted

The defending Division I State Champion Palo Alto Vikings are continuing their success after demolishing visiting San Benito High School yesterday night, 28-18, in the opening game of the 2011 season at Palo Alto High School.

The Vikings jumped out to an early 7-0 lead when senior running back B.J. Boyd returned the opening kickoff of the game for a 90-yard touchdown.

“I got the team going,” Boyd said. “I took my time and let them run at me and then just took off and outran them.”

Boyd scored again several minutes later on a 62-yard run.

With nine and a half minutes left in the second quarter, sophomore quarterback Keller Chryst hit junior receiver Jayshawn Gates-Mouton, who broke several tackles for a 19-yard touchdown.

With four minutes left in the second quarter, Chryst found Gates-Mouton again, this time on a fade route to the back of the end-zone.

Chryst completed 8 of 23 passes for 109 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Gates-Mouton caught six passes for 72 yards with two touchdowns.

Paly received nine penalties, including a holding call that called back a 97-yard touchdown return by Boyd.

San Benito quarterback Michael Bocksnick accounted for two of the Haybalers’ three touchdowns on two touchdown runs, including a 62-yard rush in the third quarter. Bocksnick finished the game with 187 yards passing and 143 rushing.

“Our strategy was to stop number 5 [Bocksnick],” defensive coordinator Jake Halas said. “He’s the best player in the school. He’s a track guy, he’s a burner. Our job was to stop him. We didn’t stop him all together. He beat us a lot.”

Even though the team jumped ahead 28-6 in the first half, the Vikings were still disappointed with their performance due to a slow and sloppy second half. The Haybalers scored 18 unanswered points to end the game and stifled Paly’s offense in the second half.

“I thought we started out on fire, and then we kinda fizzled out,” senior defensive end Sam Moses said. “I think we played well but we didn’t play to our full potential and we kinda burned out in the second half, but we got the win and that’s what matters.”

Others on the team echoed Moses’s sentiment, but acknowledged that the success of last year added pressure and expectations to the season opener.

“It’s game one, it’s week zero,” Halas said. “We’ll be alright. Our guys are hanging their heads like we lost. They [San Benito] are all excited. Our guys are looking down. But that’s what happens when you raise the bar, when you’re state champs.”

Head coach Earl Hansen was still confident that the season would be a success, emphasising that the team simply needs to stay focused.

“I think it was a good opening game for us,”  Hansen said. “We started off fast and we just didn’t finish, we kinda relaxed. This game showed we have a lot of different things to work on, which we will.”

There was a large crowd turnout, with most of the stands filled despite the lack of the Paly Pep Band which will play for the first time when the football team plays Gunn High School on Sept. 23 at Gunn.

“I thought the crowd turnout was fantastic for our first home game,” Winston said. “The visiting team traveled quite well also. I think the band will add some flavor, some spirit next time.”

Despite the Viking’s second-half struggles, Winston commended their effort and emphasised that the win was what mattered.

“It’s all about the final score,” Winston said. “These young men put out a great effort.  That’s what matters; they played as a team.”

The Viking’s next game will be at 7 p.m. on Sept. 16 against Archbishop Mitty at Foothill College.