Sophomore quarterback Keller Chryst scores a touchdown on a quarterback sneak against St. Francis’s defense in Paly’s 39-23 victory over the Lancers on November 26, 2011.

– David Lim

Editor’s Note: David Lim is a senior Sports Editor for the Voice and has consistently covered the football team throughout their 2011 season. “Keys to the game: Paly vs Bellarmine” represents the opinions and predictions of Lim, and not necessarily of the Voice staff in its entirety.

In the third playoff meeting in three years, the Palo Alto High School football team is hoping to replicate last year’s success as they prepare to take on Bellarmine College Preparatory at the Central Costal Section Open Division Championship this Friday.

The Vikings and the Bellarmine Bells have split the past two contests between the powerhouses. In 2009 Bellarmine took the victory, 34-6, and in 2010, Paly won, 35-0 en route to its Division I State Championship.  

Here are the Voice’s keys to the game for the Vikings. 

Keller Chryst:
Chryst had a breakout performance last week against the St. Francis Lancers. Rebounding from throwing four interceptions in his first playoff game, Chryst went 15 for 23 for 239 yards throwing four touchdowns with no interceptions. In order for the Vikings to have a chance against a powerhouse like Bellarmine, Chryst will have to perform at the same level for the second week in a row. 

Defense: 
The defense has been taken for granted the entire season, however it will be more important than ever against a Bellarmine team that rushes for 337 yards per game. Against Leland High School, the Vikings successfully limited running back Chris Santini from getting into a rhythm. Last week, Paly locked down St. Francis after allowing one touchdown early in the game on a short field, allowing the Vikings to score 33 unanswered points. Against the heavy running game of Bellarmine, Paly appears to match up well, as the rushing defense has held strong all year and will need to continue to do so.

Receiving corps:
Senior B.J. Boyd was double-teamed all of last week against St. Francis. Even though he caught a 50-yard bomb from Chryst for a touchdown, the success of the Vikings came from other unsung players. Junior De’Antay Williams and senior Austin Braff each stepped up big for the Vikings, making key catches when Boyd was covered. Look for Boyd to still have a few explosive plays, as 16 of 34 of Boyd’s catches this season have been touchdowns, along with multiple kickoff returns throughout the season. 

Kickers:
After junior kicker Tyrus Whitehead left the team, the Vikings have filled the hole with seniors Justin Grey and Tory Prati filling in for placekicking attempts and kicking off respectively. Prati has performed even better than Whitehead during recent games, kicking off more effectively overall, kicking off into the endzone multiple times. While there has been no drop-off in quality, the point after attempts may indeed become of importance in what might be a close showdown with Bellarmine. The Bells missed two extra points against Archbishop Mitty High School in the other semi-final last week, and the Vikings didn’t convert on three of their six attempts. The Vikings have not had to kick a field goal in a pressure situation, so keep an eye out if the score is close in the final minutes of the game.

The game between the Vikings and the Bells will be held at 8:00 p.m. on Friday at San Jose City College. If you are not able to come to the game, check the Voice for our liveblog during the game, or get updates on the go from our Twitter feed, @ThePalyVoice.