By Nathan Mollat, San MateoDaily Journal
The Hillsdale football team has been one of the most complete units in the Peninsula Athletic League this season. From its strong running game, lethal passing attack and a solid defense, the Knights have leaned on all three at varying points of the season.
Friday against visiting Menlo School, Hillsdale had all three on display. Hillsdale running back Cameron Taylor rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, quarterback Brett Wetteland threw for 177 yards and three scores and the Hillsdale defense held Menlo to 226 yards of offense and came up with a pair of turnovers, turning one into a touchdown.
Put it all together and it added up to a 34-14 win for Hillsdale, clinching the PAL’s Ocean Division championship and a spot in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
“We strive for perfection,” said Hillsdale coach Mike Parodi. “Knowing that if we get close it’s pretty good.”
Taylor was held in check most of the night running the ball, with Menlo holding him to just 54 yards on his first 18 carries. On his last two? He rushed for 71 on carries of 25 and 40 yards.
“I knew it was going to open up,” Taylor said.
If that was all Taylor did on the night, he might have been frustrated, but when you are a talent like Taylor, there are other ways he made his impact felt. Like catching a screen pass that he turned into a 60-yard touchdown, or the 17-yard pick-6 he had while playing defensive back.
“He’s a great competitor,” Wetteland said of Taylor. “He love to fight, loves to compete.”
Wetteland also had a solid performance, completing 10 of 17 passes. He completed his first five passes of the game and finished the first half 7 of 10 for 167 yards and three touchdowns.
“[Menlo] did a good job on [Taylor], but that allowed us to do other stuff,” Parodi said. “To see [Wetteland’s] development (from his sophomore year) … to where he is now … It’s fun to watch him run our offense. He took advantage of what the defense was giving him.”
Hillsdale (5-0 PAL Ocean, 8-1 overall) was nearly perfect on its first drive of the game. It took the opening kickoff and starting from its own 22, Hillsdale drove down to the Menlo 33 before Wetteland hooked up with Nate Shani, who ran an inside-outside route and was wide open. Wetteland nearly overthrew him, but Shani made a finger-tip catch and went into the end zone for a 33-yard score.
Menlo (2-3, 6-3) was forced to punt on its first possession, but got the ball back when the Hillsdale center snapped a worm burner that Wetteland couldn’t handle and was recovered by Menlo. Four plays later, the game was tied at 7 after Menlo quarterback Mackenzie Morehead hit Charlie Roth with a shovel pass that he turned into a 10-yard score.
Hillsdale answered right back, driving 60 yards on six plays. The drive was aided by a pass interference call and it was capped when Wetteland hit receiver Isaiah Cozzolino on a bubble screen along the left sideline. The blocking was perfect and Cozzolino tip-toed down the sideline untouched for a 36-yard score with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half.
After forcing Menlo to turn the ball over on downs near midfield, Hillsdale took over and needed just two plays to cover 60 yards. Wetteland was sacked for a 10-yard loss on the first play, but on the second, he found Taylor with a screen pass, who then weaved his way through the defense and down the left sideline for a 60-yard score and a 21-7 Hillsdale lead.
Menlo put together its best drive of the game on its next possession, driving 69 yards on 10 plays. Menlo converted a fake punt on fourth-and-7, with Jared Lucian hitting Joey Sabel for a 43-yard catch and run. Four plays later, Morehead found RJ Babiera for a 13-yard scoring pass on fourth down with 41 seconds to play in the half.
It would be the last time Menlo would find the end zone.
The teams exchanged punts to start the third quarter, but on Menlo’s second possession, Morehead dropped back and threw a pass that was tipped into the air by Hillsdale’s Josh Janakes. The ball floated right to Taylor, who made the interception and bolted the short distance to the end zone for a 27-14 Hillsdale advantage.
Early in the fourth quarter, Taylor all but sealed the deal for Hillsdale, when he scored from 31 yards out, running over a would-be tackler on his way to the end zone.
After several years of being one of the worst teams in the PAL, Hillsdale is methodically moving up the ranks. The Knights won the Lake Division title two years ago and now add the Ocean crown.
“I think it says a lot about our kids,” Parodi said.
Said Wetteland: “It’s a great accomplishment. All that hard work paid off.”
