This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Sports

Palo Alto Shows Flashes of Brilliance in 28-18 Win over San Benito

The Vikings begin their title quest on the right foot.

The Vikings (1-0) opened up 2011 with a bang and never relinquished their lead, triumphing over the San Benito Haybalers (0-1) 28-18 Friday night. An explosive backfield and sturdy defense led the way for Palo Alto; however, following a quick start, the Vikings struggled to maintain their momentum.

B.J. Boyd was a one-man wrecking crew. On the opening kickoff of Palo Alto’s 2011 season, Boyd took the kick from his own five-yard-line and took it back for a touchdown. After the Viking defense forced a quick punt, Boyd took his first handoff of the year for a 62-yard touchdown on the next play.

“The first half was awesome,” Palo Alto senior cornerback Gabe Landa said. “We played well, especially at the start.”

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The early magic didn’t last for the Vikings, as penalties and the elusiveness of San Benito's quarterback Michael Bocksnick drove the Palo Alto sideline crazy. The Vikings committed seven penalties, which resulted in another Boyd kickoff return touchdown and a 26-yard touchdown run by Palo Alto runningback Dre Hill being called back. Boyd finished the night with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries, a return for a touchdown, and also added a 27-yard catch.

“We have to keep up the intensity throughout the game,” Palo Alto senior linebacker Morris Gates-Mouton said.

Find out what's happening in Palo Altowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Bocksnick stood as the sole beacon of hope for the Haybalers, as he constantly escaped pressure and found open receivers or room to run. With less than 30 seconds left in the first half, Bocksnick pump-faked an oncoming Viking defender and ran past him for an 18-yard score. Bocksnick later added a 62-yard score at the end of the third quarter, scampering to the outside after breaking a tackle in the middle of the field. He corralled 142 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to complement 172 yards through the air on 11-for-20 passing.

“We just couldn’t stop that quarterback,” Palo Alto defensive coordinator Jake Halas said. “He was the most mobile quarterback I’ve ever seen.”

Despite the frustration caused by Bocksnick’s feet, the Viking defense stopped two Haybalers' attempts at two-point conversions, and held their runningback corp to less than 75 yards rushing. Senior Viking defensive end Michael Lyzwa had two sacks on the night, while senior linebacker Brennan Miller and senior defensive tackle Sam Moses each had one of their own. Junior safety Matt Tolbert also added two fumble recoveries in the first half.

“We all need to get better as a team,” Lyzwa said. “We played aggressively on both sides of the ball, B.J. had a night, especially on special teams, and we got after the quarterback, he just kept on finding openings and capitalizing on them.”

Palo Alto sophomore quarterback Keller Chryst suited up for the first time in a Viking uniform, and showed poise in leading his squad to a victory. Chryst racked up 109 yards passing and two touchdowns to support his dominant run game. Junior wide receiver Jayshawn Gates-Mouton was Chryst’s favorite target on the night, reeling in six passes for 72 yards and two scores.

Following a bye week, Palo Alto will take on the Archbishop Mitty Monarchs at Foothill College on Sept. 16 at 7:00p.m. for a rematch of last year’s Central Coast Section first round match up.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?