Extra Points: Prep Football Week in Review

Cruising through some notable performances throughout San Mateo County in the second week of the high school football season:

Head-Turning Effort – Half Moon Bay’s Wesley Walters: Dominic Sena’s school record for single-game rushing sure didn’t last long. Walters amassed 303 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries in a 34-29 defeat at Scotts Valley, breaking Sena’s mark of 277 yards (on 14 rushes) that came at San Mateo on Oct. 22, 2010. Walters, a senior, raced for 88- and 86-yard TDs in the third quarter, the latter of which gave Half Moon Bay a 23-20 lead.

Pinball Offense – Serra: The Padres have obliterated several program records for offense during coach Patrick Walsh’s 11 years, and it took just two games for the 2011 team to leave its mark on the history book. After a 52-6 season-opening romp over Wilcox and a 54-13 thumping of Monte Vista on Saturday, Serra has cracked the 50-point barrier in consecutive games for the first time since 1969, the only other time the Padres managed the feat. In the program’s 66-year history, only three previous Padre teams registered two games of 50-plus points in a season (1968, 1969, 2004). No Serra team has had more than two such games – meaning this Padre unit has at least eight remaining games to take aim at setting that record.

Best Comeback – Sacred Heart Prep: Fourth-quarter comebacks are always a big confidence boost, especially if they come on the road and are against a West Catholic Athletic League opponent (yes, even if that foe is Riordan). Facing a 17-10 deficit in the final period, Sacred Heart rallied behind a Daver Refioglu TD run to pull within one point. Then Gators quarterback Jack Larson passed to Ryan Gaertner for a 19-yard TD for the game-winning score with 1:47 left. Sacred Heart’s 24-17 victory was its second straight over the Crusaders.

Jack of All Trades – Terra Nova’s Ryan Virgin: Tasked with the unusual combo of playing wide receiver and defensive end, Virgin showcased the athleticism to expertly pull it off. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior hauled in six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, and also registered a sack and an interception as the visiting Tigers routed Wilcox 42-8.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Burlingame’s ‘D’: Early-season performances can vary wildly from week to week, and perhaps the best example of that is Burlingame’s defense. In their opener, the Panthers throttled Saratoga 10-0, earning the program’s first shutout in 25 games. A week later, Burlingame lost 39-24 at Woodside, surrendering its most points in 22 games.

Scoring Machine – Woodside’s Christian Masulit: The Wildcats recorded another encouraging victory thanks largely to the senior’s playmaking ability. Masulit totaled five touchdowns – three rushing, two receiving – in the 15-point win over Burlingame. His 30 points were more than his team managed in all but two of its last 22 games. Woodside led 13-10 at halftime, but then Masulit broke open the game by hauling in a pair of Ricki Hoffer passes for TDs of 13 and 70 yards in the third quarter.

Stout Defense – South San Francisco: In pitching the only shutout of county teams this week – a 25-0 win at Capuchino – the Warriors built on their 20-7 victory over Santa Clara. But despite the good vibes of its second blanking since 2007, South City would be wise to continue to bear down. The Warriors allowed a combined 21 or fewer points in their first two games the previous three years, only to see their defense start to slide come league play. South City faces a tougher challenge this week in a seasoned Mountain View team that put up 49 points in beating Hillsdale.

Aerial Assault – Terra Nova’s Chris Forbes: The senior quarterback matched his career high with five touchdown passes in Terra Nova’s 34-point win at perennial foil Wilcox. Forbes completed 21 of 31 passes for 344 yards. Through two games, the 6-4, 220-pounder has thrown nine TDs and one interception.

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