Menlo’s varsity football team defeated Capuchino High School 33-7 in a thrilling away game this past Friday, Sept. 28.

From the start, the Knights were eager to win. Junior running back Samson Axe completed a 24-yard run in the first possession. Building on the momentum, junior quarterback Kevin Alarcon found fellow junior Jaden Richardson in the endzone with a 21-yard pass. This series of plays put the Knights at a 7-0 advantage over Capuchino in the beginning of the first quarter.

Capuchino soon responded with one touchdown, but were silenced by the Knights for the rest of the game.

A 19-yard rushing touchdown by Axe put the Knights up 13-7 by the end of the first quarter. Axe scored again in the second quarter, pushing the score to 20-7. “[The] strongest part of my game was running the ball outside and following my blockers,” Axe said. His approach was successful, as Axe ended the game with a total of two touchdowns.

Senior strong safety and running back Dillon Grady was also a big contributor with two touchdowns, one of them being a 36-yard run.

Though running and passing seemed to shine bright, both Menlo’s defensive and offensive line were big factors in the Knights’ ability to push forward. “Currently I think our strongest aspect is our line, which has been dominant on both fronts, making holes for our running backs, protecting our quarterbacks and making tackles,” Grady said.

This non-league victory set the Knights up with a 3-2 record going into the beginning of league play this coming week. They will be playing Half Moon Bay at home on Friday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m.