Menlo’s homecoming game resulted in a 67-33 loss against Terra Nova on Oct. 19. The Knights went into the game with few players and were plagued with injuries throughout the entire game, leaving them with only three healthy substitutes on the sideline by the end of the game.

Despite the disappointing outcome, winning was within reach for the Knights during the majority of the first half. Senior wide receiver Kevin Chen got the momentum rolling with a touchdown towards the beginning of the first quarter. Terra Nova soon countered with their own touchdown followed by a two-point conversion, creating an even score of 8-8 at the end of the first quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, senior cornerback and slotback Jack Pimlott scored, creating a 14-8 lead for the Knights. In response, Terra Nova gained two points off of a safety and then made a touchdown off of the punt return. They successfully completed a two point conversion after the touchdown. This series of plays brought the score to 14-18, with Terra Nova in the lead.

Terra Nova broke away with an even greater lead as they scored two more touchdowns in the first half. Still, Menlo managed to respond by scoring two touchdowns as well. Both touchdowns were made by junior running back Samson Axe. One of Axe’s touchdown runs started out with a pitch from junior quarterback Justin Sellers, who has been filling in for the Knights’ injured starting quarterback Kevin Alarcon. Axe then breezed by a defender and into the endzone. The second touchdown made by Axe was within the last 16 seconds of the first half, which gave the crowd and the Knights hope before moving into the second half. They concluded the first half down 32-26.

In the second half, the game slipped away from Menlo’s reach. While Terra Nova scored two touchdowns, Menlo lost multiple players to injuries. Key players including Chen, Sellers and sophomore outside linebacker and offensive guard Ronier Babiera were injured in the third quarter. Chen went out with an injured rib, Sellers with a head injury and Babiera with a leg injury.

Due to Seller’s head injury, third-string quarterback Henry Knoll made an appearance. The play that shined the brightest in the second half was a lateral pass from Knoll to senior running back Dillon Grady, who then found Pimlott to complete an 80-yard score. The third quarter concluded 60-33.

Terra Nova went on to score another touchdown in the fourth quarter, wrapping up the score at 67-33.

Overall, the Knights were fraught with injuries. Along with Chen, Sellers and Babiera, junior safety and wide receiver Jaden Richardson suffered a knee injury in the first quarter that took him out for the rest of the game. Junior running back and linebacker Ryan McKee got injured in the second quarter and stayed out for the rest of the game. Other members of the team including junior defensive end and wide receiver Jackson Randall and Grady stepped off the field due to injury at various points of the game, but were put back on the field out of necessity.