Photo Credit: Adam Zuckerman

Bears charging onto the field.

The Menlo-Atherton Bears football team kicked off their season on Saturday, September 4 when they took on the Wilcox Chargers. With the team eager to avenge last years disappointing 1-9 season under Tony Rosso, jitters seemed to get the best of them as turnovers cost the Bears in a 34-20 defeat in front of a packed crowd. Still, the game was close throughout and the team looked clearly improved from last season, inspiring confidence that head coach Sione Taufoou has this team going in the right direction.

The energy was palpable at Coach Parks Field as the Bears performed their traditional haka dance and prepared for the game to get underway. “It is always an emotional game when we play Wilcox. We first met them in the CCS championship game and they got the best of us last year. We wanted it bad,” said safety Junior Sakalia.

While the Bears came up short, they put together a much more impressive fight than last year’s game against Wilcox, a 45-0 drubbing. A tight game until the end this year, the acquisition of new head coach Sione Taufoou already looks like a smart move.

“I feel like we have a whole new team here because of Coach Sione. He has done a great job in instilling discipline and bringing out the athleticism in our team,” said cornerback Vince Hagman.

The Bear’s offense put that athleticism on display as wide receiver Michael Culhane and running back Cameron Moody shined on Saturday with several impressive plays each. Culhane had five catches, averaging over nine yards per catch while Moody had 134 all-purpose yards to lead the Bears in offensive production.

Unfortunately, the solid offensive production was spoiled by a whopping seven turnovers. The four fumbles and three interceptions proved a deciding factor in the contest as the Chargers scored touchdowns on all but three of the turnovers. The devastating blow came with 6:44 left to play when the Bears fumbled a punt in what was a one-score ballgame.

Although the Bears wanted to start the 2011 season off with a win, the team remains hopeful about the remainder of their season. Quarterback Willie Fonua said after the loss, “We will bounce back. This team is ready for Los Gatos next week.”

Three M-A players were injured in the game, with linebacker Luke Pinkston and quarterback Willie Fonua both suffering minor concussions and defensive linemen Alfie Herman going down with an ankle injury. All three could be back before the next game.

The Bears next game is Saturday, September 11 against Los Gatos at Coach Parks Field. Kickoff will be at 2:00 pm. Los Gatos won the Division II CCS Championship last year.