Paly football defeated Monterey 27-24 in the CCS Division V championship game Friday night at Sequoia High School.

The game was tight throughout, with the lead never being more than ten points for either team. Despite trailing for most of the first half, the team felt motivated by the coaches to give their best effort.

“The coaches encouraged us to give it our best and leave it all out on the field,” wide receiver Jason Auzenne (’24) said. 

Trailing 10-7 going into halftime, Paly made necessary adjustments in the second half, propelling them to their eventual win.

“We realized they were stacking the box so we started to run outside,” senior running back Jack Newman said. “On defense, we switched to man coverage to eliminate screenplays.”

These adjustments were effective in the second half, including a momentum-shifting endzone interception by cornerback Kai Bussey (‘23). Paly capitalized on the turnover, scoring a 30-yard touchdown run from Newman on the very next drive.

“The biggest factor of the game was our offensive line being dominant all night,” Newman said.

After early season struggles, Paly has improved immensely, winning their last five games. 

“We improved by counting on one another and working as a team,” Auzenne said. “As time went by we were able to communicate and help each other out on the field. As you can see [winning the championship game] the results are great.”

With the CCS championship, Paly has qualified for NorCal, where they look to continue their momentum and keep winning games.