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History appears to be on the side of the Sacred Heart Prep football team when it meets neighborhood rival Menlo School in the Central Coast Section Division IV championship game on Saturday night.

Since the Gators joined the CCS for football in 2008, they have faced the Knights three times in the section playoffs. SHP has won twice and Menlo once. Each postseason victory coincided with that team winning the regular-season Valparaiso Bowl.

In 2008, Sacred Heart Prep won the Valpo Bowl and then defeated Menlo in the CCS Small School Division playoffs, 28-14. In 2009, the Knights captured the Valpo Bowl, 27-21, and later topped the Gators in the Division IV semifinals, 20-14. In 2010, SHP defeated Menlo in the bowl game, 35-7, and later cruised to a 49-21 triumph in the postseason.

That brings us to Saturday's historic showdown at Terra Nova High in Pacifica, with the kickoff at 7 p.m. The local rivals will be meeting for the first time ever in a CCS championship football game.
For those looking for a favorite, perhaps look no further than the 2012 Valpo Bowl results: Sacred Heart Prep 31, Menlo 28.

"This is the third time we have made it to the final round of the playoffs, so I'm excited," said SHP coach Pete Lavorato, who this week was named PAL Bay Division Coach of the Year. "It's wonderful to get to the finals. There are not too many teams that can say that."

Both Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo can say that after their big-time performances in the semifinals last weekend. The No. 2-seeded Gators (11-1) advanced thanks to a 47-17 victory over No. 6 Soquel (9-3) last Saturday in Atherton. Fourth-seeded Menlo (10-2) started the neighborhood party with a 41-27 upset of top-seeded and host Seaside (11-1) last Friday night.

The Gators have chance to set a school record for most single-season wins by winning on Saturday. SHP finished 11-1-1 after losing to Sacred Heart Cathedral in the '08 finals. The Knights, meanwhile, will be looking for their first 11-win season in CCS. Menlo went 12-0 in 1990 while playing in the North Coast Section. The Knights' current 10 wins are their most since joining the CCS.

Menlo is averaging 48.5 points in two section wins while SHP is averaging 46 points per game in the postseason.

The showdown, however, will be more of a battle between Menlo's offense and Sacred Heart Prep's defense. Both rank No. 1 in the CCS in their respective categories.

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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