The Paw Moves South

For the first time in five years, San Mateo has won the Little Big Game and the Paw.  It was a back-and-forth classic as penalties played a major role in the outcome.  A 40-yard San Mateo touchdown run was called back on a holding call that you can see in the lower left of this photo.

A Burlingame sack, fumble recovery and one-play touchdown caused the momentum to swing and Burlingame eventually took a one-point lead (after missing a fake PAT).  In the final minute, a 40 yard San Mateo pass that wobbled the whole way into the end zone was the winning play.  The San Mateo crowd went crazy as it took possession of the Paw, snatching it out of the Burlingame trainer's hands without any of the usual pomp and circumstance.  Here it is being raised in victory--a hard fought win for San Mateo.  See you next year.

Comments

[Joanne]

Photos have been posted on the San Mateo County Times on-line site under "Slide Show - Week 11 of High School football" (beginning at slide 7 of 44).

There is also an article posted under sports titled "San Mateo Rally Stuns Burlingame." (And it did!)

[Joe]

The post-season seeding is in and the Panthers will play Saratoga here in Burlingame Friday night at 7pm. Should be a busy night on campus as the school play's opening night is also at 7pm. Football or William Gibson's "A Cry of Players"-you decide.

[Joanne]

You Tube videos have been posted. Type in "San Mateo Bearcats v Panthers. Little Big Game 2009."

The video is well done -- I just wish it would have captured the San Mateo dance team when they performed with the band playing Pinball Wizard from the musical Tommy.

[Joanne]

My wish has been granted.

Another You Tube video is up that shows the complete San Mateo half-time show, including Pinball Wizard, as well as Proud Mary and Purple Haze. The last song has the flag twirlers with purple banners (natch) and one is thrown high into the air, as the twirlers "scuse me, as they kiss the sky." Bom, bom, bom -- bom-bom-bom.

Type in "San Mateo High Little Big Game Half-Time Show 11-14-09; Salute to Woodstock."

Very well done, San Mateo. Congratulations!

[Joanne]

Wow! A big congrats to Nathan Mollat for his "paw-sitively" awesome photo capturing the end zone catch that won the game for San Mateo. That photo ought to be framed and hung in the San Mateo locker room.

The photo accompanies Mollat's article "Paw-sitively Thrilling" in today's San Mateo Daily Journal.

[panther]

Second guessing the coaching staff will continue on from last weekend as the Panthers go down to defeat 30-20 tonight against Saratoga. Some people think Burlingame was too conservative at the beginning of this game. It is always easier from the stands.

[KRN]

Second guessing the coaching staff? Everyone needs to realize that the BHS football coaching staff takes a group of somewhat skilled athletes and turns them into a competitive football team. Without the knowledge and dedication of Coach P and the crew, Burlingame would be the doormat that it was in decades past. Coach P is an excellent trainer with the ability to motivate he players to success. The Panthers win because they execute the skills taught by the coaching staff. Maybe if some of Burlingame's top athletes did not defect to other programs in the private schools, the Panthers would be even more dominant. Coach P has delivered the Paw to BHS for many years and will deliver it again. Now and then we get an athlete with true individual talent, but beyond that, it is all the training and execution of the staff.

Burlingame High School is lucky to have some very skilled coaches who help prepare our students/athletes for competition at the next level of play.

What do you think it would take to keep some of our better athletes in the neighborhood and attend BHS?

[resident]

Did anyone see this letter in yesterdays newspaper?

Editor,

Political correctness clashes with Freedom of Speech at the Little Big Game between San Mateo and Burlingame High Schools: It was the 82nd Annual game between the Bearcats and the Panthers.

Bearcats want to take back the “Paw.”

Now for the rest of the story. I recently attended a volleyball game between Burlingame and San Mateo. I was given a T-shirt from a San Mateo volleyball player. I was honored to receive it.

I arrived at the Little Big Game proudly wearing my T-shirt at 11 a.m. and the clash between political correctness and freedom of speech came to a head.

I was asked by a member of the San Mateo staff to please remove my T-shirt. If I didn’t remove my T-shirt, I would have been politely asked to leave the game by the San Mateo police.

I didn’t remove my T-shirt and left the game.

The T-shirt read “Beat Burlingame.” The CCS political correctness crowd has gone completely mad!

I’ve been thinking of how many Panther and Bearcats died in WWII, Korea, Vietnam etc. defending our constitution and our way of life.

Are the present-day teachers, coaches just going to roll over and play dead? Are all the living Bearcats and Panthers going to stay silent?

Are the present student’s just brain dead? Or are they going to stand up and fight for their freedom of speech?

I will fight to the day I die to restore the integrity of the Constitution.

Mike Moloney

Foster City

[Supra Vaider]

*Cool piercing!*_*