When Menlo opened its football season against a team from western New Mexico, located just outside of a Navajo reservation, Menlo ultimately secured a decisive victory. But for both teams, the weekend was more about more than just competition, it was about connection.

The opponent, Hózhó Academy of Gallup, New Mexico, made the long trip by bus, stopping overnight in Bakersfield, California The team arrived in Atherton on Friday, Aug. 29, to meet the Menlo team on Cartan Field ahead of Saturday’s game.

That evening, Menlo hosted a dinner event to bring the teams together. Menlo Athletic Director Earl Koberlien attended the dinner and felt it was a great idea to host the event. “That dinner was a great way to mix and get to know them and have them get to know us,” he said. “[It was] a life lesson and learning opportunity because they’re pretty different from a lot of our kids.”

Hózho head coach Cyle Balok said there was a great atmosphere between the teams at the dinner. “There was just good conversation, kids laughing, kids realizing that things may be different, but everyone is sharing the same experience and striving for the same thing,” Balok said.

According to Koberlein, Menlo was struggling to find an opponent to fill a gap on the team’s schedule until Hózhó reached out about playing. “First, it was great to get an opponent, but it was really cool to have an opponent from New Mexico on a reservation,” he said.

Hózhó Academy is a tuition-free charter school that opened in 2018 and has over 700 students spanning across grades K-12. The school has had a varsity football program for four years. “Our first season, we started with freshmen and eighth graders, so this is the first season with seniors,” Balok said.

One of Balok’s goals was to get the seniors on his team out of the state for a game. “Our upperclassmen had to take a leap of faith to get this program started,” he said. “We finished our last game of the first season with 11 kids on the team.”

According to Balok, the majority of players on the Hózhó team had never left their local area before.

“That’s another thing that kind of pushed me to be really hospitable, because [for] the first time leaving their state, I just wanted to make sure that they had a good experience in California,” senior defensive end Cole McKenney said.

On Saturday afternoon, the teams took the field. Menlo won 60-0, but head coach Todd Smith said that the game wasn’t about the result. “I’m glad the scoreboard is off, because this game is not a reflection of any score,” Smith told both teams after the game. “What I think we experienced last night — that’s what I want both these teams to take with them.”

Hózhó senior Cross Malcom said that coming to play at Menlo was an eye-opening experience. “It was very different from what we’re used to. We don’t have a field yet, so it was nice to come and be welcomed. […] It was more hospitable than where we are from,” he said.

Smith said he hopes the game and time spent with the Hózhó team leaves a lasting impression on his players. “I hope [our guys] see a bunch of humble kids that come from a different socioeconomic background that don’t have some of the privileges that we have,” he said. “I hope that [our guys] get infused with that and don’t take the things that are great in their lives for granted. That happens a lot here. […] It has everything to do with being a person as opposed to being a football player.”

This story was originally published on The Coat of Arms on October 6, 2025.