SAN FRANCISCO — The quest for a state title came up short for the Piedmont Hills football team Saturday in a 38-10 loss to Balboa in the NorCal regional 7-A championship game.

The Pirates had an eight-game winning streak come to an end as they finished 10-4 in Kelly King Jr.’s first year as head coach, winning the school’s first Central Coast Section title in 15 years.

Piedmont Hills had a whole lot of trouble tackling Balboa’s 6-foot-2, 220-pound running back Mekai Smith, who scored three touchdowns (and had two more called back on penalties), bringing his season total to 49.

“He was real physical,” King said. “I’ve seen a lot of good running backs like Lincoln’s Kyan Phillips when I was at Leland, and when I was at Milpitas, Antioch’s Najee Harris. He’s in the same mold, big and physi

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