Palo Alto High quarterback Justin Fung threw three touchdowns and ran for two more as the Vikings beat Burlingame 35-21 on Friday, Oct. 9, according to his post on X.

The homecoming victory was Paly's first in seven years, East Bay Times reported. Fung, a senior captain who wears No. 2, finished 17-of-22 passing for 295 yards and added 113 rushing yards on eight carries, according to stats he posted on X on Sunday, Oct. 11. His passing and rushing yardage totaled 408 yards.

The performance caps a sharp turnaround. Paly went 0-10 last season. New head coach Edward Tonga took over before this fall, Paly Voice reported. The Vikings opened with a 56-14 win over Leigh High School before improving to 3-1 by late September, according to MaxPreps.

Fung told The Campanile, Paly's student newspaper, that his No. 2 jersey has become part of his identity. He said he has worn the number for years and that putting it on reminds him of the work he has invested in his sport.

The Campanile feature, published Saturday, Oct. 10, profiles Fung and other Paly athletes on the personal stories behind their jersey numbers. Senior Miles Joing, a goalie in lacrosse and hockey, wears No. 1 for lacrosse and No. 35 for hockey as a tribute to NHL goaltender Linus Ullmark.

"I wear the number one for lacrosse because it's the first odd number, and I think you have to be pretty odd to play goalie," Joing said.

Junior soccer player Maeve Johnson wears No. 21 because it was her mother's number as a collegiate soccer player at Stanford, according to Johnson. Sophomore lacrosse player Kostas Pashalidis wears No. 4 for his May 4 birthday.

Senior soccer player Ellie Knott, also quoted in the feature, said athletes tend to stick with the same number season after season because it connects them to something meaningful.

The Vikings are scheduled to visit San Mateo on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., according to Paly’s official athletics schedule.