By Ching Yuen, Brandon Su, staff writers
The varsity football team was clamped down by the Washington Eagles at the homecoming game on Friday, September 30, losing 44-8. After dropping their regular season opener, the Lions are now 0-1 in league play & have a 0-5 overall record this season.
Despite the final score being lopsided, the game started out quickly for the Lions as they completed a 40 yard pass, on the 4th play of the game. The crowd erupted as junior tight end Sidney P. was brought down at the 20-yard line and set up the Lions with a great start. Unfortunately, the offense was unable to sustain the momentum as the Lions fell short of a touchdown & the ensuing field goal attempt also resulted in a miss.
Taking advantage of the situation, Washington rebounded immediately, scoring on the very next play with an 80 yard rush. The shocking turn of events stunned both the home crowd and the Lion players.
The Lions didn’t back down though as they put together a string of offensive plays to get right back into the game. At the midfield, junior quarterback Nate C. saw an opening on the left side of the field and rushed 12 yards for a first down.
On a 3rd and 10, Nate C. narrowly escaped from two ensuing Washington linemen and threw a 38-yard bomb to the endzone for a touchdown caught by junior wide receiver Cease R. The Lions also successfully completed a 2 point conversion, which was also to Cease, giving the Lions the lead, 8-6. However these would be the only points the Lions score the rest of the game.
The Eagles quickly struck back with their running game, breaking down the Lions’ defense and picking up first downs on each and every one of their ensuing drives. In total, Washington’s running back (#1) scored a 55-yard touchdown, a 7-yard touchdown, a 35-yard touchdown, a 25-yard touchdown, and a 50-yard touchdown. To put the nail in the coffin and end the game, Washington scored another field goal and won the game 44-8.
After the game, when asked about the team’s mistakes, Cease said, “I felt like the biggest flaw this game was our defense not being able to tackle. Our defense didn’t seem like they were trying their hardest, giving up on plays,” but added, “We were able to put points up onto the board, so that’s already better than last year.”
