On Saturday, August 31, the Archie Williams varsity football team kicked off the season in a game against the John F. Kennedy High School Eagles on the Archie Williams home turf. The Falcons recently switched into the Redwood Empire Mountain League (REML) and started their season off on the right note by winning their game 41-14.
In previous seasons, Falcons varsity football was part of the Marin County Athletic League but made the switch to the REML this season. The Falcons, now playing teams with similar school sizes and team rank from Sonoma and Marin Counties, look forward to the upcoming season.
Senior Jameson Wells has a positive outlook on the team playing in a different league this year.
“I think playing in this new league really made [this season] optimal for us. We are playing teams that are around the same school size as us. We have always had a small team, and a lot of these teams now are playing with small teams as well, and I think that [the REML] is a great conference [for us],” Jameson said.
The Falcons played hard from the beginning of the game with Jameson securing a touchdown with five minutes left in the first quarter. Jameson wasn’t done after the first quarter; he scored his second touchdown in the second quarter with seven minutes left. The Eagle’s defense lacked mobility, allowing Jameson to sprint five yards straight through the middle of the defenders.
The Falcons stayed fast on their feet through the second quarter as sophomore Jonah Revelle scored his first career varsity touchdown for the Falcons. Sophomore running back Nate Ryan furthered the Falcons’ lead by running the ball 35 yards in the final minute of the first half. Nate, also scoring his first varsity touchdown, gave the Falcons a comfortable lead of 28-14 headed into the halftime break,
The spark lit from touchdowns scored by Jonah and Nate helped the Falcons prepare for the second half.
“It feels good [to be a big contributor to the game as an underclassman]. I’m glad my teammates were able to help me out [by supporting me throughout the game],” Nate said.
Seven minutes into the second half, senior Lincoln Tithof scored a touchdown, increasing the Falcons’ lead to 35-14. Junior Ronan Foley brought excitement to the crowd as he executed a juke around his defender with 40 seconds left in the half. Archie Williams finished the game with an end score of 41-14.
The Falcons’ Offensive Coordinator Jason Revelle sees improvement in the team’s performance this year.
“I think [the team has improved] tremendously. I think that we show a lot of dedication. I think that the kids that are here have really stepped it up over the last year. I think we show a lot of determination to stay healthy and to play through pain and difficulty and adversity,” Revelle said.
The Falcons, now with a 1-0 record, look ahead to their next game Friday, Sept. 6. They will battle Encinal Jr. Sr. High School in their first away game of the season, hoping to stay undefeated.
