On Saturday, Sep. 28, the Archie Williams varsity football team went head to head against the Novato Hornets in the Falcons’ Homecoming game. The Falcons put up a strong fight in the highly anticipated matchup, but ultimately fell short, losing 7-10. 

The game kicked off at 2 p.m., with the Falcons starting on offense. The first quarter sped by, as both teams fiercely battled for control of the ball.  Energy was high in the stands as the Falcons regained possession of the ball, maintaining control until the first quarter ended, tied at 0-0.  

The second quarter began with the Falcons driving forward downfield. Senior Gianni Testa scored a touchdown on first down from a pass from quarterback Ronan Foley. Senior kicker Arlo Maury then kicked an extra point, bringing the score to 7-0 in favor of the Falcons. 

The Hornets came out strong on offense, completing several passes in an attempt to score a touchdown. The Falcons’ strong defense held fast and anticipated their every move, preventing them from scoring. Although the Hornets came close, they settled for a field goal, bringing the score to 7-3. 

The game continued on and the Falcons called several timeouts to strategize. As halftime began, Archie Williams’ Dance Troupe energized the crowd with a performance.

The Hornets kicked off the second half, which included an unfortunate injury to Archie Williams’ junior wide receiver and center back Luke Diperna-Pavlich. Shortly after, the Hornets scored a touchdown, and an extra point with only eight minutes left in the third quarter, bringing the score to 10-7. The third quarter ended, and with only one quarter left, the stakes were high, and the crowd was on the edge of their seats.

“I just think we need more fight in us,” Gianni said.

The Hornets made another incomplete pass to the end zone, resulting in a turnover on downs and the Falcons’ possession of the ball. Archie Williams then drove downfield only to throw an interception with under three minutes remaining in the game. The Hornets ran the ball ending the game 10-7 in favor of Novato. 

“I think we had some good individual plays, but overall, as a team, we just didn’t really come out and play with the intensity we needed to,” sophomore wide receiver Nate Ryan said.   

Archie Williams looks for a victory during their next game Oct. 15, against Terra Linda High School on their home turf.