On Saturday, Oct. 5, the Archie Williams varsity football team took on the Terra Linda Trojans on the San Rafael High School field. The teams rescheduled the game from 2 p.m. to an earlier 12 p.m., in an attempt to beat the heat. Although not fully solving the temperature issue, both teams came to compete.
The Falcons started off the game strong on offense with a 10-yard run from running back Mani Mosher. However, the momentum of the game shifted when Terra Linda intercepted a pass from quarterback Ronan Foley.
After a few solid defensive plays, including a tackle by wide receiver Isaac Pierce, the Terra Linda Trojans scored a touchdown and completed their extra point. During the following first down for Archie Williams, the Falcons hiked the ball too high and fumbled. Terra Linda followed up the play with their first down on the 30-yard line.
The Trojans, so close to the end zone, caused Archie Williams to up the pressure. Falcons cornerback Lincoln Tithof leapt to quickly block a pass in the end zone, followed by a tackle from safety Gianni Testa on the fourth down, turning the ball over. Archie Williams then called a crucial timeout, in order to regroup and motivate each other.
“I didn’t do [well] in the first [quarter], and then I asked my team if they believed in me, and they did. Then we got it done,” Ronan said.
Following the timeout, Ronan ran the ball up 10 yards, securing the first down. The following play, he threw a long ball to sophomore Nate Ryan who made a catch for the first Falcon touchdown. Tight end Arlo Maury completed the extra point, concluding the first quarter at 7-7.
Falcons came into the second quarter strong, with deflections from both defensive tackle Tyler Stevenson and Lincoln. In the aftermath of the previous play, the Falcons showed excitement, including Lincoln, who the refs flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Terra Linda five yards. Following that, Gianni drew a holding penalty, giving the Trojans another 10 yards.
The Falcons defense was still very strong as Lincoln racked up another deflection on defense. In the next play, Arlo caught an interception and was able to run the ball 30 yards. The team did not let up, continuing the pressure on the Trojans.
“[We] played really well, finally. They did great as a team. We just didn’t let down, and they fought back. We really battled, which is important,” Falcon coach Les Scanlan said.
With four minutes left in the second quarter, Archie Williams scored another touchdown, caught in the end zone by Isaac. The Trojans got the ball back and gave their best efforts to score a touchdown, able to complete a 20-yard pass and run it into the end zone. However, the Trojans’ kicker was unable to complete the extra point for the Trojans, ending the second quarter 14-13.
Both teams came back from halftime with high energy, the Falcons starting on offense with a 20-yard pass, running the ball down the field far enough to receive a first down. Ronan handed the ball off to Nate during the next play and he was able to run it for another first down, following that, Arlo kicked in a field goal, making the score 25-13.
Terra Linda then received the punt, but despite their efforts for another touchdown, the Falcon defense worked diligently and ran the clock out. The score remained 25-13 with a strong lead from the Falcons.
“We came out every morning [to practice] on the field at like 6:40 [a.m.] and [the Trojans] didn’t even practice all week. We just worked harder than them, and we wanted to get it more than them,” junior Jagger Yarbrough said.
The fourth quarter started off with Terra Linda in possession, but Archie Williams’ defense denied them any progress. The Falcons appeared to be dominating this game both on offense and defense.
Towards the end of the fourth quarter, Isaac leapt in front of a Terra Linda player to catch an interception. He swiftly ran the ball across the field and into the end zone, scoring a touchdown for Archie Williams. Terra Linda was unable to score again, ending the game at 32-13, in favor of Archie Williams.
The win against Terra Linda made Archie Williams’ record 3-3. Next week, the Falcons will be back at San Rafael, but this time to play the Bulldogs under the lights at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10.
“This is a huge win for us because it got the morale back. Now we’re 3-3, and the playoffs are in our future,” Jagger said.
