On Saturday, Nov. 9, the Archie Williams Falcons met the Piner High School Prospectors at Falcons’ home turf for their senior night and final game of the season. The game was well-matched and hard-fought, but the Prospectors wore down the Falcons with a final score of 42-14.
The Falcons kicked off the game at 2 p.m. Both teams enacted strong plays off the bat, with complete passes to senior tight end Arlo Maury, and junior quarterback Ronan Foley carrying the ball up the field, resetting the downs. The energetic crowd shouted encouragement to the players as the game continued on.
The Prospectors then earned their first touchdown, giving them a lead of 7-0. After a turnover to the Falcons, junior free safety and wide receiver Ates Hurd scored a touchdown. Junior kicker Manny Cardenas followed up, scoring the extra point and ending the first quarter tied 7-7.
The Prospectors dominated the second quarter, scoring a touchdown and a field goal, pushing the score to 14-7. Their success frustrated many fans and players on the sidelines. Piner continued to control the field, making two more touchdowns and field goals, extending their lead to 28-7 at halftime.
“We hung in there. The scoreboard doesn’t show it, but we played really hard,” said varsity offensive coordinator Jason Revell.
The third quarter started with a holding penalty against the Falcons, losing them a few yards. The Prospectors made yet another touchdown and extra point, Piner then up 35-7. Luckily the Falcons’ luck changed at the fourth down, with sophomore wide receiver Nate Ryan scoring a touchdown and Manny making a field goal, adjusting the score to 35-14.
The Prospectors fought for another touchdown and field goal, ending the third quarter with the Falcons down 42-14. However, Archie Williams’ players persevered, kicking off the fourth and final quarter strong, with both teams holding steady on the field.
“Our resilience was really good, especially on defense. We didn’t give up,” said junior receiver Sam Kaplan.
The quarter began with an interception and turnover on downs to the Prospectors. The teams each defended their end zones well, continuing with no touchdowns until the clock ran out, ending the game in favor of Piner. Emotions ran high among players and the crowd, but Archie Williams’ football record improved this season, ending with a record of 4-6 compared to last year’s 2-8.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to a couple [of] big plays, which we just weren’t able to execute,” said sophomore right guard Hudson Renga.
Revell looks to the future while holding pride in the team’s performance, finishing ninth in the North Coast Section Division V rankings.
“It’s great to see us create some more success and I look forward to the future,” Revell said.
