Coming off a 20-18 non-league win at Prospect on Aug. 30, the Falcons faced El Camino at home on Sept. 5 with hopes to continue their streak into their first Peninsula-Lake League game. Under the guidance of head coach Archie Ljepava, the 39-member team captured a dominant 30-7 win. (The varsity squad has more players than in recent years since the school did not field a JV team this fall.)
The first few minutes of the first quarter went back and forth, and the Falcons’ defense held up, with sophomore linebacker Motekiai Pahulu making three tackles in three minutes. Motekiai went on to record five solo tackles and 11 total tackles by the final whistle.
Saratoga’s offense picked up speed with running backs junior Ian Johnson and senior Keion Ashjaee-Marshall picking up ground on 10-yard bursts. Johnson broke off a 19-yard run to put the Falcons on El Camino’s 4-yard line. The Falcons scored when senior wide receiver Charlie Arman caught a 4-yard lob from sophomore quarterback Anson Hulme in the endzone, but the Falcons failed to convert the point after touchdown (PAT).
Strong defense led by two-way players senior Doug Bettinger and Ashjaee-Marshall resulted in a fumble by the Colts near their own endzone. With prime field position, Bettinger then ran for a 16-yard touchdown. After senior kicker Renn Blanco converted the PAT, the Falcons led 13-0 with nine minutes to go until halftime.
To close out the second quarter, a 6-yard run by Hulme put the Falcons in range for a field goal. Blanco booted the ball through the goal posts from 23 yards out. The Falcons went into the half with a 16-0 lead.
In the third quarter, El Camino got on the board with a rushing touchdown from Saratoga’s 1-yard line. Ashjaee-Marshall and senior defensive tackle Tevita Pahulu suffered minor injuries, but both quickly returned to the field. Soon after, Ashjaee-Marshall scored the team’s third touchdown, solidifying his position as the Falcon’s leading scorer. Blanco followed up with a PAT to make the score 23-7.
