After a dominant 30-7 performance at home against El Camino on Sept. 5, the football team overpowered the Cupertino Pioneers in an away game on Sept. 20 with a 42-7 after a bye week.
This was the eighth meeting between the two teams in recent years, with the Falcons coming holding a 5-3 advantage over Cupertino. Saratoga fell to Cupertino 34-13 last season. This matchup showed the Falcons’ improvement since then.
The Falcon offense stepped up against the Pioneers once again, picking up momentum from the beginning of the game and scoring two more touchdowns than in their previous match. Senior running back Keion Ashjaee-Marshall and senior wide receiver Doug Bettinger each had two touchdowns, but it was junior running back Brennan Pak, the man-of-the-match-winner, who led the scoring with two touchdowns and a successful 2-point conversion. Pak’s dedication to preparation paid off, as his performance on the field also came from hours of effort leading to the game.
“I’m super grateful and relieved to know that all the hard work going into that game didn’t go unnoticed,” Pak said. “I’m proud of myself for watching films and taking all the notes my coaches gave me because that’s what allowed me to play as freely and confidently as possibly.”
Following Pak’s words, other players also recognized the importance of preparation leading up to the game. Sophomore quarterback Anson Hulme, who has thrown for 108 yards this season, acknowledged the team’s struggles in their passing game but felt that their running tactics came in clutch to secure a win.
A crucial moment in the game appeared when Ashjaee-Marshall, playing outside linebacker on defense, intercepted a Cupertino pass. The following play, the Falcons capitalized with Doug Bettinger scoring a 23-yard touchdown. Aside from his interception, Ashjaee-Marshall recorded another 125 rushing yards against Cupertino, and now leads the league with 362 total rushing yards in three games, putting him 14 above second place, who has one more game than him.
On the defensive side, the team also shined. Prior to the game, the Falcons studied film on Cupertino’s running backs and developed a strategy to utilize their physical players and stop their runs. Sophomore linebacker Motekiai Pahulu recorded another outstanding 11 tackles, leading the league with 36 total tackles. Pak also excelled with 10 tackles, further solidifying his man-of-the-match effort on both sides of the ball.
Hulme believes the Falcons’ winning momentum is driving their work ethic through long weeks of practice and fueling their desire to keep winning. He also feels that the confidence and morale boost has been a major factor, especially since they were originally projected to finish last in the league following a league coaches’ meeting.
“Since the start of the season, we have had team morale on a semi constant rise,” he said. “At the very beginning of the season, before our first game everyone was very frustrated after a long time of work with no chance to showcase it. So the winning record has really helped.”
The team is currently 2-0 in the El Camino League and 3-0 overall. The Falcons are on their way to bouncing back from their disappointing fifth place standing in the Peninsula Lake League last year. The Falcons are set to play Mills at home on Sept. 27.
“I would consider last year as a stepping stone. If you look at the top teams in the NFL, they spend upwards of ten years working on rebuilding their squad,” Ashjaee-Marshall said. “Having established the sense of toughness and competitiveness along with a solid defense and offense, I look forward to this year.”
Due to only nine sign-ups for the season and 15 of the 39 players sophomores or freshmen, the Falcons don’t have a JV team this year. Coach Archie Ljepava acknowledges that the combined team will result in younger players not getting the opportunity to play as many games as they would in a normal varsity-JV split.
However, he has found that the team can also provide them a good experience if they can understand the team’s system and prepare for next year. Veteran players also hope having one team is beneficial for the underclassmen, as they must challenge themselves in order to contend with the best players on the team for playing time.
“I think that the team will definitely face difficulties this year, mainly because varsity and JV are at a very different pace,” Pahulu said. “It’ll be hard for the players to adapt, but it’s definitely possible if we put in enough work.”
Despite the young roster, the team is making consistent headway in training and games. With the dismissal of head coach Steve Matos after the season last year, the Falcons are still adapting to their new styles of play, led by Ljepava, who stepped up from the assistant coach position this year.
This year, the Falcons — led by Ashjaee-Marshall — are aiming for CCS. Looking forward to his senior year, Ashjaee-Marshall wants to maximize every moment on the field: “This season, I want to win CCS. I love winning; I love competing; I love establishing a culture here at Saratoga for football, to let everyone know that we’re the best,” Ashjaee-Marshall said.
