The Falcons went into their Homecoming game on Oct. 11 against Lynbrook with a confident 4-0-1 record, motivating them to maintain their unbeaten record against the Vikings.
Showcasing their versatility in a commanding win, the Falcons kept a clean sheet, the scoreboard reading out 49-0 at the end of the night. The team delivered a lockdown defense with several interceptions and sacks, while their balanced offense scored touchdowns from strong rushing plays and deep passes.
Just three minutes into the first quarter, junior running back Ian Johnson scored a 2-yard rushing touchdown followed by a successful extra-point conversion. With an early lead, the team gained quick confidence and — realizing they could manage the game comfortably — head coach Archie Ljepeva planned for his young players and non-starters to enter in the second half of the game.
“You could tell from the first few minutes, the game was already over,” Johnson said.
With senior running back Keion Ashjaee-Marshall’s 70-yard touchdown run and a 3-yard rushing touchdown by sophomore quarterback Anson Hulme, the Falcons took control of the game by the first quarter.
Senior receiver Charlie Arman then increased the rout to 27-0 after catching a 36-yard pass from Hulme, closely followed by another rushing touchdown by junior Brennan Pak. With all of the Falcons’ PATS converted, their lead extended to an overwhelming 35-0.
The team played just as well on defense in the first half, with key interceptions from senior safety Doug Bettinger and senior cornerback Sawyer Chao. Pak also contributed six total tackles along with senior Tevita Pahulu and junior Daniel Rodriguez having five total tackles each in the first half.
“We were explosive. Our line was dominant on defense and our defensive backs were good,” Johnson said. “When we had our starters in, [Lynbrook] couldn’t complete a pass.”
Because the Falcons had such ease of control from the starters in the first half, they went into the second half aiming to play most of their non-starters on defense.
“We were able to get everyone in, including the freshmen, who usually don’t play as much,” Hulme said. “The freshmen come to practice every day of every week, and they don’t get as much time to showcase their work, so I thought it was a good experience for them to get out there.”
Hulme, who remained on the field to lead the younger players and maintain the game, noted that his novice teammates rose to the occasion, keeping up pressure with solid execution on both sides of the ball.
In the second half, the Falcons kept their clean sheet, with freshman linebacker Gavin Moore, sophomore linebacker Justice Andrews and junior outside linebacker Robbie Pastega each contributing key tackles. Sophomore offensive lineman Ben Guo recorded three pancakes and did well on multiple occasions to allow Hulme to release many passes.
The scoring didn’t stop, with two more touchdowns coming towards the end of the game. Junior James Gavin picked up 29 yards and drove down the field multiple times for Johnson to add another 38-yard rushing touchdown. Johnson was followed by a similar 29-yard rush by senior Doug Bettinger, ending the game at 49-0 after two PATs from kicker sophomore Victor Mancuso.
Although the Falcons faced a more manageable opponent — in comparison to Mills and Monta Vista — they clearly showed their impressive depth in players and consistent scoring ability.
Hulme delivered a standout performance, recording a total of 80 passing yards, rushing for his first touchdown of the season and completing two passes that led to touchdowns. Mancuso converted seven out of seven of his PATs, while Chao made an immense impact on defense with several tackles and two interceptions. Andrews made the most of his time on the field, picking up an interception and driving 30 yards down the field; he also held 20 return yards and six tackles defensively.
The game put the Falcons at a 5-0-1 record, placing third in the El Camino league behind Gunn and Jefferson. With their depth shining through at Homecoming, the team continues to build momentum for the second half of their season.
They recently faced MacDonald on Oct. 18, and while the game wasn’t as comfortable as it was against the Vikings, they scraped through with a 35-28 away win.
“MacDonald made us their Homecoming game. You usually do that to a team you think you’ll beat,” Guo said. “We won, but, at the game, the referees were making bad calls everywhere and not running the clock when they should [have] in the last quarter, so it was satisfying for us to take the win at their Homecoming game.”
