Pioneers plow through Falcons’ defense in Homecoming defeat

Photo by Bryan Zhao

The Falcons preparing to execute their Run-Pass-Option play during their Homecoming game.

The stands were filled with a “White-Out” theme as students cheered on the Falcons during the Homecoming football game at home against Cupertino on Sept. 22.

“We knew Cupertino wasn’t going to be an easy win,” sophomore wide receiver Jayden Kwong said. “It would be challenging. But we still felt confident and were ready to go.”

The Falcons started the game well but fell to a stronger Pioneers team 34-13.

Senior wide receiver and defensive back Cooper Call scored a touchdown with a 30-yard dash early in the first quarter followed by a successful extra point. 

Cupertino quickly struck back with a long touchdown on a pass. With the game tied 7-7 coming into the second quarter, Call caught a long pass and made a 52-yard run to the 10-yard line. Sophomore wide receiver Brennan Pak finished the job with a 3-yard charge into the end zone, putting the Falcons up 13-7.

Despite the two early touchdowns by Call and Pak, the Falcon defense couldn’t contain Cupertino’s attack. The Pioneers mixed in a good run game with short passes and the occasional deep throw, which allowed them to score a touchdown late into the second quarter.

The third quarter went downhill. The Falcon offense stagnated, committing turnovers and placing extra pressure on the defense to make sacks and interceptions.

“As our offense started to go down, so did our defense,” Pak said. “A majority of our players played both offense and defense. We kept getting more tired, and then they kept scoring as the game went on.” 

Cupertino furthered their lead in the third quarter by scoring two quick touchdowns.

The fourth quarter started with the 2nd and 5 for Cupertino. Efforts made by junior offensive and defensive lineman Tevita Pahulu brought down Cupertino’s quarterback in the backfield and prevented them from scoring additional points. 

But the exhausted Falcons, many of whom had played both offense and defense the whole game, couldn’t mount a comeback.

“It’s hard to play with all our energy. I have to play both sides, so I get burnt out really quickly. And that’s the [same with] the majority of our team,” Pak said. “It’s just hard to compete when they have double our players.” 

Injuries also affected the Falcons’ performance. During the fourth quarter freshman quarterback Anson Hulme suffered a hit to his shin by a helmet, which he said affected what he was able to do. 

Hulme was subbed out for sophomore Oliver Su late into the fourth quarter, but it was too late to make a difference. So far, their season has included a 28-7 loss against Harbor on Sept. 8 and a 69-0 home drubbing of Santa Cruz on Sept. 1.

The team played at Mills on Sept. 29. (Because of printing deadlines, The Falcon couldn’t include coverage of that game in this article.)

Even with a hard Homecoming loss, Kwong still has high hopes for the future. 

“After every game, win or loss, the main thing that stuck with me is that all the coaches have done their part, so we have to do our part,” Kwong said. “We have the talent, we have the people, we just gotta pull it all together now. And if we can do that, the wins will start stacking on.”