In high school football, there are moments of triumph and there are moments of defeat. This past Friday night was one of those tough nights for the varsity football team, as they faced off against an undefeated San Marin squad, resulting in a 35-7 loss. Yet, even in the face of adversity, junior Ronan Ralston and the boys’ spirits remain unbroken as they look ahead toward their brighter future.
“I think this loss was just a road bump for the team, [but] we’ll learn from our mistakes and get better. We have to leave this one behind us and move on to the next game with a clear head. We can’t overlook anyone and we learned that tonight,” Ralston said.
For weeks, the boys had been on a remarkable winning streak, boasting an undefeated 5-0 record that had the community buzzing with excitement. However, San Marin proved to be a formidable opponent, and sadly, the best start to a season in recent years was broken. Senior Marshall Thomas knows that the great start can’t allow them to get ahead of themselves.
“It obviously felt great to start 5-0, but that doesn’t mean we are automatically going to be 6-0 or 7-0. We have to continue to work hard and let our work do the talking on the field,” Thomas said. “Even though we lost this game we can’t let it drag us down, 5-1 is still an excellent start and we’re excited to see what we can do for the rest of the season.”
Despite the tough loss, there were moments of resilience and toughness showcased why the Giants have maintained excellence in their season so far. The touchdown scored in the fourth quarter was a testament to their determination and attitude of never backing down.
“The touchdown shows that we have the skill and ability to be good, and when we execute we will perform. It also showed us and everyone else that we won’t back down. We will continue to fight for the entire game no matter the score, and that’s what I love about this team,” Ralston said.
Next week, the team faces a new challenge: San Rafael High School. The lessons learned from this loss will serve valuable in the game next weekend. The coaches are already devising new strategies and refining their game plan.
“Our coaches have already forgotten about this loss. It stings but we know we need to move forward and prepare for next week. We are already watching film and our game plan is to come out strong, fast and to dominate the game from the start,” Thomas said.
