Football Team Fumbles in Fourth Home Game

BRYAN

ALBARRAN

STAFF WRITER

The cold air, the cloudy sky, a wet field and bleachers full of spectators was the scene of the Alhambra football team’s home game against South Pasadena High School on Sept. 22.

The game began with a battle of wits and strength from both teams. In the beginning, both teams were well balanced. This progressed to a match which seemed as if it would end closely in a draw. South Pasadena finally got an upperhand on the Moors after the first quarter.

In the first few minutes of the second quarter, South Pasadena made their first touchdown and gained a lead of 0-7 with a single field goal. Later on, the team also went on to intercept a pass and score a touchdown against Alhambra, leaving the Moors with a score of 0-14. After the first quarter, the tension between both teams seemed to rise and it led to some minor problems. The Alhambra team lost one of their players due to an injury that was received during the game.

“It was just an old injury that came back when someone from [South Pasadena] stepped on my ankle during a play,” senior Sean Aguilar said.

Throughout the entire game, the Moors kept their heads up and continued playing.  It was obvious that the boys were very eager to score against the team and sometimes, some may say a bit too eager. Mistakes were made on the side of Alhambra causing a deficiency in their potential to score. Multiple false starts on both teams were called against Alhambra and many times, it threw away the progress the team had previously made.

Alhambra’s continuous communication and spirit allowed them to continue fighting through the game until the very end. They finally made their first touchdown later on, but once again, the boys were flagged for an illegal man downfield and the touchdown was considered ineligible.

The South Pasadena football team also sustained some injuries and fouls during the game. Within the third quarter, one of their athletes was injured on his right knee and began to limp off the field. The type of injury was unknown but the athlete felt pain after getting hit by a cleat on the knee. The team also received a few fouls for false starts and for personal fouls such as playing too rough. The referees called most of the fouls against both teams and hardly stopped the game.

The final two quarters were tough for the Moors. There were multiple attempts to score but they were pushed back by the opposing team’s defense and their own false starts. This shows how eager the Alhambra team was to win.

The South Pasadena team scored a third touchdown in the third quarter and scored their final touchdown in the fourth quarter, leaving a score of 0-27.  

The cheerleading team and band did a great job supporting their respective teams. Aside from the unbalanced score, both teams did their best and it was a game to remember.

“I think we need to do a better job mentally preparing for games and being able to play,” Coach Eric Bergstrom said.

Alhambra’s next game will be an away game on Oct. 13 against San Gabriel High School at 3:30 p.m.