Story by Gavin Bartolome & Owen Hou
Staff Writers
Photo by Emiko Essmiller
Photography Editor
On Friday, Nov. 16, the Tigers were triumphant in a narrow battle against the Valley View Eagles in the CIF Southern Section Division X Quarter Final. Both teams were deadlocked throughout the game, with the score teetering between both.
At the beginning of the first quarter, South Pasadena fans waited anxiously for the game they had driven over an hour and a half to witness. The first half was uneventful, as neither team could get past the other’s defense. This was quickly changed, however, as sophomore quarterback Andrew Nott threw a pass to senior wide receiver Jordan Rogers, moving the Tigers from their own 45-yard line to the Eagles’ 45. After this, the Tigers continued their charge forward until Nott passed to sophomore wide receiver Toshio Matsuoka, making the touchdown from 35 yards out. This brought the score to 7-0 after the one point conversion was made by junior kicker Nicholas Dragonas.
After receiving at their 35-yard line, the Eagles, hungry for yardage, began a siege on the Tiger defense, slowly inching toward midfield. Once Valley View got there, however, their progress exploded, as their quarterback threw a 50 yard pass to tie the game 7-7 after the Eagles’ one point conversion was made.
After this, neither team was able to advance any further until the time ran out, marking the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter began with the Tigers receiving from the Eagles at the 35-yard line. With no time to be wasted, junior running back Trey Freking ran the ball, gaining 7 yards for the Tigers. The Tigers continued to make progress down the field, with Nott passing to senior tight end James Dowd, bringing the offense to the Eagle 45-yard line. From there, sophomore running back Rick Matsuda left the defense in the dust, making the touchdown 45 yards out and putting the Tigers in the lead 14-7.
Trying to even out the score once again, the Eagles received at the 35-yard line. However, the Tiger defense remained strong — Dowd sacked the Eagle quarterback and pushed the offense back 2 yards. Despite this early setback, the Eagles continued to claw their way down the field, eventually kicking a field goal from 35 yards out and bringing the score to 14-10, the Tigers ahead by four points.
Still in the lead, the Tigers received at the 35-yard line but let their guard down. This allowed the Eagles to intercept a pass, and they eventually scored a rushing touchdown. The sudden turn in events puts the Eagles ahead 17-14 after the one point conversion was made.
Scrambling to regain the lead, the Tigers received the ball at their own 39-yard line. Despite their best efforts, the Tigers fell short of the end zone, failing their fourth down at the 35-yard line. The second quarter came to an end with the Eagles in the lead.
Just barely trailing behind, the Tigers needed to fight to regain lost ground. After executing a successful onside kick, South Pasadena regained possession of the ball at Valley View’s 40-yard line. The Tigers continued to push the ball downfield through rapid relentless plays until they arrived at the 20-yard line for Dragonas to deliver a solid field goal, tying the game at 17-17 and providing much-needed relief for the Tigers. From there, it would be a new game between the two teams for victory.
Making the most of their comeback, the Tigers put up an impenetrable defense, freezing the Eagles at their 25-yard line and forcing a punt. Once again, the Tigers took control of the game, immediately making a deep pass to the Eagles’ 6-yard line after receiving the punt. A second field goal by Dragonas struck back at the Eagles, bringing the Tigers into the lead 20-17, and ending the third quarter with the Eagles at the Tigers’ 39-yard line.
Starting the fourth quarter, the Tigers’ defense loosened just enough for the Eagles to make a passing touchdown. With the score at 24-20 in the Eagles’ favor, the deadlocked battle for victory continued. However, the Tigers quickly made a comeback as Freking managed to break away from the Eagles, stunning the audience with a 51-yard rushing touchdown to raise the score 27-24 and put the Tigers back into the lead.
Desperate to regain an advantage, the Eagles failed a fourth down and turnover possession of the ball to the Tigers from the Eagles’ 30-yard line. Pushing forward, the Tigers opened up the end zone for senior wide receiver David Eisenberg to score a 24-yard touchdown, putting the first real gap between scores as the Tigers led 34-24.
As time ran out, the Eagles made a touchdown that raised the score 34-31, but failed an onside kick, handing over possession of the ball. This enraged Eagles fans and brought a decisive victory to the Tigers.
Overall, the Tigers just barely outplayed the Eagles through sheer determination and resolve. The Tigers hope to continue their eight-game-long winning streak in the next playoff game against the Silverado Hawks on Friday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.
