By Matthew Nguyen, Staff Writer
After a resounding 40-28 victory over the Troy Warriors on August 18, the Barons varsity football team looked sharp in their first preseason game.
Within the first 10 minutes of the first quarter, the Barons had quickly given up two touchdowns and trailed the Warriors 7-15. The crowd had fallen silent until senior wide receiver Kishaun Sykes took a simple slant from the 35-yard line into the end zone for an electrifying touchdown. While Sykes’ spectacular play still left the Barons trailing 13-15, it would also unknowingly unleash an ensuing torrent of game-changing plays.
On the following drive, the defense would capitalize upon its newly acquired momentum and recover a forced fumble around the Warrior’s 45-yard line. The Barons continued their unrelenting assault that resulted in a 6-yard touchdown by senior running back Mathew Fuiava to recapture the lead 20-15. The fun didn’t end there for the Barons, they continued their relentless defense and quickly regained the ball after a Warrior’s punt around the opponent’s 45-yard line to close out the first quarter.
On the Barons’ very first offensive play of the second quarter, junior quarterback Josh Stupin connected on a screen pass to Sykes who, after a quick juke inside and a lethal spin move back to the outside, raced down the sideline, outrunning every Warrior on the field for a 45-yard touchdown.
Sykes, feeding off the adrenaline of his team and the crowd, sprinted down the back of the end-zone before dramatically spiking the football in an act of passion. This costly celebration drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the Barons and caused them to miss the ensuing extra point.
The Warriors would then went on to receive the ball, but still without a solution on how to score upon this rejuvenated Baron defense. After receiving the ball again on another forced punt, the avalanche of scoring continued for the Barons’ offense. Stupin found senior wide receiver Brandon Krause open within the middle of the field for a 56-yard touchdown to close out the second quarter. The Barons looked near unstoppable heading into halftime, leading with a score of 33-15.
The break did nothing to cool off the flaming hot Barons who began the third quarter with the same dominance that had been showcased in the two quarters prior. After a crushing hit delivered by junior safety Jerry Ngo, the Warriors threw an interception into the waiting arms of junior cornerback Dillon Kerrigan who returned the turnover back to the Warrior’s 42-yard line. A beautifully designed delayed handoff allowed Fuiava to run in his second touchdown of the game and gave Fountain Valley a commanding 40-15 lead over Troy. The Warriors showed some resilience, stringing together back-to-back scoring drives, but the Barons lead proved to be too much. The game finished with a dominant final score of 40-28.
While the year is still young with plenty of football games have yet to be played, the 2018 season looks to be a promising one for Fountain Valley. With a successful first showing, the team sent a clear message to the rest of its future competition; to beware, the Barons are coming.
