By Bethany Nguyen
On Oct. 23, the FVHS Barons (1-8, 0-4 league) faced off against the Northwood Timberwolves (4-5, 1-3 league) at home for Senior Night. Despite a strong defensive effort, the Timberwolves defeated the Kingdom with a final score of 7-20.
Before kickoff, the Barons honored their seniors in a ceremony recognizing members of the Class of 2026, many of whom are four-year athletes on the team.
Sophomore Isaac Combs connected with senior Jack Chavez for a stellar 31-yard pass early in the first quarter before the Timberwolves regained possession, returning the ball to the 35-yard line. Soon after, senior Munir Beshir pushed the Barons closer to the end zone on second down with five yards to go.
With 4:29 minutes left in the quarter, junior Drake Robinson made a key tackle, stopping a Timberwolves advance and ending the first quarter at a tie of 0-0.
The Barons opened the second quarter with a solid defense, but Northwood scored the first touchdown at 3:59 and made the extra point for a lead of 0-7. Midway through the quarter, the Barons fired it up to make their comeback.
After a completed pass, junior Raymond Dillon Jr. took the ball to the 10-yard line. With 3:29 remaining, the Barons scored their first touchdown, evening the score at 7-7.
In the final seconds of the first half, the Barons kept up their defensive plays, but were no match for the Timberwolves’ attacks. With 22 seconds left, Northwood scored its second touchdown. The quarter ended with a score of 7-14 with the Timberwolves in the lead heading into halftime.
During halftime, seniors from the FVHS Pep Squad and band were recognized in their respective ceremonies. Each senior was escorted down the field by their family and supporters as the game’s announcer read out the senior’s favorite teacher, class, memories on the team and future goals.
In the third quarter, Beshir made another tackle at the 25-yard line. The remainder of the game was a hard-fought defensive battle as both teams traded positions.
With 8:34 left in the game, the Timberwolves scored what would be the final touchdown, making the score 7-20.
For the game, key players included Combs, Chavez, senior Sam Garza, and senior Austin Wallace.
Reflecting on the season, head football coach Mitch Olson said, “We’ve had a lot of injuries, and there’s a new system for everybody. I thought that we were playing pretty good football just now. We didn’t make a lot of mistakes tonight, and the kids are playing hard.”
The Barons will continue to train in the offseason as they prepare for next year’s season.
