By Ansharah Asif
The Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Barons suffered a tragic loss to the Edison Chargers as they failed to make any touchdowns in a 0-51 defeat on Friday night. The game marks the 17th consecutive year in which the Barons failed to attain the bell from the Chargers.
The Barons opened with senior Nathan Tran kicking off the ball. The Chargers immediately caught it and bolted past the Barons. The defense stayed strong as the offense ran after the ball and finally tackled down the Charger at the 30-yard line. Twenty-two seconds into the game, the Edison Chargers scored a touchdown leading them with a 0-7 score.
Baron pride held high as the loud crowd cheered on the players and hyped up their efforts.
The Barons continued to struggle through the second quarter as offensively, they failed to consistently move the ball down the field.
“I think we could have followed our assignments on offense better; we really struggled [on] moving the ball. What I thought we did good was fighting on defense,” senior wide receiver and defensive back Drew Reyes said.
Just before halftime, the Edison Chargers quickly brought their lead to 0-38 after scoring two consecutive touchdowns.
The Barons recharged during halftime and got their heads back in the game. They kicked off with a renewed spirit.
“Richard Do, No. 3, he’s a senior, he had some great pass breakups. Drew Reyes had some great hits out there—No. 80. Scott Peshke had a great catch,” senior captain Tyler Nowicki said.
Some memorable plays were made by the defense through their solid coverage, which often materialized as fourth-down stops and bold moves by individual players.
“I think a play that stood out for me was when me and Tyler Nowicki stopped No. 23 from hurdling over us,” Reyes said.
The Barons gave a valiant effort but still failed to find the endzone as the game ended with a score of 0-51.
Their defeat riled up disappointment as many felt as though they fell short on offense and missed many opportunities to run the ball up. However, the team maintains that despite the sentiments—good or bad—that the loss has drawn, their camaraderie and spirit are still intact.
“We don’t care about what anyone else says. Whether the whole school hates us or everybody loves us, it doesn’t matter because all we got is each other,” senior wide receiver Richard Do said.
Irrespective of their difficult season, the team remained sanguine and proud of their work.
“I feel great about the game. Despite the loss and no matter the score, I’m proud of my teammates and the work we put in all off-season and season long. It wasn’t the outcome we worked for but best believe we will keep working,” Do said.
Their last game of the season will be against the Corona Del Mar Sea Kings, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. next Friday, Oct. 29 at Corona Del Mar High School.
