By Shayan Abbasi & Jayden Nguyen
This past Thursday was the senior night for the Fountain Valley Pep Squad and the Fountain Valley Royal Regiment (FVRR). The varsity team of the Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Barons Faced the Los Alamitos High School (LAHS) Griffons in a hard-fought game that culminated in a final score of 10-49 in a loss for the Barons. This was a night full of emotion from the hard-fought game between the two teams to the appreciation of farewell to the seniors.
This game proved to be one of the most challenging of the year, as Los Alamitos, holding a commendable 4-2 record and standing as the second-ranked team in the league, showcased their football strength. They featured star senior tight-end Davon Mitchell, a highly regarded four-star recruit.
“Yeah we knew going into this matchup that they’re a tough team,” says junior Nolan Olivares.
The game started with the Griffins losing the ball and giving Fountain Valley possession. This down was the Barons’ attempt to pierce through the Griffin’s defense. But FVHS was unsuccessful, as an attempted pass was intercepted by the LAHS quarterback who rushed into the Barons’ endzone. Though this attempt was called off due to a penalty and was reset back to the 50-yard line, the ball was back in Griffin hands nonetheless.
The first down for the Barons was marked with 9:09 left on the clock in the first quarter. It was started by another penalty card for the Griffins. Now at the second down, the Barons quarterback senior Noa Banua passed off the ball to senior Gabriel Regalado to obtain 7 yards, bringing the ball to the 43-yard line. On the next attempt, Banua threw a short pass to junior Luke Taylor, which was intercepted by the Los Alamitos wide-receiver who rushed it into the Barons’ endzone, scoring a touchdown followed by a successful conversion to obtain an early lead of 0-7 for the Griffins with 6:52 left in the first quarter.
With the possession back in the Barons’ advantage, they attempted to level the score. On the first down Banua threw a 10-yard pass to Taylor at the 44-yard line. Though the 2nd down marked an incomplete pass, the Barons still pushed on. On the 3rd down, Banua passed the ball over to Olivares who dashed past the defense for a gain of 10 yards. Now at the 34-yard line, the Barons kept applying the pressure on the Griffin defense. However, the following downs resulted in a sack and an incomplete pass, bringing the ball back in Los Alamitos possession.
In their first down, the Griffin quarterback threw a long pass to a receiver in the endzone to score a 41-yard touchdown with a successful conversion, which brought the score to 0-14 with 2:20 left on the clock.
The Barons had the ball back, but despite their valiant efforts, they could not break through the Griffins’ defense. In the last minute of the first quarter, the Griffins scored another touchdown with a successful conversion, bringing the score to 0-21.
To begin the second quarter, the Barons started with possession, and played with great intensity. Early in the quarter, LAHS committed a penalty, resulting in 15 yards getting awarded to the Barons. With the possession now in their favor, Banua handed the ball off to Regalado, who gained crucial yards. On the second down, Banua executed a short pass to Taylor, advancing the ball up the 25-yard line. Unfortunately for the Barons, a Banua pass to Olivares was incompleted on the penultimate 4th down.
Subsequently, the ball returned to Los Alamitos possession, but the strong Fountain Valley defense held them to gains of few yards, as well as incomplete passes. An interception at the 50-yard line by junior AC Trang put the ball back in Baron possession. With renewed control, the Barons fought hard to gain more yards, as Banua rushed for a 5-yard gain, followed by a pass to Taylor. Despite their efforts, the Barons could not break through, settling for a field goal. Olivares successfully executed the kick, bringing the score to 3-21.
With just 1:28 remaining in the third quarter, the Barons kicked off the ball, caught by a Griffin receiver, who dashed down the field for an impressive 85-yard touchdown. The Los Alamitos kicker was able to successfully convert the extra point, increasing their lead 3-28.
Halftime held a special moment for the seniors, as they received recognition for their participation in FVHS field performing arts programs. These programs included the pep squad, known for their energetic choreography and spirited cheers, and the Acclaimed Fountain Valley Royal Regiment, including members in the marching band and color guard.
Starting the third quarter, Los Alamitos launched a punt into the Barons’ side, caught by Olivares, who made a 10-yard gain. A subsequent handoff to Regalado gained valuable yards, and on the third down, Banua executed a short pass to Olivares on the 45-yard line. These efforts were unfortunately futile, as Los Alamitos regained possession following the four unsuccessful downs by Fountain Valley.
The fourth quarter proved to be a hard-fought battle for the Barons, with the offense relentlessly applying pressure on the Griffin defense. With just 2:30 left in the final quarter, the Barons executed a crucial play, as Banua passed to junior Charles Grover, who gained crucial yards and pushed the ball down to the 18-yard line. On the second down, an incomplete pass halted Fountain Valley’s progress. However, on the third down, the Barons managed to gain 5 yards with a handoff to Regalado, now at the 13-yard line. Returning to a first down, Banua rushed into the endzone for a 13-yard gain, and the successful conversion by Olivares concluded the game with a score of 10-49.
The Barons’ next game will be on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m at Corona del Mar.
