By Reese Meister
The Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Barons varsity football team lost 0-13 against the Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) Oilers despite a well-played game on the night of Monday, Oct. 23. Because it was the Barons’ Senior Night, positive energy radiated from the large crowd that showed up for the final home game.
The Oilers started with possession, but seniors Brianna Mallette and co-captain Riley Bridges successfully blocked a long pass and skillfully pulled a flag, respectively, in the first two plays. However, an HBHS player quickly ran the ball for a first down. While Mallette and Bridges once again each made defensive plays to hinder the Oilers’ progress, on third down, the quarterback found an open player who ran a short distance to the end zone, putting the first points on the board. After completing the extra point play, the Oilers led 0-7.
The Barons had a similarly long first drive, characterized by several key plays from sophomore Sophie Hsieh. Quarterback junior Natalie Loftis completed a series of successful passes, including a risky throw down the center of the field to earn a necessary first down. The Barons also experimented with a few trick plays where Bridges acted as the quarterback and handed the ball off to senior Sannah Dhamija, helping gain a few yards.
FVHS was soon set back by a penalty, but on the following fourth down play, an HBHS defender rammed into Loftis, knocking her to the ground and giving the Barons an automatic first down. Unfortunately, Loftis suffered an injury from the hit and had to come off the field, forcing the Barons to rotate various players in and out of the quarterback position. At this point, they lost their momentum after several incomplete passes and an eventual interception by the Oilers on a fourth down play.
Mallette and Bridges continued to shine defensively on their Senior Night, though, making the Oilers’ next possession extremely brief. On second down, Mallette prevented what would have been an incredible completion for HBHS by stretching to block the ball, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. Causing even more excitement, Bridges rushed the quarterback and sacked her before she had the chance to get the pass off, celebrating with her teammates immediately after the impressive play.
The Barons’ defensive efforts placed the Oilers in poor field position, prompting them to turn over possession rather than attempt a fourth down play. However, the Barons immediately threw an interception on the first play of their drive, giving possession right back to HBHS.
The Oilers began to gain momentum and started with a beneficial field position as a result of the interception. On their third down, the quarterback found an open player near the end zone, allowing them to score their second touchdown. The Oilers could not complete the pass on their extra point play, leaving the score as 0-13.
The next few possessions for both teams passed fairly quickly. The Barons continued to struggle to make crucial offensive plays, but they made up for it in their defense with Bridges pressuring the quarterback and allowing junior Ily Phipps to intercept a long pass. With just ten seconds left in the first half, though, the Barons were not able to score before the time ran out.
When the second half began, Loftis was back on the field for the Barons. Their first possession was quick, though, because of an incomplete third-down pass. When HBHS received the ball, they also struggled offensively. Aside from a single impactful run for a first down, they threw several incomplete passes, including one almost intercepted by Mallette.
Hsieh continued to provide valuable offense for the Barons, securing long catches in two consecutive plays to reach the first down marker. Afterward, after a short run by senior Adrianna Gordon and a few overthrown passes, the ball went back to HBHS.
The final series of possessions were fast-paced on both sides. The Oilers gained a few yards on runs, but their next passes were blocked by the Barons, including a fourth down stop by junior Jaelyn Mallette. The next three drives, two by the Barons and one by the Oilers, were all interrupted by interceptions. However, none of these exciting defensive plays translated to offensive points for either team, leaving the score at 0-13 when the time ran out.
FVHS head coach Jacob Morado felt content with their performance, despite the loss.
“I am really proud of the way they played. They had another shutout half—again, the score didn’t go our way, [but] I’m happy with how we did this season and how they performed tonight.”
Throughout the season, the team has consistently put their full effort into the sport and demonstrated their determination.
“Our team—especially this group of girls—they play so hard,” Morado said. “I mean, they’re flying around the field, they’re diving for balls, they’re all beat up and they’re exhausted, and that’s the only way to play football.”
The team’s seniors, celebrated at Senior Night, have been especially important with their leadership in this new program at FVHS.
“This group of seniors was so key in developing this program, and I know it’s going to take off—it’s going to be huge,” Morado said. “We’re going to have more and more people wanting to play, but this group of seniors had to make a decision that they wanted to come and play, and they made all the sacrifices—they did all the things that we asked them to do.”
Morado plans to support his players, many of whom participate in other sports, at soccer, basketball and water polo games throughout the year.
“It’s bittersweet because I loved watching [the seniors] play this last game, but I also was bummed that I don’t get to work with a lot of them anymore,” Morado said. “They’re great football players and more importantly, they’re great people … I’m gonna miss them more as people [than] football players.”
