Before he reached the huddled mass of players all on one knee in
the end zone, Christopher High football head coach Tim Pierlioni
already began his first post game speech.
”
You have nothing to hang your heads about,
”
the coach said as he approached his exhausted group.
Playing their first game in school history, the Cougars led by
eight at halftime but fell short of win number one, losing to
Scotts Valley 20-16 on Thursday night.
GILROY – Before he reached the huddled mass of players all on one knee in the end zone, Christopher High football head coach Tim Pierlioni already began his first post game speech.
“You have nothing to hang your heads about,” the coach said as he approached his exhausted group.
Playing their first game in school history, the Cougars led by eight at halftime but fell short of win number one, losing to Scotts Valley 20-16 on Thursday night.
Down by six in the first quarter, Marcus Harell pulled in a deep ball from quarterback Brandon Pickens for a 60-yard touchdown, a score that will go down in the Cougars’ record book as the first in history.
“I am extremely proud of (the team),” Harell said. “We came together and the chemistry was there.”
A successful 2-point conversion gave the Cougars an 8-6 lead. CHS tacked on another six on a Jorge Ramos scoring jaunt, increasing the lead to 14-6 heading into the half.
The two teams traded three-and-out offensive series to open the third quarter, but a special teams mistake allowed the Falcons to creep back into the game.
With Harell lined up as the punter, the snap sailed over his head and Falcons’ linebacker/running back Robbie McClure scooped up the bouncing ball and rumbled 10 yards for the touchdown. Scotts Valley added a 2-point conversion, tying the game at 14-14.
“The punt game is one thing that can get you in trouble,” Pierlioni said.
“It’s such a crucial part. So many bad things can happen. But, you can’t be too upset. It’s the first game and we have a lot to work on.”
The Falcons ate up much of the remainder of the third quarter with a nine-play 39-yard scoring drive capped by a McClure touchdown catch less than a minute into the fourth.
With 30 seconds left, the Cougars defense forced a punt deep in the Falcons’ territory. Scotts Valley responded by taking an intentional safety. After the ensuing kick off, the Cougars had two plays left to try and pull out the miracle. The first pass by Pickens was knocked down. The last heave fell just out of reach of a fully extended Harell,
“I am just so proud of how they played,” Pierlioni said. “They showed a lot of heart and stuck it out even late in the game.”
