Matadors take down homecoming

Stands are filled with a vibrant mix of white and red while friends and teammates alike cheer–it is the most anticipated game of the season. Only a day before the homecoming dance–before anyone can let loose–comes the excitement of the opening show–the homecoming game. This year, the San Gabriel Matadors went head-to-head with the San Marino Titans, winning 28-24. 

As waves of tension washed over the crowd, performances from Choreo, the Matador Band, Drill, Cheer, and Colorguard eased some of the stress.

“I am feeling very confident in us, we have trained all week for this, and we came here to win,” sophomore Jonathan Lopez said. “Everyone is determined to win; they are in our house today so we are gonna win this s—-”

Many felt confident in the Matadors—ready for them to take home another win—but the team struggled in the first quarter. San Marino initially took the lead 3-0 with a kick from the 10 yard line. 

As number five on the Matadors, senior Tijani Daley swept in with a great interception, taking a touchdown. With San Gabriel now leading 7-3, the home team was slowly getting back into the game. They continued to push through with skilled interceptions and passes, not wanting to stay behind during the second quarter. 

“We were getting caught up in our zones, some people were leaving their zones,” Daley said. “I think that’s just what we gotta work on.”

However, San Marino continued to give the Matadors a hard time. During the third quarter, a member from their team injured his right leg, halting the game. He was carried off the field as players and cheerleaders on both teams took a knee in respect. Even with an injured player, San Marino was  close to beating San Gabriel, nearly bringing the score to 24-28. 

“At the end I was nervous we were gonna lose,” junior Xavier Salido said. “Now I am happy [that] we got that W.”

With seconds left during the fourth quarter, San Marino made a tough call. They called it quits, giving up and allowing the time to run out. San Gabriel pulled through once again, pushing through obstacles and taking the win.

“I [am relieved,]” Coach Galan said. “[Going] into the game I felt very confident we were gonna do our job.” It was a challenge which I was happy about because we didn’t really get any challenges our first two games, but this was really an eye opener for our coaches, staff, and team.”

The game was “an eye opener” not only to the school football team, but to everyone around. The team will continue to work hard on improving their game and push through their fall season. The Matadors will be fighting on through the rest of the season, improving every day along the way.