ALAMEDA – Whereas sharp cracks have been adopted by each deafening booms and yellow confetti twirling by means of the air, and the din of tons of of followers and Alameda gamers hooting and hollering additional dominated the soundwaves, there was but a 3rd layer added to the noise at Thompson Area on Friday night time.
Because the scoreboard learn “Alameda 42, Encinal 7” after the Hornets had gained the 69th version of the Island Bowl, a chant crammed the frigid November air in entrance of packed bleachers.
“That is our home!”
The groups had shared the venue and its patchy grass area this season, with Encinal’s stadium being renovated and thus unusable.
The Hornets entered Friday night time eager to show a few factors.
Because of a dominant defensive effort that featured three interceptions, two Landyn Cole touchdowns and 157 hard-fought speeding yards for Christian DeGuzman, Alameda gained the outright WACC Shoreline title and clinched a playoff berth because the undisputed greatest crew within the league.
However for the Hornets, beating their crosstown rivals for the second yr in a row and stopping the Jets from sharing the league championship was simply as – if no more – vital.
“The scoreboard speaks for itself,” Cole mentioned. “That is our home, and we’ve bought the trophy nonetheless.”
The Hornets secured a 7-3 common season document and an ideal 4-0 league mark. In contrast to final season’s 7-3 crew, which was not a league champion and missed the dance, this yr’s unit is certain for the North Coast Part playoffs.
“That was motivation for us,” lineman Anelka Okello mentioned. “However we additionally didn’t win league final yr, and this yr we turned that round.”
Coach Robin Morris hopes that his crew will transfer from its base in Division II right down to D-IV within the part’s new format.
“That’s what we’re hoping for with our historical past being sort of up and down,” Morris mentioned. “Division IV can be good, as a result of I don’t suppose we are able to grasp with the actually huge colleges.”
The sport was extra aggressive than the ultimate rating indicated, with the Encinal protection forcing a punt, turnover on downs or getting a takeaway on its first 5 collection.
Jets lineman Filisione Vakalahi was unblockable with three sacks and a compelled fumble on the dusty area, and fellow senior Marco Garcia additionally had a sack.
“We labored onerous, and I’m glad our program is headed in the best course,” Garcia mentioned.
However Alameda couldn’t be held down endlessly, and the Hornets lastly broke by means of when Casey Koga-Dean hurled a pinpoint strike to Kirk Humbles III for a 10-yard landing to cap off a five-play drive with 3:39 left within the first half.
“It’s like he’s taking part in Madden,” DeGuzman mentioned, describing what it was like watching Humbles III, who additionally had two interceptions, make performs.
After leaving the halftime locker room up 7–0, DeGuzman made certain his Hornets entered the fourth quarter with a bigger benefit when he scored on an eight-yard run with 1:48 left within the third interval to make it 14-0.
From there, the worn-down Encinal protection gave up two Cole touchdowns, a punt return rating by Jayden Sullivan and a brief landing dive by lineman Hayden Arndt.
Encinal’s followers searching for offensive pleasure lastly bought one thing to cheer about halfway by means of the fourth quarter when dynamic senior working again Alexander Marston capped his profession with a 60-yard punt return for a landing.
The Jets completed their season 4-6, 3-2. Alameda will discover out who it performs when the brackets are introduced Sunday.
“Lastly. It’s my first time making the playoffs right here at Alameda,” Okello mentioned. “It’s going to be thrilling.”
