On Saturday, August 26, the Los Altos High School varsity football team started their 2023 season with a narrow 13–20 overtime loss to the Monte Vista Christian School Mustangs.
The Eagles started strong, with senior running back Andrew Campos connecting with a 28-yard pass at the beginning of the second quarter. This was followed up shortly with a run by senior quarterback Noah Beedon to score the second touchdown of the game, creating a lead of 13–0 for Los Altos.
Throughout the third quarter, the Eagles held a commanding lead, maintaining a strong defense and shutting out the Mustangs. However, their offense was yet to find an opening for another touchdown, and the third quarter ended scoreless.
In the fourth quarter, Monte Vista scored a late touchdown, bringing the score to 13–7. Despite this, victory still seemed in sight. But, in the final five seconds of regulation, the Mustangs were able to score a last-second touchdown. Tensions ran high on the Los Altos bench as Monte Vista was one kick away from victory. However, the kick missed, forcing the game into overtime with a tied score of 13–13.
“We played pretty smoothly until the fourth quarter,” Noah said. “We had it going in the first 30 minutes of the game but then started to lose that momentum, which is on us.”
Despite the missed kick, Monte Vista entered overtime strong. Starting only 10 yards from the end zone, the Mustangs failed their first attempt to score with a handoff. The second attempt nearly got foiled by an Eagle defender who was able to get around Monte Vista’s defense, but their quarterback’s desperate, near-lateral throw successfully connected to an open receiver, earning the Mustangs a third touchdown. A successful follow-up kick led the score to 13–20 with Monte Vista in the lead.
With overtime quickly running out, Los Altos could not respond, throwing incomplete passes, and their hope for a comeback was defeated, ending the game with a 13–20 loss for the Eagles.
“We played our hearts out through the good and through the hard and learned a lot,” sophomore lineman Ishan Panwar said.
Despite their loss, with a new roster including all-new assistant coaches, the Eagles feel confident in the season ahead and look forward to stepping up to the competition.
“Our coaches, especially our new coaches, are great and will definitely help lead us to victory,” Ishan said. “Our team is very strong, and even though we’re small in numbers, everyone is willing to work their hardest and win. We’ll work to perform at a level that Los Altos has never seen before.”
“We are still learning,” running back sophomore Maxime Morelle said. “We’re trying to get things going and rolling, and we’re staying strong and healthy to make sure we’re ready for what’s next.”
The Eagles now run a 0–2 overall record after a 13–27 loss against Rancho San Juan High School on Friday, September 1. They will play the Capuchino High School Mustangs at home on Friday, September 8, at 7:00 p.m.
