By Vincent PAGE

Throughout the 2019 Falcon football season, the team has relied on phenomenal defensive play and a dominant rushing attack on offense. That got it to the CIF championship game on Friday night where it was business as usual for Crescenta Valley.

The scene was straight out of a film. As CVHS prepared to battle Simi Valley High School Pioneers on Simi Valley’s home turf, the air was cold and crisp and, shortly after kickoff, drizzle began to fall. That drizzle quickly turned into rain, and it became clear this game was going to be won by running the ball.

The first half was low scoring as the teams adjusted to the playing conditions. Crescenta Valley held a 6-3 lead after a James Cho touchdown (followed by a missed extra point) and the clocked ticked down. After a CV drive stalled around midfield, the Falcons’ punt was blocked by Simi Valley. It was returned on the same play for a touchdown, putting the Falcons at a 10-6 deficit going into the locker room.

However, the third quarter seemed a new night for the Falcons. After it seemed their opening drive of the second half was going to fall short, they converted on a fourth down with a long pass to senior wide reliever Colby Rees. A few plays later, star running back Maximus Grant punched the ball into the end zone for a 13-10 lead.

Shortly after that, the Falcons were in control of the game. They stonewalled Simi Valley on its next drive, and scored once again on the ground. This time it was Chase Center, who returned to the field after an injury, who scored on a short quarterback sneak. After the game, Center told reporters how their halftime strategy was to attack Simi Valley on the ground.

“We kept pounding that weakness every time, which was their defensive line. It wasn’t as strong as what we’ve faced, so we just kept pounding it and pounding it,” he said.

In his return to action, Center was 13 of 21 in the air for 138 yards. He added 51 yards on the ground as well. It was a great final game for senior Center, capped off with a CIF ring.

After the Falcons went up 19-10, the game was all but over. Their defense had only allowed three points all game, and the Simi Valley offense hadn’t been able to move the ball consistently since the first quarter.

But with under four minutes left in the game, one big play brought the crowd to its feet. Simi Valley scored on a 68-yard run, cutting the Falcons lead to 19-16.

Fortunately for Crescenta Valley that would be the last score of the game, and CV captured its second CIF title in five years, as well as something even more historic: an undefeated 14-0 season.

In Hudson Gossard’s first year as head coach of the Falcons, it appears he has already reached the peak. This title concludes what many said has been the most dominant decade in CVHS football history, and Gossard will lead this team into the next 10 years hoping to continue building on the historically strong first year success he found.

  Alyssa TSABETSAYE, Vincent PAGE