Samo suffers 35-0 loss to Valencia High School

After scoring two touchdowns within the first four minutes of the game, Valencia High School defeated Samo 35-0 on Friday, Sept. 27. Samo's record now stands at 1-3.

Valencia, which is ranked 239th in the nation, scored two touchdowns early in the first quarter. Samo reacted with strong defense, and the team was able to hold Valencia at its 14-0 lead until halftime due to defensive plays by linebackers Justin Nelson (’15) and Genki Yoshida (’15).

By the third quarter, Samo’s defense gave way to three more touchdowns, cementing Valencia’s lead at 35-0, a difference in score which the Vikings could not overcome. By the end of the fourth quarter, neither team had scored more.

Numerous Samo injuries played a significant role in the game. The team lost three of its key players, including wide receiver Josh De La Rosa (’15), who was taken out of the game in the first quarter due to a sprained ankle, and defensive tackle Cayden Burns (’15), who limped to the bench with a leg injury mid-third quarter.

In addition to the injuries, Coach Travis Clark admitted that the team’s biggest flaws lay in how players seemed to lose focus and confidence.

“It’s a lack of discipline,” Clark said. “It’s really disappointing for me. We gave them the game. It was almost as if we were just intimidated.”

Clark asserted that in order to be successful in future games, the team must improve its ability to respond to assignments.

“I’m going to [continue] to reiterate that the kids need to do what coaches tell them to do,” Clark said. “If they are going to do their own thing, we are going to have these results.”jlevin@thesamohi.com