Homecoming game marks the end of the football season
Matilde Martinez-Navarrete, Staff Writer
The Samo varsity football team played their last game of the season on Oct. 29. Matched up against Culver City High School (CCHS), ranked 174 in California and 86 in Southern California, Samo faced a tough match. Not only that, but this was the first and only home game of the season, and it was no less than the homecoming game. Varsity football coach, Matthew Kirk, describes the atmosphere at the beginning of the game.
“The kids were extremely fired up to play at home in front of such a huge crowd. The last game was our first home game, homecoming, senior night and our rivalry game all wrapped in one,” Kirk said.
The crowd of about 400 people was also exciting for the team, as incoherent screams were organized into chants with the help of Samo’s pep squad. Gabrielle Barnes (’22) notes her reason for attending the coveted homecoming match.
“I went to the game to support my brother [Joshua Barnes (’24)], and because it was the only home game of the season, and home games are really fun,” Barnes said.
Team captain Henry Foley (’23), playing wide receiver and free safety, was the player to watch. With five catches for 49 yards and 26 return yards from two punts, Foley had a straightforward mindset and looked to keep team morale high throughout the night.
“During the game, my mentality was to win every rep, every play… My efforts as a captain were to keep others’ heads up and positively influence my teammates throughout the game,” Foley said.
As is tradition, the football team emerged through a large inflatable Viking at the start of the game, sending the crowd into a frenzy of cheers and shouts. After a final huddle, the teams made their way onto the field, and the game began with a kick-off from CCHS. Samo steadily made its way up the field and lost the ball with less than 30 yards left to the endzone. CCHS then scored their first touchdown and extra point around the middle of the first quarter, earning them seven points. As CCHS got close to scoring another, Samo intercepted the ball in their end zone. The game remained even for the rest of the first quarter and most of the second until CCHS scored a touchdown and an extra point with five minutes left in the first half.
During halftime, Dunnell Smith (aka Mr.D), one of Samo’s security guards, won the School Service Honoree Award for his service and dedication to the Samo community. Kyle Koehler, an English teacher at Samo, subsequently won the Grand Marshall Award. Next, Vincent Thorpe (’22) and Jessica Hernandez (’22) were crowned Homecoming King and Queen, resulting in cheers from hundreds of their classmates. Members of Samo’s varsity aquatics teams, covered head to toe in green paint, raced down the track for the annual greenie run after the homecoming court announcement. The marching band and color guard also performed the piece “Vincent: From Darkness to Light.”
The whistle blew for the third quarter, and seconds after the first play, a fight began between the players of both teams. After being separated, CCHS scored their next touchdown and extra point. During the next few minutes, wide receiver and cornerback Barnes was frequently mentioned on the loudspeaker for his blocking skills against CCHS players. After a turnover, Samo started making its way upfield after a succession of throws from quarterback Logan Ebnet (’23) and 8-yard and 14-yard catches from Foley. After getting the team to the second-yard line, wide receiver and cornerback Joaquin Nava (’23) spurred loud chants of Let’s go Samo from the crowd. However, Samo’s momentum was halted after an interception from CCHS. Nearing the end of the third quarter, heavy fog rolled onto the field, clouding players’ and students’ vision and giving the event the spirit of the Haunted Halloween Homecoming.
CCHS scored a final touchdown, but no extra point in the final quarter. Sometime later, Hawkins Ryland (’24) came off the field after a hard collision. Ultimately, the game ended 0-27 with 95 passing yards and 55 rush yards for Samo, but Kirk is proud of his team’s efforts.
“My guys played a great game. You know, this is one of the best teams in the state of California, and we were 0-14 at half-time. We had our chances here and there, it was just a matter of execution,” Kirk said.
To bring an end to the Homecoming match, the team faced the crowd and threw up a “V” for Vikings as the marching band played the Fight Song, a tradition after every home game that was witnessed for the first time this season.
“It was really nice to have something feel like normal high school before the pandemic. Especially being a senior, I felt I wouldn’t get to have any of those high school milestones like a homecoming game, so it feels great to have had that experience,” Barnes said.
Although the night ended in a loss and marks the end of varsity football’s season, the homecoming match was able to bring Samo’s community closer together in one of its most popular events.
