RECOVERY: Poly’s varsity football team redeems itself from its loss against Colony High School.
By Tim Chen, Sports Editor
Coming back from last year’s CIF defeat, Poly’s varsity football team scored a 24-14 victory against the very team that knocked them off of quarterfinals last year. The game was very intense for the players; not only did it offer a chance of redemption, but also a strong start to this year’s football season. “It was a scenario where we could not lose. It’s definitely not an experience that is easily put into words,” offensive lineman Austin Sharp (11) said. Poly fared well against Colony; however, there were some issues. A number of penalties and a few mental mistakes were made primarily due to a lack of focus. “We came together as a team. We stuck through and fought all the way through,” offensive lineman Tony Peyalo (12) said. Overcoming its adversaries with a newfound sense of determination, Poly’s football team ultimately won an important victory.
The game was exciting for Poly students as well. “When we went in, the crowd was pumped. Everyone was just jazzed up, and our side was going crazy,” spectator Zachary Green (11) said. Poly’s new sense of pride was definitely evident; students were seen standing up, cheering and chanting throughout the game. “I really liked the game because it seemed that everybody there was into it. I felt like we had a lot more pride than we usually do,” assistant drum major Tyler Reagan (11) said.
The game’s effect on Poly’s spirit was hard to ignore. Social media outlets immediately flooded with pictures and tweets following the game, and it became topic of conversation. It’s easy to see that a new sense of pride has been established. Students at Poly will be confident in their football team to bring home victories against rivals. “We put that aside (losing the playoffs) and had the heart to go out and win,” offensive lineman Alex Dory (11) said. With this victory, Poly will look forward to tackling bigger games this season.