Fallston’s varsity football team played a nail-biting home game against Bel Air this past Friday night, ultimately losing, 22-21, in the last six seconds of the game. Everyone had a different prediction of how the night was going to end but the battle between the schools was definitely worth the watch.
The first two quarters felt like they went by in a flash leading to Fallston trailing Bel Air with a score of 14-0 at the half. “In all our football games we try to make halftime adjustments to improve the way we attack the opponent, based on what we saw in the 1st half,” said Coach Robinson. “At the end of the first half, they started to move the ball on the ground (running instead of passing) so that is exactly what we did in the 3rd quarter.”
The student section was pure chaos as they watched what happened next: Fallston’s mentality clearly shifted when they returned, as they tied up the game with two consecutive touchdowns and left Bel Air with no time to catch their breath as they upped the ante even more with another touchdown and field goal from Juniors Dom Foster (QB) and Evan Alcide (RB) – making the score 21-14.
If you’re keeping track that means Fallston scored 21 unanswered points after what must have been an intense halftime regrouping. But ultimately it came down to the fourth and final quarter which proved how good of a match up Fallston and Bel Air were.
After several attempts and a missed field goal, Bel Air scored a touchdown to tie it up again. But then, with only six seconds on the clock, they went for a 2-point conversion and won the game.
Even though the score didn’t work out in Fallston’s favor, the team still gave those Bobcats a run for their money and the coaching staff was still “super proud of the resilience, perseverance, and the heart that [their] players demonstrated on Friday,” said Coach Robinson.
Photo Courtesy of @fhs_cougarband
But the football team isn’t the only squad whose effort on Friday night should be recognized: The Band played an instrumental role in riling up the crowd. Drum Majors E.V. Freeman and Arianna Hernandez led the band in their first song of the marching season, the National Anthem, as well as the half time show where they showcased “Bad Romance,” “Grenade,” “Sports Center,” and “Fallston’s fight song” which together built up to their theme of the year, going out with a bang. Not only did the band put on a fantastic half-time show, but they also played a mix of stand tunes including “Bad Romance” and “Sweet Caroline,” which hyped up the crowd.
In addition to keeping the best from previous years, Ms. Breidenbaugh, the music teacher, has included “The Final Countdown” and “Eye of the Tiger” to add more variety with songs the student section will want to sing along to. E.V. Freeman says, “We hope students will get involved…it makes it so much more fun and makes us so happy seeing that people enjoy the music we’ve worked so hard to put out.”
Photo Courtesy of @fallstonvarsitycheer
The cheerleading team was also a major contributor as they led our student section through some amazing cheers like “Aww Shucks,” “Let’s Get Fired Up,” and “When I Say.” As the game intensified the cheerleaders were on it. Their jumps, choreography, and volume were crucial to the high stakes game.
Cheer captain, Addison Dougherty said, “The game kept us on our toes and was exciting to watch. My new girls had so much fun at the game even if it didn’t go our way and that’s all I could ask for!”
With all these amazing groups coming together Fallston’s spirit was definitely proven on Friday night.
