It was November 7th, and the Rangers were huddled up on the side of the Heritage High School football field. Captain Luke Hamilton (12th grade) knew this could be one of the last times the seniors got to play high school football. He encouraged the players to “give it your all” because this could be the last time this team would be together. He wanted them to “play like you won’t have any regrets after.” They took this advice to heart as they stayed locked in throughout the first quarter. No one was celebrating too early, knowing[ they were at war. The first quarter ended with the teams tied 7-7. During the second quarter, the Rangers started picking up momentum with several defensive stops and two touchdowns. Heritage met the Rangers with the same intensity and the score was tied again by the end of the third quarter. During the 4th quarter, senior Tyler Quaintance (12th grade) came through with an impressive run of about 70 yards. Teammate Jacob Goode (12th grade) explained “Tyler’s pick 6 was the highlight from the first round of CIF. He was able to intercept the ball and score the winning touchdown for the game.”
After the game, everyone was cheering. It also happened to be Coach Perry Jones’ birthday, so the players surprised him with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” and presented him with some birthday cake. The win was a great birthday present for the Coach as he cheered alongside his team. Nate Bock (12th grade) explained, “I think everyone on the team can agree that this was by far our most complete game. When we faced problems, we worked together to find solutions. Nobody played for themselves. Every junior played their hardest for our seniors because we refused to let that be our last game together. It felt amazing knowing that we are no longer the little brothers of football in Menifee.”
By Monday’s practice, the excitement had died down and the players became focused on preparing for the next game. “Some things we’ve been working on before the next game are preparing for plays in the different weather conditions,” explained Jacob Goode (12th grade). Teammate Tyler Quaintance (12th grade) stated “We have a great scout team that gives us good looks on offense and defense. The scout team replicates the other teams’ offensive and defensive plays. We practice using these plays, so that we know what we’re going into each game.” Going into the next game, the Rangers hope to keep the energy. Tyler stated that going into the next game, the team will be “trying to recreate big plays and keep momentum. Also, making sure not to give up when the other team also starts increasing momentum.”
Unfortunately, the Rangers didn’t win the second round of CIF. They persevered through the rain and mud against Saddleback High School, but suffered a devastating loss. Despite this, they still felt a sense of pride as they looked back on their amazing season. The seniors reflected on their time playing for SRA and gave some great advice for the rest of the team.
“Work hard, don’t take anything for granted, every rep counts, it goes fast, give it your all.”
– Jacob Goode
“Have as much fun as possible. Every moment you’re on the field, don’t be afraid to take a risk.” – Tyler Quaintance
