Eagles fall in CCS nail-biter, but celebrate successful season
It felt like they had it. The Eagles led Saint Francis Watsonville through a tit-for-tat first half, powered by early touchdowns from veteran seniors Min Park and Greg Schumann. At 14-all, Zach Fagin ran a galvanizing 95-yard kickoff return, later putting the Eagles up again off a pass from Jimmy Flynn with just seconds left in the second quarter.
At halftime, Saint Francis woke up. The Sharks mounted a strong offensive effort from the onset of the third quarter, quickly tying up the game as rain began to fall in earnest over Tom Burt Field. Offensive chemistry between Flynn and Cole Rafferty — paired with John O’Sullivan’s brutal defense, and Rafferty’s own gallant goal line interception — weren’t enough to respond to the rejuvenated Sharks.
Rafferty’s second-half touchdown stood alone to the Sharks’ 35 points in the same half; Saint Francis ran out the clock to win the Central Coast Section Division V semifinal 56–35.
Friday night’s loss might’ve been a disappointment for the Eagles, but the season as a whole certainly hasn’t. The varsity squad finished the regular season with a 7–3 record, secured a three-way tie for the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League El Camino Division championship, and, for the first time since 2016, nabbed a CCS playoff berth.
Coach Dave DeGeronimo, in fact, was awarded a certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo in recognition for his leadership and contributions to the community.
“The past four years of bruises, hard work and dedication have all led up to creating a team and culture that has the opportunity to compete in CCS,” Rafferty said in an interview for the yearbook, prior to Friday night’s loss. “Our team has gone through so much with COVID, smoke, games getting canceled and changing the culture of football at Los Altos High, making this playoff run mean so much — especially to the seniors.”
