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The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

The Student News Site of Palo Alto High School

The Paly Voice

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Paly loses big in season-ending showdown with Gunn

Paly lost a heartbreaker to the Gunn Titans on Friday, November 15th, to end their season. Though the score shows that Paly was crushed, 40-14, they had hope until the very end, where they just fell apart.

Paly troubles began in the first possession of the game. The Gunn offense went right through Paly to score a quick touchdown, and it was 7-0. Then Paly got the football, and knowing this game meant whether or not they’d go to CCS, drove right back down the field and got a touchdown of their own on a 24-yard screen pass by Nathan Ford to Nick Weiss. However, the Vikings failed to get the extra point, and the score was 7-6 at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, Paly had the ball back and prepared to punt. The ball was hiked, and with an amazing surge of speed Gunn blocked the punt and returned it for a touchdown, making it 14-6 Gunn.

Paly couldn’t get anywhere on the field in the second; Gunn’s defense looked awesome. Gunn then got the ball back again, and were able to put together another touchdown drive, to make it 21-6 Gunn. On the ensuing Paly drive, Gunn intercepted a Nathan Ford pass after being called for pass interference the prior play.

Gunn got down to the Paly goal line, and Paly wasn’t giving in. Paly forced a fourth down, but Gunn went for the touchdown. Titan quarterback Doug Campbell rolled out right where their star receiver Stephen Gillarducci was guarded by D-back Aaron Sandoval. Campbell made like he was going to run in for the TD, which pulled in Sandoval, leaving Gillarducci wide open; touchdown Gunn. It was 27-6 at half.

At half, Paly coach Steve Foug gave his thoughts on what Paly had to do in the second half to come out with a win. "We have to be down by two touchdowns halfway through the 3rd quarter," Foug said. "You gotta take things by chunks to come back in a game like this."

Paly started off kicking in the second half, and with some new power, the defense was able to make a quick stop, and Gunn punted. Paly prepared for a long drive. They had a quick first down pass to senior Nick Weiss, and looked like they had some momentum. However, they soon faced a 4th and 2, and with a gutsy call by the coaching staff, went for it. Senior Brian Rozelle was given a pitch to the outside and pulled out a first down by inches.

Soon enough Paly had to face another 4th and short, this time at the Gunn 11-yard line, and were successful with a QB sneak up the middle. It was 3rd and goal at the one, when they went to the QB sneak again, this time for the TD. They got the extra point, and it was 27-13 halfway through the third, just as the coaches were hoping for.

Then the Viking defense had another great stop, and it was Paly ball again. Soon enough, they faced another fourth down, this time 4th and 11. They went for it, but with blitz pressure from Gunn, were stopped.

On the ensuing Gunn drive, Gunn had a 1st and 20 start, after a holding penalty. They got it to 3rd and 14, when they got a 40+ yard touchdown pass to junior Brandon Gordon. They missed the extra point, and it was 33-13 into the 4th quarter.

Gunn tried another onside kick (they were successful on 3 others this game), and Paly senior Ben Murphy recovered it for Paly. The offense came out needing a score, but instead got an incompletion on a 4th down bomb by Nathan Ford, and Gunn had the ball back. Unbelievably, on the next drive, Gunn fumbled the snap. Paly senior D-lineman Eddie Diaz, who already had a sack earlier in the game, was on top of it, and Paly had the ball back again.

On that Paly drive, Paly was faced with a 3rd and short play, where Nathan Ford threw an interception to Gunn’s Stephen Gillarducci, and again possession had changed. On Gunn’s drive, quarterback Doug Campbell rolled out, and ran into the end zone, and with the extra point it was 40-13.

Paly showed heart on the next possession, and after a stop-and-go bomb to senior Durell Williams, Nathan Ford threw a pass to Nick Weiss in the end zone, and it was 40-19. The 2-point conversion pass was intercepted by Gillarducci, to keep the score the same. Paly kicked a last-effort onside kick, but it was recovered by Gunn, and the game ended, 40-19.

The mood was tense on the Paly bench after the game, and the players knew their season had come to an end. To make things worse, a fan from Gunn’s stands ran onto the field when the teams were shaking hands, and turned some Paly player heads. He was soon taken down by security. Gunn had achieved revenge for last year’s stomping by Paly in Stanford stadium, and by the looks on their faces, it seemed like revenge tasted sweet.

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