Northwood varsity boys football beat Woodbridge High School 38-7 on Sept. 12 in their first home game of the season.
The game kicked off with wide receiver and captain senior Jack Schultz scoring the first touchdown just six minutes into the first quarter. The stands were buzzing with excitement as the team asserted their dominance on the field.
Shortly after, wide receiver senior Isaac Kwon broke away from the defense, scoring another touchdown. This was immediately followed by a field goal by kicker junior Dillan Low.
“That combination of great preparation plus coming into the game with high emotions really got the team to where they needed to be,” head coach Erik Terry said.
However, the victory did not come easily. After two starters on the offensive line were injured, the team had to quickly pivot by putting less experienced players in more vulnerable positions on the field. Despite the setback, the team still continued to dominate, putting up a stingy defense that gave little space for Woodbridge to score.
“It goes to show how even the backups were prepared really well, and they performed well under pressure,” captain and quarterback senior Noah Green said. “Obviously, these guys don’t get as much reps as starters do, [but] they did a really great job of coming in and executing what they needed to do at a high level.”
After two quarters of “oohs” and “ahhs” from the stands decorated red, white and blue in the theme “USA,” the Northwood Marching Band and Color Guard performed their Star Wars halftime show with fan favorites like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “Princess Leia’s Theme.”
In the third quarter, the team kept their offensive pace, holding significant ground in enemy territory despite Woodbridge’s numerous attempts to break through their defense.
The highlight of the night was when running back senior Harlem Brown, who mainly played a backup role at the start of the season, completed a 34-yard dash and later scored his first varsity touchdown. According to Terry, this was very much the expected outcome after weeks of hard but methodical training.
“Before the play, I was just really focused on getting into the end zone,” Brown said. “It was really exciting having my whole team back me up and celebrating with me as well.”
This win gives Northwood a fighting chance to make it to the CIF playoffs, with their next game the deciding factor.
Make sure to hit the stands at the next game against Portola High School at Irvine Stadium this Friday. Remember to show up in your favorite team’s sports jersey for Jersey Jam!