The SCHS homecoming game against Mountain View was this Friday, and though the Bruins fought hard, recurring errors kept them from achieving victory.

“I think it went pretty well, but it could have gone better,” junior defensive back Joseph Hernandez said. “There were a lot of mistakes, but that’s always something that can be improved on.”

Prior to the game, winners of the homecoming court were announced. Nick Garcia was crowned king and Amaya Fuller queen, accompanied by thunderous applause from the Bruin stands.

As the cheers died down and the homecoming court made their way off the field, the football players lined up for the game. The Bruins had trouble getting started, with a penalty pushing them back, but they prevented the Spartans from scoring, ending an uneventful first quarter 0-0.

Both teams struggled to make gains across the field at the beginning of the second quarter. Mountain View took control of the ball, and their player sprinted down the field. The Bruins were hot on his heels but unable to stop him from getting the first touchdown of the game, making the score to 7-0, Mountain View.

Later, the Bruins pushed into Mountain View territory, eventually making it to the 30-yard line. Senior quarterback Nick Garcia passed the ball to wide receiver senior Richard Corona, who ran the pass into the end zone, tying the score 7-7.

Plays moved back and forth on the field for the rest of the quarter, and in the last minute, Mountain View seemed on the verge of scoring. A Spartan, only yards away from the end zone, was chased down by Hernandez. Punching the ball out of the Spartan’s hands, Hernandez helped to hold the tie as the last few seconds of the first half ran out.

At the beginning of the second half, the ball changed hands twice with two consecutive interceptions, leaving Mountain View in possession. They ran it an impressive 21 yards, but struggled to push it all the way through to the end zone. Opting to kick a field goal on the fourth down, Spartans took the lead with a score of 10-7.

On the next SCHS possession, Garcia ran the ball close to 40 yards, but this was not enough to keep the drive alive. The Spartans forced a turnover and ran the ball all the way down the field. The Bruins gave chase, but to no avail, and Mountain View scored another touchdown with less than a minute left on the clock. Going into the fourth quarter, the score was 17-7 Mountain View.

Junior defensive back Bailey Mungaray intercepted the ball a few minutes into the fourth quarter, bringing possession to SCHS. This gave them the opportunity they needed to make a field goal, pulling them within a touchdown of Mountain View.

Despite this short gain, no significant plays were made for the rest of the quarter. With a leading score, Mountain View ran out the clock, keeping the final score at 17-10, Mountain View.

Players like sophomore running back Bryan Escorza looked at the loss as an opportunity to improve in the future.

“I got to give it to both sides. We battled very well,” Escorza said. “Even though they came out on top of us, we still got to go back and make some improvements and come back next week.”