On Friday, the Jags faced off against St. Thomas Aquinas for the first time since they stole football’s victory streak last season. This year the Jags came out on top, winning the regional championship title 28-27.
The game was won after a nerve wracking failed two point conversion during the game’s final minute. St. Thomas Aquinas ran the same play that defeated Mill Valley the previous year, except this time, the defense was ready.
Junior Ryder Farley, who was a part of the game winning play, describes what that moment was like.
“It was probably the best feeling I’ve ever felt. After losing last year on the same play, it felt amazing to shut it down this time,” Farley said. “Before the play, they called a timeout, and Coach Applebee told us to play to win, not to lose. I think after that, we already knew we were going to stop them.”
The entire game remained close, with both teams making numerous breakthrough offensive plays. At halftime, the game was tied, senior Blake Jay explains how that changed the team’s mindset.
“The game being tied was good for us; it made it feel like a 0-0 game, and that kept us very level-headed,” Jay said. “If we had the lead, I think a lot of the guys would have let up a little bit. So keeping the game so close made us push so much harder and kept us all in it.”
Because of the significance of the matchup, the atmosphere of the game was unparalleled. Farley expresses how the team feeds off that energy, crediting the crowd for helping them stay determined.
“The team’s energy was unmatched, and I’ve really tried to make an effort at being a leader and holding the other guys accountable to keep that energy up so we can play better,” Farley said. “The student section and community did great at maintaining good energy; it makes the team feel outstanding knowing that we have all these people behind us that believe in our team.”
Since St. Thomas Aquinas defeated football the previous year, according to Jay that made the entire team fired up.
“Since we lost to them last year, everyone remembered that feeling, and we knew we weren’t going to let it happen again,” Jay said. “I couldn’t be prouder of this team. Everyone works so hard and puts in so much effort, and we all deserve this win.”
