Football season ends after loss to Westmont

posted December 16, 2004

by Lisa Johnson of Campanile

Kyle Terada

VikingsÂ’ cornerback Matt Wismann soars to intercept a lobbed pass from Westmont quarterback Kevin Pham; however, the drive following the interception unfortunately did not produce a touchdown.

The 2004 Palo Alto High School football season ended abruptly after a devastating loss to Westmont High School on November 27. Although the team's season concluded on a sour note, the year was filled with many stellar accomplishments.

Among the Vikings' achievements were clinching second place in the De Anza League, trouncing Homestead High School by more than 50 points and beating Wilcox High School on its home turf.

"We were really happy with our performance this year," senior defensive back Kevin Briggs said. "The team did really well and had a lot of success."

After sneaking past Monterey High School on November 19, the second-seeded Vikes faced sixth-seeded Westmont in the semifinals of the medium school Central Coast Section playoffs.

Bundled in blankets in the crisp night air, the Paly fans' excitement slowly dwindled to sympathy as their peers floundered against the Warriors.

The Vikings received the ball from the kickoff, but were forced to go three-and-out on their first possession. Westmont had the Paly defense backpedaling as it drove downfield for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first drive.

The Vikes tried to battle back for a touchdown of their own, but all that emerged from the drive was an ankle injury to senior running back John Ginnani. With Ginnani out for the game, senior quarterback Nathan Ford was forced to try to move the ball through the air.

A few possessions later, the Vikings put some points on the scoreboard with a 60-yard bomb from Ford to senior Teddy Way. Unfortunately, the team could not persuade its lifeless offense to go any further.

Although Ford threw for 242 yards, he also threw four interceptions, one of which was run back 90 yards for a Warrior touchdown.

Westmont quarterback Kevin Pham struggled in the first half with two interceptions, but settled down later in the game and led his team to an impressive 31-10 trouncing.

The loss was especially difficult for the Vikings due to their seeding at the start of playoffs.

The team had just come off a notable victory over Monterey High School the week before in a defensive battle.

Right away, the Paly running game was completely shut down by Monterey. With both teams' offenses faltering, the game remained scoreless in the first half.

Monterey finally broke free and was able to run in a touchdown to make the score 7-0. Paly quickly retaliated, and Ford connected with Way for a touchdown to tie up the game.

With time running out, Monterey scored on a quarterback scramble to give the Toreadors a seven-point lead. The Vikings then drove into their opponent's red zone, looking to once again tie the game. On a crucial fourth down play, Ford threw an interception which put Paly's momentum on hold. The Viking defense held strong, and with three minutes left in the game, the Paly offense received the ball with 90 yards to go. Ford found his rhythm in the air, and threw first down passes to Way and senior wide receiver Matt Wismann to land the Vikes on the Monterey 33-yard line.

After a 12-yard loss on a sack of Ford, Paly needed a miracle. The next play, Ford rolled back and launched the ball to Wismann, who bobbled it before hauling it in and breaking tackles for a touchdown.

All eyes turned to the Viking coaches, who leaned toward attempting the two-point conversion. In what many viewed as a curious move, head coach Earl Hansen put the season in the hands of Wismann and Ford, who readily agreed they could win the game for the Vikes. The controversial decision paid off for Paly, as Ford easily hit Wismann in the endzone. The Vikes had been willing to take the risk, knowing that overtime could be a losing battle.

"We knew overtime would be a struggle, and that we would probably not win," Wismann said. "They were just too strong. It was a good decision to go for two."

As the end of the game loomed nearer, Monterey had time for one last drive. As the Vikes found themselves getting closer to their own endzone, Way picked off a pass and secured a 15-14 Paly victory.

Although the team could not pull through in the semifinals, the 2004 season was a definite success. The football program will continue to thrive, with many skilled players coming onto the Varsity squad next year.