Aliso Niguel lost 19-42 to Cappo Valley High School on Oct. 6 for the Wolverines annual homecoming game. Prior to the loss the Wolverines were 5-1 having only lost their first game against Laguna Hills High School. The Cougars were originally 6-0 and have continued their undefeated record.
At the start of the game the Wolverines played equal to the Cougars. After a touchdown from Jared Sabol, the Wolverines had a 7-0 lead to start the game. The teams continued to battle back and forth. In the first half, both teams traded back and forth on touchdowns until the two teams were tied at half time at 14-14.
Coach Calahan said that going into the second half, they wanted to bunker down and finish out the game.
“We talked to them and we said that the last three years we’ve played this team it’s been a close game–we just need to go out and finish.”
During the second half, the Cougars were able to pull ahead. They started out strong with a 23 yard touchdown pass by Tommy Acosta (11) to Hudson Campell (11), making the score 21-14. In the fourth quarter they expanded their league. The Cougars scored three touchdowns, while the Wolverines were only able to gain five points through a field goal and a safety.
Coach Calahan commented on the Cougars scoring run: “It was a three point game going into the fourth quarter. We just had a couple of mistakes in key moments that really deflated us. We tell the guys to play our brand of football and that’s what they did.”
The team came back from half time to a depleted student section as more than half the students left the game early. This sparked a reaction from Coach Calahan.
“Our crowd was terrible; it was a tied game at halftime and all of them left.”
In the past, Aliso Niguel has been known for their rowdy student section. In 2021 the Wolverines won Student Section of the year throughout the entire state of California. Over the last couple of years, there has been a clear shift as the upcoming upperclassmen fail to match that same energy.
While a crowd is not the sole reason a team wins or loses, there is something to be said about how it affects the way a team plays. A good student section could motivate and hype up a team during key moments in a game. It acts as a support system for the players out on the field to see their classmates and peers cheering them on.
When the student section is empty or low on energy, it does not bring the same level of enthusiasm to the game.
The Wolverines, who are members of the Sea View League, are scheduled to have their first two games away, with the first one on Friday, Oct. 11 against Trabuco Hills High School and the next one against El Toro High School. Then the Wolverines will return to the Den to play San Juan Hills High School.
