Plagued by penalties and the inability to stop Immanuel’s running game, the football team was defeated by Immanuel, 42-14, on Nov. 17.

“We went into the playoffs game against second seed Immanuel with a competitive attitude,” Christopher Schultz, defensive coordinator, said. “The main difference between them and us was speed; they beat us horizontally and vertically on the field. Also, most of the kids on their team had been to the playoffs before and knew what to expect.”

FC rushed 35 times for 114 yards and were charged nine penalties costing them 55 yards.

“We were expected to get blown away,” Evan Sanders, ’03, said. “I was disappointed that we ended our season with a tough loss, but thought we played well under the circumstances.”

Sanders finished ninth overall in Valley receiving this season after compiling 41 receptions for 673 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Runningback Josh Shamblin, ’02, scored both touchdowns for FC, one on a 45-yard run in the first quarter and the other coming on a 32-yard pass from quarterback Sam Fisher, ’03, in the second quarter.

“I missed playing football last year,” Shamblin said. “It was good to finish out my senior year with two touchdowns in a playoff game.”

FC finished their season with a 6-4 overall record, and their first playoff appearance since 1995.

“Our boys played hard against a bigger and better Immanuel team,” Jon Hall, varsity head coach, said. “We played very well in the first half, down only seven points (14-21). This was our first taste of playoff experience and is looked at as a stepping-stone in building our program into a consistent playoff contender.”