No. 1 seed Mission Prep defeated No. 2 seed Fresno Christian in the CIF Central Section Les Schwab (8-Man) Valley Championships, 60-20, Nov. 16.
After defeating No. 3 seed Orcutt Academy, 53-34, in the semi-finals, the Eagles progressed to the Championship. Pre-game, FC looked back on their previous loss to the Royals in order to best prepare for their competition. Players used this experience to see the improvements needed to best compete against the Royals but came up short.
In the first quarter, the Eagles struggled to find offensive momentum. With a late touchdown from senior quarterback, Anthony Lonardo, the score sits at 20-6. Going into the second quarter, FC continues to rely on the offensive leadership of Lonardo, ending the first half down, 39-12.
During the second half, the Eagles continue to push hard on offense, but struggled to make it all the way into the end-zone with the Royals defense holding them back. The consistent offensive and defensive force of the Royals pushes through until the end of the game, giving them the victory and Valley title.
With this loss, the Eagles finished the season at 10-2. Last year the Eagles won the Valley Championship for a third straight season, beating Trona. Read Eagles shutout Trona, win 8-Man Valley championship for more information.
The video below shows highlights of the Eagles in the Vally Championship game:
For another video, watch Football: Semi-finals victory against Orcutt.
The author can be reached via email: Blake Deffenbacher, Instagram and Twitter.