Last Friday night, the Issaquah Eagles Varsity Football Team faced off against the Kamiak High School Knights for their final game of the season. The game resulted in a loss for our Eagles. The score was 48-22, which was devastating but expected. In the first quarter, right off the bat, a penalty was called for offensive holding as the score had reached 28-0, with Kamiak in the lead. This rough start urged fans to cheer on our Eagles, hoping they could pull through and make this last game a victory. In the first quarter, with only two minutes remaining, it was fourth down and the ball was on Issaquah’s 26-yard line, leaving no other choice but to punt.

According to senior long snapper Morgan Decaprio, “I’m always hoping for a win, but either way, I just want to go have fun at this last game.” Adding on, senior running back Jacob Law explains how the Eagles’ pre-game routine is crucial for getting the team’s energy up and getting them ready to go out on the field and play a great game. Law says, “We’re typically blasting tons of music throughout the lockerroom to get us hyped up.” Every game, the players show up with great attitudes, prepared to have fun, win or lose. And that is just what they did as quarter one ended with that score of 28 to 0, Kamiak in the lead.

With 11 minutes left in quarter two, senior wide receiver Tanner Geraci scored a touchdown and the extra point by sophomore kicker Josh Kim was good, leaving the score 28 to 7, with the Eagles fighting for a comeback. Then, the crowd grew cautiously optimistic when the Eagles and Knights each scored two touchdowns, adding 14 points to their respective scores. Quarter three was anticlimactic as neither team scored. Then, in the fourth quarter with just three minutes left, the Eagles completed a two-point pass following their third touchdown, yet still trailing quite a bit behind the Knights for a final score of 48-22.

Coach Collier, who had high hopes for Issaquah’s defensive line, was initially optimistic about the outcome of this final match, yet he knows that despite a loss, “We’ve been playing a good game this season. We’ve had our ups and downs, we’ve had our challenges, but we get better with every game we play,” said Collier. His positive energy seems to have rubbed off on the players, because even after this final loss, Law knows “the team fought our hardest.” However, he acknowledges that one reason they have been struggling this season is the fact that “we fumbled the ball too much and sometimes just let it go,” said Law. Decaprio cites another potential reason for the Eagle’s poor performance: “Everyone has definitely improved over this season, but it’s been particularly hard to recover from the ‘COVID-19 season.’”

Finally, Law offers some simple advice to the underclassmen who have games to look forward to next season: “Don’t complain too much because any amount of work that you think you’re doing right now is not enough. You can always improve.” Thanks to all the parents and students who came out to support our team this season. Go Eagles!