By John Linker
In what proved to be the most exciting and suspenseful game of the season so far, the Healdsburg Greyhounds lost to the Peregrine Falcons of Archie Williams High in overtime on Saturday afternoon in San Anselmo, 43-42.
In the day game, beneath a partly cloudy sky, the evenly matched teams played vigorously and aggressively to the last second of the three-hour contest, when the Falcons claimed victory.
First Half
The Falcons’ first drive of the game was stymied by a stout Healdsburg defense, until on a third-and-14 from 54 yards out, the Falcons pulled off a pass play to chalk up their first score. Nathaniel Rowland (six total tackles) blocked the extra point.
Healdsburg’s first drive included a number of runs from Frank Rea (103 yards rushing), but a penalty followed by an interception on the 22-yard line set up the next Falcons’ touchdown, a keeper by quarterback Ronan Foley. With 2:26 left in the first quarter, the Falcons led 13-0.
The Greyhounds returned to their strong running attack until they turned it over again with a fumble by Nova Perrill II after a 14-yard run (221 yards passing; 4 TDs). The Falcons eventually gave the ball to running back Nate Ryan for a large gain that led to another Foley keeper touchdown run, and with 9:53 left in the half the Falcons led 20-0.
Because of the patient and level-headed Greyhounds coach, Criss Rosales, encouraged by the rambunctious die-hard visiting crowd, Healdsburg never lost heart. After a combination of Perrill completions to both Hayden Mariani (79 yards receiving, 1 TD) and Areum Romero (110 yards receiving, 2 TDs) and Rea runs, Perrill ran for the Hounds’ first score of the game with 5:35 left in the half, 20-7.
Hounds began their next drive running down the clock with strong rushing plays by both Rea and Perrill. With 19 seconds left on the clock, Perrill found Romero in the corner of the end zone, closing out the half with a 20-14 score. At halftime, the visiting crowd from Healdsburg sensed exceptional possibilities.
Second Half
In the first drive of the third quarter, the Falcons recovered another Hounds’ fumble on the 50-yard line that put them in position to score again—but led by the unflagging and tenacious play of the Hounds’ front four, the Falcons had to settle for a field goal.
The Falcons recovered a surprise onside kick that led to their next touchdown, and though their extra point was blocked, their lead increased to 29-14.
Again, with the resolve of coach Rosales and a determined Hounds’ team, Healdsburg was anything but deflated. Perrill quickly connected with a succession of two long-yardage completions to Romero, the second for a touchdown, and with 2:07 left in the third quarter, the score was 29-21.
In the fourth quarter, the Falcons answered with their own series of run plays, the last one for a touchdown, and may have been feeling confident with a 35-21 lead. On Healdsburg’s next drive, however, a roughing-the-passer penalty saved the Hounds from another interception, and the drive ended with a rushing touchdown by Rea.
With 6:07 left on the clock, the score was 35-28 and the Hounds were feeling energized, so much so that they tried an unsuccessful onside kick of their own, permitting another Falcon drive with time running out. That drive was quickly stopped by the Hounds’ front four again, forcing the Falcons to punt and giving Healdsburg a full 5 minutes to score.
And those 5 minutes of high school football included the most suspenseful play this season.
The Hounds moved down the field like some regiment from Lord of the Rings. It took seven series of downs, two of them fourth-down conversions, to get the ball to the Falcons’ 28-yard line. With 35 seconds left on the game clock on another fourth down, before a now-frenzied crowd, Max Morris made an impossible leap into the corner of the end zone to complete a Perrill pass and touchdown.
With the extra point good, the game headed into overtime, 35-35.
Overtime
It took two just sets of downs before another corner pass, this time to Mariani, gave Healdsburg the lead for the first time in the game, 42-35. Admirable tackles in the backfield by Leo Kluse and Morris that pushed the Falcons back even farther from the goal line almost ensured a win.
Still, the Falcons kept their heads. Scrambling for his life and the game, Foley threw a rocket deep into the end zone to make the final touchdown and bring the game within one point, 42-41.
Archie Williams coach Anthony Jackson decided to go for the win, attempting a two-point conversion instead of tying the game. Quarterback Foley escaped the advancing Hounds, and to borrow a baseball phrase, made a “walk-off” pass into the corner of the end zone for the conversion.
That was it. The final score was 43-42 in favor of the Falcons, but in the end, both teams were winners. Reflecting later on the game, coach Rosales said, “The last three quarters showed what we could do when we play as a full team, not just the offense or the defense or special teams.”
This Friday night at 7pm at Rec Park, the Greyhounds host the undefeated, first-place Sonoma Valley Dragons in what will be their last game of the season.
