The atmosphere was electric as a rosy Friday afternoon turned into Friday night at Rec Park, where the Healdsburg Greyhounds hosted the Eagles of Berean Christian, a Walnut Creek private school. The Hounds, winless over the past two years, were in the hunt for their first victory of the season following increasingly competitive games over the first four weeks.
The 1-4 Eagles looked like a likely target.
Almost from the start, that win seemed within reach. Healdsburg took a quick 14-0 lead on two touchdowns, a 10-yard run by Nova Perrill II and a dramatic 88-yard pass play from Perrill to Austin Collins.
Though the defense gave up a 46-yard touchdown run, the score was a promising 28-7 going into the Homecoming half. The Healdsburg varsity was firing on all cylinders and victory seemed—well, a near-certainty at least.
Berean Christian made their move in the second half, scoring two touchdowns to Healdsburg’s one in the third period, and racking up two quick TDs in the fourth. A failed two-point conversion spelled the difference as Healdsburg led by just a point, 35-34, midway through the final quarter.
Perrill ran for another one, his third, but Berean’s Hunter Inkster followed by scampering for his fifth touchdown of the night. This time the two-point conversion play worked, and the score was tied 42-42 with less than five minutes on the clock.
Healdsburg marshaled their offense for one more drive, and Hayden Mariani made all the drama and doubt go away with a romping 35-yard run through a broken Berean backfield. Or that’s what it looked like from the stands.
The officials saw something else—a hold by Healdsburg’s Max Morris that brought the play back and took the touchdown away.
After the game, an exhilarated but disconsolate crowd of Greyhound fans filed away into the night—“We shoulda won it” a common sentiment. They were that close.
Friday night at Rec Park finds the Greyhounds (0-4-1) playing the Fortuna Huskies (4-2) in a non-conference game. Tickets are $8 adults, $5 seniors and students.
The following week the Greyhounds begin their North Coast Section Redwood League schedule, going to Ukiah to play the Wildcats.
