As the Los Altos High football team remained on the field to celebrate Friday night’s 12-9 win and pose for photos with the Pride Bowl trophy, stunned rival Mountain View trudged to the locker room to face disappointed head coach Shelley Smith and his staff.
By the time the somber Spartans emerged, the ebullient Eagles were getting on the bus and the stadium lights at Foothill College had been turned off.
Football coaches can’t help but be optimistic this time of year – every team is still undefeated. Los Altos High coach Trevor Pruitt is especially encouraged by the potential he sees in the 2016 Eagles, who kick off their season Friday.
“There’s a real positive aura around this team – the best since my first year,” he said.
The Mountain View High football team didn’t set records for wins, yards or touchdowns, but 2015 was the Spartans’ most successful season in the statistical category that matters more – concussions.
The varsity squad didn’t sustain a single concussion, according to head coach Shelley Smith. In his 16 years coaching football, Smith said it was the first concussion-free team he’s ever had.
There was nothing on the line but pride, and that proved more than enough to motivate the players in the 42nd annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game. These guys wanted to win.
Exhibition game or not, the players fought hard – receivers surely felt a few of the huge hits the next day – and some of them got a little overzealous. There were personal fouls and even an ejection in the senior showcase at Levis’ Stadium, where the South edged the North 23-20 Saturday.
