The Carlmont Scots varsity football team fell to the Burlingame Panthers 34-0 at the Homecoming football game on Oct. 17.
The Panthers went up 14-0 in the first half and did not give up their shutout lead for the rest of the game, scoring another 20 points in the second half.
“We had turnovers and things were there, we just need to capitalize on that, and when we don’t capitalize on little things, it snowballs,” said varsity head coach Eric Rado.
The Panthers started strong, intercepting the ball in the Scots’ first offensive play of the game. The Scots offense struggled to break through the Panthers’ strong defensive line and keep possession of the ball.
“We missed assignments and the little things, and that’s what we need to work on,” said quarterback Brody Zirelli.
In the last minutes of the second quarter, the Scots got the ball and made a quick attempt to put some points on the board. They were unsuccessful, as an incomplete pass meant failure to get a first down.
During halftime, Rado spoke to his team and made adjustments, trying to turn the scoreboard around. The Scots continued to struggle in the second half and were unable to score any points, with the shutout game ending on Carlmont’s 10-yard line in the Panthers’ possession.
“You always make adjustments; it’s whether you capitalize on them, which we didn’t,” Rado said.
Despite the Scots’ struggles on the field, the Homecoming game brought a packed and loud Carlmont student section. Everyone was dressed in blue, and many fans had face paint to match the game’s bleeding blue theme.
“Everyone is on theme, everyone is dressed in blue, there are even people from other schools coming to see Carlmont play,” said Belmira Iong, a sophomore in the Carlmont student section.
The Panthers also brought in some fans, who were there to cheer their team on at the end when they had won the game. On the Scots side, the student section brought positive energy to keep their team motivated.
“They are not doing that great, but we still have spirit,” said Leah Karp, a Carlmont sophomore watching the game.
