Written/Photo by: Samantha Roseff (@samantha_roseff_photography)
Only one team could become the district champions, and Santaluces did just that. This is the Chiefs’ second time in the past three years to hold the title. Santaluces now has an 8-4 record, while Park Vista has a 6-4 record and maintains the runner-up position.
The first half of the game started extremely slowly. There were numerous penalties, such as false starts and delays in games. Despite the penalties, both teams remained strong by not allowing their opponent to get close to the end zone. But Park Vista had 2 opportunities to make a field goal, and Brody Zampini did just that. Brody is a 5’11, 145 lb senior at Park Vista. He is currently ranked number 1 in the district (7A District 13) for field goals made, 4. Also, ranked number 2 in the district for made PAT kicking and total kicking points. Brody is also in the top 100 in the entire state for all 3. Not only is he a kicker on the football team, but he also plays for Cobra Soccer as well. He plays both striker and right back.
The second half was a completely different story. In just the third quarter, Park Vista quickly put up 7 more points on the board, making the game 13-0. But Santaluces wasn’t far behind; with a pass from Jorris Shephard to Jamie Simmons and an extra point made by Christian Clavijo, it was now 13-7. With the last quarter left, both teams knew they needed to fight harder than ever to get the win.
Within the first 2 minutes of the 4th quarter, Israel “Izzy” Marion scored a rushing touchdown. He went on to make 2 more touchdowns in just the 4th quarter. Christian Clavijo would score every extra-point attempt too. The score was now 13-28 with only 6 minutes to go. Park Vista and Santaluces knew the game was nowhere near over, and anything can happen in football. But with just a few minutes left in the game, Jorris Shephard made a 19-yard pass to Jamar Browder, and Clavijo scored the extra point, making the final score 13-35.
Even though the regular season is over, we now move on to the playoffs. Santaluces will compete against South Dade (5-5) this Friday at home. Kickoff will be at 7:30. Unfortunately, Park Vista did not make the cut for playoffs. But the Cobras are not done yet. Many players have been invited to camps and teams to show off their talents in the postseason.
Who will win it all?
