The Scotts Valley High School football team put a shellacking on the Harbor High Pirates in the Falcons’ 56-12 homecoming victory Friday, Oct. 21, when two homecoming queens were crowned, along with one king.
But milestones were also reached. Scotts Valley running back Colin Corbella broke the Falcons’ single-season rushing yardage record set by Kyle Hardwick in 2008. Going into the game, Corbella needed 168 yards to tie Hardwick’s mark. He earned 169 yards in the first half before sitting out the second half in the lopsided victory.
“Breaking that record felt really good,” Corbella said after the game. “We came out so fired up, I just had to run as hard as I could. I don’t know what to make of this yet.”
Hardwick set the Falcons’ record of 1,251 yards on 208 carries in 12 games in 2008. Corbella, who has 1,252 yards on 192 carries after eight games, has the opportunity to set the bar higher, as the Falcons have two regular-season games remaining — a showdown against league-leading Santa Cruz High and a matchup with St. Francis Central Coast High School.
Against the Pirates (2-5, 1-2 SCCAL), the Falcons (6-2, 3-1) took the field fired up to score touchdowns on all seven of their first-half possessions. They headed into halftime up 49-0.
Corbella scored touchdowns on runs of 11 and 10 yards, and sophomore receiver Joe Gillette scored on a 23-yard pass from quarterback Jack Pasquini. Tight end Ryan Wortman who caught another Pasquini touchdown pass for 20 yards. Eric Murai scored two touchdowns, and Ari Wargon and Victor Passanisi tacked on scores of their own.
The halftime homecoming festivities were both uplifting and exciting, following an across-the-board tie in the voting for the homecoming queen. Both Kendra Kannegaard and Blaire Ward were crowned, to the delight of the crowd. Alex Benko, a Falcon football player, was named king.
Ward, a cheerleader, has been involved in many school functions and is friends with Kannegaard, who had a massive tumor removed from her spine in February and has been in a wheelchair since. Despite the restriction, Kannegaard performed in the schools’ production of “Urinetown,” an off-Broadway musical.
In the second half, the Falcons used the big point cushion to get everyone on the squad into the game in the second half.
“It is always a big thing when everyone gets to play,” said head coach Louie Walters. “Everybody on this team has worked hard and deserves an opportunity like this.”
Scotts Valley will play tonight, Oct. 28, at Santa Cruz High (6-2, 3-0 SCCAL) for what could be the rights to attend the Central Coast Section playoffs and represent the league.
Cougars fall to Knights
Lucas Sinnott and Nick Calabray scored touchdowns for San Lorenzo Valley High in a 28-14 loss to Soquel High on Friday.
Cougar quarterback Tyler Gilbert went 15-for-20 through the air with two touchdowns, but SLV (3-5, 1-3 SCCAL) couldn’t contain the Knights.
Jonny Cooper had 85 yards on 14 carries, and Derek Poetzinger took eight carries for 40 yards. Calabray led the receivers with 73 yards and a touchdown on five receptions.
The Cougars play next against Aptos at home at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.
