Football games are a big part of San Mateo High School, especially the first game of the season! Students always show up to the field with a good attitude to support their team, and that’s what they did for their first football game of the 2024 season. On Thursday the San Mateo Bearcats took on the Balboa Buccaneers in a thrilling match that had everyone on the edge of their seats. The theme for the game was “Little White Lies” where students showed up to the field in their favorite white attire with a white lie written somewhere on them.
The game kicked off and the Bearcats were coming in strong. During the first quarter, it didn’t take long for San Mateo to make their mark on the scoreboard. Logan Davis, #11, made the first touchdown of the game, closely followed by junior Dean Qutteineh, #2, who scored the second touchdown of the night shortly after.
“Let’s go Bearcats!” Nina Walker announced, a junior at SMHS. Nina also said she felt, “…excited for San Mateo to win because it’s currently 17-0.” The student section was packed with white outfits and energized with the excitement of our lead. Senior Scarlet Garcia-Gutierrez’s little white lie was, “I don’t have a twin. Not many people know I have a twin so I thought it would be a little surprising.” The energy was at an all-time high as people read everyone’s white lies and the Bearcats continued to dominate.
During the second half, Balboa scored a touchdown just slipping past our defense. But, this wasn’t enough to overcome the Bearcats’ lead, as San Mateo secured the win with a final score of 17-6! The student section roared as the final seconds were counted down. Senior player Logan Davis commented, “Last night’s game was very physical, and going into the game we had a lot of confidence. Offense had way too many mistakes, but our defense was very dominant and maintained control of the game.” It is clear that their teamwork and determination led them to this memorable win.