Varsity football: Cowboys take the win against McArthur  

BY HAILEY BROWN

With no school on Friday, the Cowboys were able to sleep in and be well rested for their game against McArthur. Once 2:00 p.m. rolled around, the team headed over to the school for their routine pre-game meal. This consists of lots of pasta and other carbs to give them all the energy they need to stay in the game. At 5:30 p.m., the team boarded the bus, headphones on and music blaring, while they got in the mindset for their game. Once 7 p.m. hit, the game had started, and it was time to see how ready they actually were. 8:20 p.m. marked halftime, the Cowboys were down 15-0 but they still kept fighting and kept their heads in the game. The unthinkable happened at about 10:20 p.m., the Cowboys had scored a touchdown, putting them ahead at the very last minute. At around 10:30 p.m., the Cowboys boarded the bus home, victory in hand.

On Friday October 20, the Cowboys took on the Mustangs at McArthur High School. McArthur proved to be a tough competitor on their home field and came out strong in the beginning, scoring 15 points in the first half and setting the mood for the game. The Cowboys on the other hand started a little slow with some critical errors, but they were able to pick it up in the second half and put themselves back in the game. In the end, the Cowboys came out on top,  winning the game with a score of 45-42.

The first half went in favor of McArthur, the Cowboys threw two interceptions and had a couple fumbles. The Mustangs were able to capitalize off of those mistakes and put themselves ahead with a 15 point cushion. The half ended with a score of 15-0 with McArthur in the lead. At halftime, both teams went into their huddles to talk about the game. The words that were said in the huddle lit a fire under the Cowboys and caused them to come back strong in the second quarter.

During the second quarter, the game went back and forth between each team scoring. It came down to the very last minute and the Cowboys were able to bring it home. Quarterback  Michael DiLiello threw 2 touchdowns with 150 passing yards, and had 17 carries for 165 yards, scoring 3 touchdowns. Mark Brent had 5 receptions for 80 yards along with one interception. While Kobie Simmons had 3 receptions for 65 yards and scored 2 touchdowns.

“It was a rocky start against McArthur,” DiLiello said. “But we stayed persistent and never gave up and were able to pull through in the end.”

The Cowboys will take on Ft. Lauderdale High School at home on Tuesday October 24, at 7:00 p.m.They hope to create a winning streak while they head into playoffs in about three weeks.

Photo by Benjamin Milgram