By Eli LOCKE

On Friday night, Oct. 1 Crescenta Valley opened league play against Glendale High School. A strong showing was expected from CV – last season the Falcons beat the Nitros in a 56-14 contest that showcased the Falcons offense, which was comprised almost entirely of the senior class. This past Friday the Falcons didn’t disappoint.
The Nitros received the ball to start the game and managed to drive down the field for some distance, but were eventually forced to punt by the Falcons defense. CV received the ball within the 20-yard line and fought their way down field thanks in large part to the offensive line and running back Maro Lee. However quarterback Zac Wilkerson was picked off in the end zone giving the ball back to Glendale.
But the Nitros drive quickly fizzled thanks to the Falcons defensive unit. The Falcons relied heavily on Wilkerson’s arm on the drive, as he completed passes to several receivers thanks to phenomenal blocking by his offensive line, particularly senior Garrett Stoudt. The Falcons finally pushed their way into the end zone on a quarterback sneak, giving Wilkerson the first score of the night.  Glendale’s offense drove down the field before being forced to punt once again. Although the Falcons came onto the field determined to extend their lead, the offense sputtered and was forced to punt. The Nitros started out with great field position and after several close calls, finally pushed into the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.

The Falcons got the ball to start the second half, determined to perform better than in the first.  The offensive unit had a troubled first drive, however, and was forced to punt. The Nitros could not get a hold of the ball, and it was scooped up by CV safety Alec Traber who brought the ball down to the
20-yard line. Lee ran it down to the one-yard line, and
Wilkerson ran in for another touchdown.
The Falcons started the drive well as senior Wes Berg stopped the Nitros behind the line of scrimmage. The defense continued in this manner forcing a quick punt. Once again it was Lee who took the ball and ran down the field breaking tackle after tackle, bringing the Falcons into the end zone in just a few short plays.
Glendale failed to gain a first down on the next drive, and forcing a punt. The Falcons continued to perform well, as Lee ran in for another touchdown. The Nitros, once again failing to mount a scoring drive, punted. Feeling fairly secure, the Falcons started to pull their starters, as second string quarterback Paul Perugini took his offense down the field and eventually scrambled into the endzone thanks to a key block by fellow senior Ryan Shumway.
The Falcons finished the game with its second string players on the field to get some experience ending the night with a score of 35-14.

  Crescenta, Falcons