It was an emotional ending to an injury-ridden season as the Bulldogs grouped in the end zone after a tough loss on senior night at the hands of Oak Grove, 44-7, Friday night.
Bulldogs Head Coach Albert King said despite the tough loss, the team has continued to grow all year.
King said if there’s one thing to take away from this season, it is the Bulldogs fight.
“They’re not quitters, they fight,” King said. “We had a lot of injuries this year, but this team has no excuses.”
Between the youth of the team, and the injuries, the Bulldogs were fighting uphill in every battle.
As if the injuries and youth weren’t enough adversity to overcome, Sobrato continues to host football games at Live Oak high school, on a soppy, muddy field which continues to cause players to slip and fall during the action of the game.
King said this type of a game should be yet another message about the importance of having an adequate field to play the game on.
King made a public call more than a week a ago to have Sobrato’s game moved to its own field.
It was a rough first half for Sobrato, who allowed 27 points, and couldn’t force the Eagles to punt once.
However, the team came out in the second half to fight for another two quarters.
With only 25 seconds left in the third quarter, an Oak Grove touchdown run gave the Eagles the lead 34-0, with just over a quarter of the Bulldogs season remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, junior wide receiver Jacob Hutchinson caught the ball at the one yard-line and took off.
Breaking two tackles to get into open space, Hutchinson electrified the home crowd by hurdling an Oak Grove defender before scampering in for a 99-yard kickoff return for the Bulldog’s only score of the night.
Another 10 points for the Eagles in the fourth quarter ended the game at 44-7, and end Ann Sobrato’s football season.
Andrew Mesa, senior running back and safety, said his season would be memorable because of his teammates.
His close bond to coach King, and the close-knit team of Sobrato high will be something to take away from the season, he said.
Mesa finished with 16 carries for 30 yards on the night, and eight tackles to go along with it.
Despite a winless season, the Bulldogs and coach King have much to look forward to for next season. With eight seniors, the team has youth in which it can build upon.
Junior running back Max Zhang heard his name on the loudspeaker all night, on offense and defense. Fellow junior quarterback Nick Secolo and wide receiver Jacob Hutchinson are more building blocks for the team to utilize for the next year, especially after Hutchinson’s flashy touchdown.
