sports

Falcons 27 - Stallions 19

Falcons win the 2006 varsity American football crown

by Fernando Franco

Against most predictions, the Falcons defeated the Stallions at Balboa Stadium on October 15 to win this year’s varsity American football crowd.

In the game’s first offensive series, the Falcons got into Stallions territory with two long passes. Then on the third play Alejandro Henríquez connected on a 35-yard touchdown strike to Jean Paul Orillac to open the scoring and put the score at 6-0.

The Stallions got good field position on Fernando San Juan’s kick return. Kendrick Belgrave scored on a one-yard touchdown run to tie the dame, and then Gabriel Preciado kicked the extra point to put the Stallions up 7-6.

The Stallions defense held the Falcons to force a punt, but a roughing the kicker penalty gave the Falcons new life, and they quickly took advantage of it with a 30-yard touchdown run by Norman Ross, which with the extra point put the Falcons back on top by 13 to 7.

For the rest of the first half the Falcons defense controlled the Stallions, forcing them to make mistakes.

At the end of the first half Alejandro Henríquez threw a 25-yard pass to Virgilio Vásquez to increase the Falcons’ advantage to 20-7.

At the start of the second half the Stallions began with a ground game that had them marching into Falcons territory, when Jorge Irigoyen stole the ball and ran 57 yards on the fumble recovery to score. That left the Falcons ahead 27 to 7.

The Stallions were able to cut that advantage to 27-13 on a 32-yard run by Kenrick Belgrave.

The Stallions defense hardened and didn’t give the Falcons more chances. The Falcon offense did get into scoring position once again, but Yosimar Rodríguez stopped their drive with an interception.

Again the Stallions moved the ball, with Roberto Sánchez connecting on a 45-yard pass to Yosimar Rodríguez to make the score 27-19.

In the game’s closing seconds the Stallions got down to the Falcons’ 30 yard line, but the defense held on three straight pass plays and time ran out.

Alejandro Henríquez, who completed 50 percent of his passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, was chosen the championship game’s most valuable player.