Americas Defeats Coronado in a Heartbreaker

It was an eerie scene prior to the start of the Coronado verses Americas game last night as the lights were not working as kickoff approached on Halloween eve.  Ironically enough, the scoreboard was working as officials frantically attempted to fix the lights so the game would be played.  Luckily the lights eventually came on, the game started an hour late, and turned out to be an instant classic.

Coronado had nothing to play for except pride, while Americas, being the top team in the city, was supposed to route the T-Birds.  As the cliché goes, that is why they play the game.  Americas won, but by the skin of their teeth with a 21-20 triumph.  Coronado kept Americas' star running back Josh Fields in check throughout the game, allowing him to accumulate only 34 yards on 10 carries, and one touchdown by halftime.

The T-Birds led 14-7 heading into the third quarter when Americas QB Eric Foster tied the game up 14-14 on a 15 yard keeper.  The game remained tied until the 6:59 mark of the fourth quarter when Trail Blazers quarterback Eric Foster utilized his spectacular rushing abilities again by scoring his second rushing touchdown to give Americas a 21-14 lead.

Coronado stopped Americas late in the fourth quarter and had one final gasp of life left in an attempt to tie the game.  The T-Birds got so close when quarterback Angelo Donatelli found Jose Luis Herrera for a late touchdown with :35 seconds remaining.  Coronado lined up to kick the extra point but Coach Anderson decided to fearlessly roll the dice and fake the extra point and go for the win with a 2 point conversion that failed.

The finish to this game was epic and Coronado deserves a lot of credit for choosing to go for the win as opposed to tie the game and send it into overtime.  With the victory Americas improves to 7-3, 5-1 (1-6A), and will end their season by hosting El Dorado next Friday night.  Coronado concludes their 2015 season with a 2-8 record, 1-5 (1-6A).