In their first home football game of the season, the Trojans squared off against the Irvine Vaqueros. The team fought hard until the end, but was ultimately defeated with a final score of 52-28.

Early on, the Trojans came out strong and held Irvine’s offense in check to only six points in the first quarter. UHS tied the game towards the end of the first quarter at 6-6 with a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Koa Saito to junior wide receiver Blaine Anderson. 

However, Irvine began to take over with running backs senior Kendyn Beaver and senior Evan Hasegawa both rushing for over a hundred yards and together scoring two touchdowns. 

The Trojans also had some unfortunate moments, such as a flurry of injuries to multiple defensive players and a missed timeout call on a crucial fourth down, that further expanded Irvine’s lead. 

In the second half, Saito and Anderson continued their success and converted on multiple deep passes to finish with four touchdowns between the duo. 

“Koa knows how I run my routes and I know when he’s going to get the ball, and this means everything come game time,” Anderson said.

The scoring flurry came too late though, as the Vaqueros had built up an insurmountable lead that could withstand a strong push from UHS. 

“Koa and Blaine have been connecting all year, and we finally found a way they could connect at Irvine, [but we] just ran out of time,” Coach Vince Mesa said. 

A point of emphasis for the Trojans going forward will go into protection up front, as the stout Irvine defensive line generated pressure throughout the game. The team is still fairly young in the trenches and is still working to gel into a cohesive unit.  

“The team will watch the film, learn from it and figure out what we can do to give our quarterback more time,” Coach Mesa said.

In the future, the team will have to replace veterans at key spots due to a multitude of injuries.

“In order for our team to improve, the new players need to step up and learn their role in order for us to succeed,” Anderson said.

The Trojans will look to bounce back in their upcoming league game against Woodbridge on Oct. 28.