Ej Klosterman '29
Under the Friday night lights, SHP’s gators delivered a thrilling double victory, with both the Girls Flag Football and Boys Varsity Football teams defeating the Carlmont Scots. Prep students, parents, staff, Lower Middle School students, and more filled the stands for the annual Under the Lights game on September 26th. The event was many community members’ first time attending a flag football game, bringing attention to SHP’s rising program in the up-and-coming sport.
The big night kicked off at 3 p.m., with the JV Boys Football and JV Girls Flag Football playing simultaneous games on different fields. The girls lost 6-18 against Carlmont on Dollinger field. The JV boys started the triple header on Gator Nation field strong with a 41-0 win against the Scots. Following them, the Girls Flag Football and Boys Varsity Football team played games against Carlmont, with a break for SHPTV’s second annual Gator Gameday show as the boys’ warmed up.
Varsity Girls Flag Football:
The Girls Flag Football team started out the first quarter strong with a beautiful pass from quarterback Ryleigh Longaker ‘26 to wide receiver Kate Kennish ‘28 for a 30-yard gain in the second drive. The first touchdown came soon after—another pass from Longaker to Kennish.
It was a great first quarter for the Gators, getting confidence and energy levels high. They held the Scots, who gained most of their yards running through the middle, on defense for the rest of the half. There was only one dangerous possession resulting from a penalty, and that was shut down about two yards away from the goal line.
The score was 7-0 as the Gators began the second half on defense. Plays went back and forth during the third quarter—neither the Gators nor the Scots scored another touchdown until there was 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter. From about 5 yards to goal, Longaker took the snap and ran the ball into the end zone. After a successful conversion, the score was 14-0 for the Gators.
However, Carlmont retaliated quickly with a pass from their quarterback and a quick run into the end zone to make it 14-6. With 42 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Longaker again ran the ball for around 30 yards to score her second touchdown and finish off the game. The final score was 20-6, making the Gators Varsity Flag Football record 3-0 for league. The team’s energy was unmatched after having beaten Carlmont on Gators home turf in front of their largest crowd of the season.
Varsity Boys Football:
As the sun set and the lights came on, the Varsity Boys Football team entered onto the field. The Gators took an early lead with a beautiful pass from quarterback Nico Pollioni ‘26 to wide receiver Nathan Fox ‘26, wide open in the corner of the end zone. Fox followed the play with a clean kick. The Carlmont Scots responded efficiently the next series with a long drive and a smart play by quarterback Brody Zirelli to score.
The even matchup had the Gators’ student section engaged, with lots of noise and avid cheering. At 3 minutes till the end of the first quarter, Cooper Karros ‘26 exploded into the end zone with a 12 yard rushing touchdown and a fiery celebration. The Gators ended the first quarter ahead 14-7.
During the second quarter, there was intense pressure from both teams’ defensive lines. Thus, the score remained 14-7 going into halftime.
The back and forth continued until late in the third quarter, where the Scots finally scored a 5 yard passing touchdown from Zirelli with less than a minute left. The game was tied up 14-14 as it proceeded to the fourth quarter. The Gators immediately attacked with a 51 yard pass from Pollioni to receiver Sasha Bamdad ‘26 to score within the first minute of the quarter. Three minutes later, the Scots tied it up again with a 7 yard pass into the Gator end zone.
In the Gators’ next drive, Fox kicked a field goal to get the Gators ahead 24-21. The fight continued as the clock kept ticking down, and Zirelli delivered another pass for the Scots to score with a minute to go. The energy in the Swamp was too much for the Scots however as their kicker missed the extra point, leaving the score 24-27 Carlmont.
With very little time to go, the Gators pressed on. Charlie Ford ‘27 scored a 10 yard rushing touchdown on the reverse with 40 seconds left in the game, sending both the team and the crowd into a cheering craze. In Carlmont’s last drive, pressure from the defensive line forced Zirelli to throw a hail-mary pass, which was picked off by the Gators’ Teddy Watson ‘26, sealing the game 31-27.
While this game may have been non-league, the exciting victory will boost the Gators’ esteem going into two very important league games against Los Gatos and Menlo Atherton in these upcoming weeks. Mr. Carl Hansen, coach of the Gators’ defensive and offensive lines, says he is “proud of the boys for showing grit and a willingness to compete” and hopes that these close games will “build a resiliency that will serve [them] well throughout the rest of the season.”