A celebration of football, marching band, color guard, homecoming court, and the AHS community brought positives to a disappointing defeat
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“Walking out, that’s when the energy is the highest and obviously when it doesn’t go your way, energy drops. But when you’re coming out, you don’t know what the outcome is going to be,” said Harris Nawabi (12), a safety and first-time varsity player.
Entering this year’s homecoming game on October 24th, the American Varsity Football team played to a 1-6 record, earning their lone win against San Lorenzo. Their opponent, Encinal High School in Alameda, entered the game with a 2-5 record.
This season, the Eagles have struggled on defense, giving up no fewer than 30 points each game this season. However, players cited changes in the pre-game planning against Encinal. “We changed the formation of the defense a little [and are playing] some man coverage and deep third [coverage],” said wide receiver and defensive back Sage Kobayashi (11).”
Traditionally, man-to-man coverages can be prone to giving up rushing plays for significant yardage. After an early interception, these adjustments were immediately put to the test. Encinal took quick advantage of this weakness, scoring on a roughly 40 yard touchdown run.
A similar theme recurred throughout the first half. The Eagles’ inability to sustain long offensive possessions left the defense fatigued and led to costly penalties. Late in the second quarter, a pass interference penalty in the endzone set up Encinal running back Alexander Martson (#5) for a short rushing touchdown. At the end of the first half, the Eagles trailed Encinal 28-0.
Beyond football, the homecoming game also serves as an important celebration of American High School’s senior class. Members of the homecoming court, a group of 10 seniors selected by a polling process of the student body, were honored for their contributions to AHS in a halftime ceremony.
Nidish Tekkam, Class of 2025 VP and HoCo court member, said “Being on homecoming court is a dream come true. When I was a freshman, I saw the seniors on this court, and I knew since then that’s that’s my goal. And so working up to that point in time, it’s been really great. It’s really cool that we’re able to get the opportunity to get the recognition that I think we’ve been building up toward.”
After a field performance by the marching band and colorguard and the announcement of the Homecoming Reagles, Ian Budiman and Dillion Hsiao, Encinal’s ground attack seamlessly continued into the second half of the game. Scoring 9 touchdowns and converting every extra point attempt, the Encinal Jets cemented a 63-0 victory.
Still, players shined light on the camaraderie among the team. As seniors ended this chapter of their playing career, many looked fondly upon their mentors. “I want to shout out Eddie Ulloa (#53). [He’s] been here for four years. I’ve known him through these four years, but I’ve never actually gotten a chance to play with him. It’s a crazy experience getting to play next to him,” said Nawabi.
He continued, “Although I didn’t get a memorable outcome, it was still a memorable experience. I’m not going to forget this day. All these people here watching me and hoping for me to succeed, it really means something.”
Caption: Outgoing seniors like Alejandro Velasquez have played an influential role in the development of the team’s younger players. “Since day one he’s been a mentor for me helping me learn and teaching me stuff I don’t know. He’s such a great person on and off the field [and] he is popular in the team,” said Kobayashi (Photo Credit: Nanki Kaur (12)).
Eagle Era 
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