Football defeats Lowell 22-18 in its first game of the season
Matadors fight their way to victory with a comeback in the second half
After halftime, the Varsity Football team breaks through the Monta Vista banner onto the field. Entering the third quarter, Lowell HS led 18-16.
The Matadors began their 2022 season with a bang, defeating Lowell High School with a score of 22-18 on Friday, Aug. 26. MVHS was down 18-7 after the first half, but the team was able to score 15 points in the second half, successfully fighting its way up to victory. Offensive coordinator El’Hajj Malik, who left Homestead High School to join the MVHS coaching staff this summer, notices the team has improved from last year when MVHS lost to Lowell 53-14.
“From what I saw last year, [there are] a couple of things [that have changed],” Malik said. “The execution and commitment to the team last year, from what I saw from [the] outside looking in, were going through the motions. I feel like this [year’s] team, which is a very young team, saw [last year’s performance] and was trying to improve off of what they did.”
According to Malik, senior Greyson Mobley and junior Rohit Pamidi were standout offensive performers, scoring a combined three touchdowns. In particular, Malik trusts Pamidi and is able to “give him a lot of responsibility.”
Senior Alex Lee, a new addition to the team, scored a touchdown in his debut. Lee finds the “warm welcome” from the coaching staff helped him transition into the team.
“It was great [to score a touchdown], but it was a whole team effort — everyone did their blocks,” Lee said. “We played as a team, and there were some ups and downs, but we overcame it.”
In the next game, Malik hopes to incorporate more players. In terms of this season, his primary goals are to win the Helmet Trophy against Cupertino High School and qualify for the CCS playoffs. He is optimistic about the season and believes the team can build on the positive result in future games.
“I want to get people to buy into what we’re doing here [with] this football team,” Malik said. “ I feel like sports is a good way to build community. When you win, people are happy and like to come out [to support the team] and have a good time. It was really nice hearing the fans support us, and I hope to be able to do this for a while.”
