Falcons get homecoming victory, now 5-0

The Abbotsford Falcons improved to 5-0 after defeating the Marathon Red Raiders 32-20 this past Friday. The home team outscored Marathon 20-0 in the second half of their Homecoming game to come back from an eight-point deficit at halftime and remain undefeated this season.

Big offensive plays were aplenty for both teams early and 800 total yards were accumulated between the two squads over the course of the contest. Only one drive ended in a punt, further highlighting the offensive nature of the game.

Marathon came out of the gates swinging, putting together an 11-play, 67-yard touchdown drive on their first possession. Red Raiders quarterback True Thurs, who typically handles more of the running duties of the position, found receiver Tyler Underwood for an 11-yard touchdown pass and catch to cap off the drive, putting the visitors up 6-0.

Abbotsford answered back immediately with a touchdown drive of their own. JV Castillo had a big return on the kickoff to start the Falcons on Marathon’s side of the field and runs of 21 yards and 17 yards by Chrisitan Fuentes and Emilio Escalera pushed their team inside the Red Raiders’ 10-yard line. Castillo finished off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 6-6.

The two teams traded touchdowns in the next two possessions as well. The Marathon offense followed Abbotsford’s score with another long drive, going 83 yards in 10 plays to retake the lead on a seven yard run from their other quarterback, Cooper Hoeksema. The Falcons took over and went on a 70-yard drive of their own, featuring four runs of 10 or more yards. Castillo’s 18-yard touchdown run was the longest of the bunch and gave Abbotsford an opportunity to take the lead. However, Marathon’s defense stopped the Falcons short on the two-point conversion, allowing the Red Raiders to maintain a 13-12 lead.

A forced fumble on Marathon’s next possession seemed to turn the tide in Abbotsford’s favor, who took over at the visitors’ 40-yard line. A promising drive was stopped five yards short of the end zone as the Red Raiders returned the favor by recovering a Falcons’ fumble. Marathon then went the length of the field to put up their third touchdown of the evening, leaving the Falcons down 20-12 at halftime.

Abbotsford’s defense stepped up with some game-changing plays in the second half. Three of Marathon’s four possessions ended in turnovers and they also forced the only punt of the game on a critical drive for the Red Raiders.

Meanwhile, the Falcons’ offense took advantage of some excellent starting field position to score on three of their first four drives. Escalera had two big runs on the first drive of the half, including the 18-yard touchdown run that brought the Falcons back within two. Castillo took the ball himself on the following twopoint conversion and found his way back into the endzone to tie the game at 20-20.

Following the first of the Red Raiders’ turnovers, a fumble recovered by Abbotsford at midfield, the Falcons marched down the field to take their first lead of the contest. An 18-yard run by Escalera and a 25-yard pass from Castillo to AJ Brodhagen set up Fuentes with his first touchdown of the evening.

A fumble on the next Falcons’ offensive possession gave Marathon a chance to retake that lead, but Abbotsford’s defense came through with another big play. With the Red Raiders deep in Abbotsford territory, the home team forced Marathon’s third fumble of the game, which the Falcons recovered and ran back to around midfield. Abby’s offense did the rest, with Castillo finding Brodhagen again on a 15 yard completion and Fuentes scoring on a 34-yard run three plays later to put them up by two scores.

Chase Boller came up with the defense’s final big play of the night, picking off Hoeksema three plays later and allowing the Falcons to run out the clock.

Both offenses were consistently able to move the ball, with Marathon ending the game with 19 first downs and Abbotsford finishing with 22. The difference was in turnovers, where four Red Raiders’ drives were cut short by giving the ball away compared to just two for the home team. The Falcons scored two touchdowns off those turnovers and used a third to ice the game.

Fuentes led the Abbotsford rushing attack, which amassed 302 yards. The sophomore back was responsible for 112 of those yards on 14 carries and he also caught two passes for 28 yards. Escalera added 82 yards on ten touches, Boller had 19 yards on three carries and Irivin Aguilera had one run for eight yards.

Castillo had 81 yards on the ground and 102 through the air, completing six of his 10 pass attempts. Brodhagen reeled in four of those passes, collecting 74 yards.

Fuentes and Brodhagen had the most total tackles on defense, ending the night with nine each. Aguilera added eight of his own and Castillo and Ashton Hammel both were part of six tackles.

The Falcons will have to go on the road to face the Edgar Wildcats this coming Friday, Sept. 22. Kickoff between the two Marawood clubs is set for 7 p.m.