TFA Football Recap

TFA vs. Harmony
By: Nique Smith, TFA Senior

The Royals proved once again Friday night that games aren't won on paper. Harmony, initially favored to win, ran into a focused and well-prepared First Academy Royals football team. Both teams played hard and it made for a good battle.

Harmony started the game off on a high note, when junior running back Michael Santiago returned a 97-yard kick for a touchdown. But then the Royals began to execute their offense. Kyle Don and Lloyd Hylton pushed the ball up the field, leading to a 36-yard pass from Curt Cramer to Ben Deluzio. The First Academy continued to run the ball well, as senior running back Tyler Walko added to the Royals score with a 46-yard touchdown run late in the first half. Junior Quarterback Curt Cramer also did a good job of locating his receivers during the game. The Royals showed off their depth, especially at the running back position. They rotated multiple players in and out, and when their name was called, they made the most of it.

More than just the offense was on fire: The Royals were very impressive and active on defense, too. Micah Larson led the defense with five tackles on the night. They played hard and showed heart and determination, going after every ball thrown. Junior defensive back Daniel Cohen intercepted a pass thrown by Harmony's sophomore Quarterback Sterling Hicks, and took it back 27 yards for a Royals touchdown. Freshman Fletcher Magee also had an interception, as well as Junior Ben Deluzio off a tipped pass from Tyler Walko. The fans were also treated to big hits on defense by Tyler Walko, Colton Plante, and Ben Deluzio. The defense held their own causing three turnovers and shutting down the Longhorns' aggressive running game.

Overall, the Royals were impressive during the course of this game. The game was called in the 3rd quarter due to a power outage, but only in a little over two quarters of action, the Royals proved that they can play with any team, no matter the classification. The Royals will learn from this game and only improve. The sky's the limit for what this team can do this season.


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