On October 12, Morro Bay High School went head-to-head with Pioneer High School for the Homecoming football game. With a score of 44-6, the game was a Morro Bay High School defeat. The night also featured the ribbon cutting of Morro Bay High School (MBHS) new all-weather modernized track, zero-emissions Homecoming floats, and the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen, Tanner Dougherty and Hailee Revalee.
On top of the crowning of Tanner Dougherty and Hailee Revalee, the halftime celebrations of the game featured each member of Homecoming Royalty getting the chance to be walked down the field by their loved ones. Royalty, which included Freshmen Sydney Beckett and Shane Nairne, Sophomores Adrienne Frere and Isaac Long, Juniors Jazlyn Orozco and Sam Clappz, and Senior nominees Hailee Revalee, Tanner Daugherty, Grace Hotaling, Kayden Diodati, Camille Sherrod, Gannon Staeheli, Hattie Taylor, Pedro Morales, Skyllar Evans, and Nick Murphy, were each acknowledged by announcers and celebrated by the crowd. Concluding the ceremony was the coronation of King and Queen, who had been elected by the student population earlier that day.
In addition, halftime also included Homecoming floats. Students from each grade paraded down the track, showcasing their grade’s theme. Working within the overall Road Trip theme for Homecoming, each class demonstrated a particular USA destination: Nashville, Tennessee for Freshmen, New Orleans, Louisiana for Sophomores, New York, New York for Juniors, and Hollywood, California for Seniors. Each of these were portrayed by members of each grade putting on a float. Unlike previous years, each float produced zero-emissions, trading in vehicles for marching students.
Outside of halftime, Morro Bay faced defeat in the football game. Pioneer Valley began their victory over Morro Bay High School early, scoring a touchdown during the first quarter. Despite several somewhat successful plays, such as when Morro Bay High School players Aidan Moriarty, the Quarterback, and Juan Garcia worked together to earn a first down with three minutes left in the quarter, MBHS was overall unable to make any major progress down the field. This was shown yet again when Pioneer Valley scored another touchdown seconds into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, MBHS continued to make little progress. One notable moment was a successful pass to Eli Graves, earning approximately 30 yards. However, following this play, Morro Bay High School was unable to make any more progress, with the charge ending with an interception. By the end of the quarter, Pioneer Valley had scored two more touchdowns and a field goal, making the score 31-0.
The third quarter featured little activity from either team, with the only score being by Pioneer Valley, who were unable to score an extra point, leaving the score at 37-0. With 3:45 left in the quarter, Pioneer Valley were given a penalty for a face mask. Continuing into the fourth quarter, Pioneer Valley scored their final touchdown with 8:45 left in the quarter. With 20 seconds left in the game Conner Pugh scored Morro Bay High School’s first and only touchdown, but the team ultimately missed the extra point, making the the final score 44-6.
Despite this defeat, student reactions following the game were largely positive. When asked about her thoughts, Sophomore Vienna Laughlin exclaimed “”We got a touchdown! That touchdown was so exciting, did you hear me screaming?” Furthermore, Matthew Moersdorf joked “”We were getting a comeback! If they had let the game go on for like, 7 more hours we would have won.” On the field, a player expressed his thoughts about the football program: “we need to get everybody involved.”
Before the game, Morro Bay High School, along with several members of San Luis Obispo Coastal Unified School District, including Superintendent Dr. Prater, commemorated the construction of the school’s new track. Paid for by Measure D funds, the new track has been significantly modernized and is now built for all-weather conditions. Speeches at the event expressed gratitude for Measure D and looked forward to a brighter future for Morro Bay High School. You can read more about the track grand opening here.
