Back At It: Downey High Football

Kailani Fletcher, Writer
August 30, 2021

After experiencing an unconventional season of playing in front of sparse crowds, being able to step on the field and play in front of over 1,000 people in Downey High School’s Allen Layne Stadium was a dream come true for the Downey High School Football team. For the first time in over a year, Downey students and athletes alike get to experience the valued tradition of Friday night football games.

On August 20, 2021, the Varsity team made their debut under the bright lights. Although the spirit and excitement was there, the first home game of the year against Corona Del Mar ended up being a loss with a finishing score of 36 to 20. “We started off slow,” Varsity Captain Tryse Redford, 12, explained. “We came back harder in the second half, but, you know, we didn’t finish it.”

Despite the outcome, the Vikings did not give up. They returned to practice and back to their busy schedule of morning and afternoon training, studying film, and cultivating new plays–all to prepare for the next game against the Bonita Bearcats. “We can’t let the city down like last week,” starting wide receiver Isaiah Blair, 12, stated. “We have to put on a show.” With this on their minds, the Downey High Football team did just that.

On August 27, 2021 the Downey High School Football team returned to the field prepared to fight for victory. The game started off in Downey’s favor with a touchdown by junior Aidan Chiles in the first quarter, and another by junior Ian Hernandez in the third quarter. By the start of the fourth, the Vikings were up 15 to 10, but the game took a turn when the Bearcats scored and completed a two-point conversion allowing them to take the lead at a score of 15 to 18. With the momentum no longer in their favor, the Vikings fought hard to get to the end zone. After influential plays made by junior Bryant Carey, Redford, and senior Antonio Ruiz, the Downey High School Football team was set up to take back the lead. With only six minutes left in the last quarter, Quarterback Noah Paez passed to Blair who secured the winning touchdown in a close play. With a final score of 22 to 18, the Vikings definitely met their goal of putting on a show.

“I always keep a positive mindset. It doesn’t matter if you’re losing. I just try to encourage the team,” Blair revealed when asked how he kept the team motivated. “I’m just telling them ‘Let’s keep going. Keep fighting.” Blair followed his own advice and was able to help his team ensure the win.

The season is far from over, and the Downey Football team does not plan on letting up anytime soon. Their confidence in their ability is clear, and the players are prepared to put in even more work to ensure their goal of winning the championship. “We are better than most teams because we don’t give up,” Redford stated. With that sentiment, the Vikings plan on getting another win on Friday September 3, 2021 against Crespi Carmelite High School.

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About the Contributors

Kailani Fletcher, Writer

Even though Kailani Fletcher is a very well rounded senior, she still takes an extra step to find her interest by starting her first year at ‘The Downey Legend’ as a writer. Fletcher is also the President of the Downey High School Writing Center, a part of the Downey Track and Field, and is a Link Leader which has her filled schedule. She is hardworking and friendly, which can be seen as she welcomes new people to track and field or being involved in tons of school activities. She has huge dreams in journalism and has the experience in writing to take her there. Just by having a conversation with Fletcher you can see the journalist in her, and how intelligent she is. She hopes to keep her straight A streak, and continue at Barnard College. Writing is a huge part of what she does, and who she wants to become.

“I love writing other people’s stories. You get to put on other people’s shoes and see their perspective.” says Fletcher. “I am huge on humanity and always make a point to try and understand my classmates.”

Ariel Lara, Photographer

As she enters her last year of high school, Ariel Lara, 12, joins The Downey Legend with hopes to step out of her comfort zone, while also learning more about photography. After high school, Lara plans to go to Cerritos College and eventually Cal State Long Beach to earn her degrees in photography. After earning her degrees, she hopes to start her own photography business for runway fashion or magazines. Aside from photography, Lara also likes to spend her free time helping others and caring for her pet turtle Napoleon.

Lara’s passion was first sparked at age 14 after seeing her uncle’s love, passion, and drive for photography. “When I used to see him go on his free time taking photos and showing them to me, and how all the editing and the process works, it really interested me,” Lara said. “Once I started to try it out, I realized how good I am at it. It’s just a really fun way for me to be myself and express who I am through photos.”

Gissel Delgado, Editor-In-Chief

Having been a part of The Downey Legend in the previous year, former podcaster and current Co-Editor-In-Chief Gissel Delgado, 12, finds herself wanting to grasp on to her ending adolescence, which is full of helping others. Being a part of the Link Crew Commissioner Class, Delgado is passionate about taking care of new students and making sure all feel welcomed into their first years of high school. This carries over to her personal life, in which she highly prioritizes time with her parents and two sisters. She also likes to challenge herself with several Honors and A.P classes due to her love of learning. In her final year at Downey High School, Delgado hopes to finally know what are the next steps in her career and personal life.

"In all the movies I've watched and books I've read, senior year is always depicted as this sort of self-discovery moment," Delgado said. "Senior year is when you really start to grow up and plan your future, so as I wrap up my time in high school, I really hope I get to find my passion. Slowly but surely, I'm confident that I can."

Kimberly Moreno, Photographer

Joining The Downey Legend staff for the very first time this year as a photographer, Kimberly Moreno, 12, is ready to put her skills to the test. Aside from her brand new role in The Downey Legend, Moreno shines when it comes to running track and field, saying it has become an outlet that lets her feel so much more alive and free. Outside of school, she loves to spend her time seeing what other skills she’s capable of, such as sketching realistic portraits of animals and even playing the piano for her family. No matter where she is, Moreno’s welcoming personality reaches just about anyone, whether they’re her friends or someone entirely new. Even if she isn’t fully aware of where she’ll end up in the far future, Moreno hopes to find herself well on her way working towards a business major, yet another skill she’s determined to have under her belt.

When asked about what drove her to tackle the challenge of taking on a photographer position, Moreno excitedly explained, “Photography is one of the best ways to beautifully capture any moment we might take for granted. Some people might not think so,” she even admits, “but it’s a living form of art that can bring a lot of passion out of people.”