“They’re not gods!” Loyal Terry ’19 shouted as Calabasas marched in the first touchdown of the night.
The Wolverines traveled down Mulholland highway looking to slay titans. Undefeated Calabasas stood between them and a playoff run. For two quarters, it looked as though the gods were mortal, waiting for a decisive blow.
Instead, the Wolverines would suffer a second-half collapse, ending their season in the first round of CIF playoffs.
Both the offense and defense started slow, but recovered in time to compete in the first half. Quarterback Jameson Wang ’20 ran in the Wolverines’ first touchdown early in the second half and wide receiver Zac Harleston ’17 added a touchdown reception to cut the deficit to 21-14.
After a quick touchdown drive by Calabasas, the Wolverines marched the ball into the red zone. However, the drive stalled when they could not convert a fourth-down attempt.
The Wolverines entered the intermission trailing by two touchdowns, but would receive the ball at the start of the second half. The atmosphere on the sidelines was cautiously optimistic, with a real hope of an upset victory.
HALFTIME: The Wolverines trail Calabasas 28-14
— H-W Chronicle Sports (@HWCsports) November 12, 2016
The Wolverines would be forced to punt on their first drive of the second half. Calabasas returned the kick 90 yards for a touchdown, and the rout was on.
Calabasas strikes first in the second half with a 90-yard punt return. 35-14 Calabasas, Q3 8:03
— H-W Chronicle Sports (@HWCsports) November 12, 2016
Calabasas scored again three minutes later, stretching the lead to 42-14. Wang threw an interception on the next drive. Calabasas’ Nebraska-committed quarterback followed up with a long touchdown pass, putting the Coyotes up by five scores. The Wolverines responded with another rushing score by Wang, but the outcome of the game had been largely decided. James Kanoff ’17 caught a touchdown with 45 seconds left in the game to cap the scoring.
The Wolverines defense struggled with tackling, allowing 355 passing and 131 rushing yards. Wang finished 19-39 for 308 yards, four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) and an interception, compiling an 82.0 passer rating. Harleston led the offense with 153 receiving yards and Terry put up a team-high 39 yards rushing.
