The football game in San Carlos was a toe to toe touchdown slugging match Miami won 52-26. But it wasn’t a matter of the victorious team’s second string allowing the loser a few face-saving points after the issue was decided in the first half.

Miami scored most of its touchdowns in the second half and only rolled over San Carlos decisively in the second part of the third quarter. Both sets of fans had a lot to cheer about.

On their first successful drive, the Braves got down to the Miami 25 yard line. A handoff to DeAndre Dude got a couple of yards then Raymond Sneezy, on a keeper brought the ball to the 13, shedding tacklers on the way for a first down. Sneezy kept the ball again to gain a couple on the far side. It was third down and four yards to go on the Miami 8-yard line. Sneezy kept the ball again, picking up blocking, he ran across the field far to near side and over the goal line at a slant, leaving a whole posse of Vandals behind. Score 6-0, Braves.

When the Vandals got the ball, after an attempted on-side kick, they had an attack of false start disease. They were pushed back five yards to first and 15 on the 30 but gave the bug to the Braves, who were offside in the next play giving the five yards back.

Miami got to their own 38 on third down with one to go, before suffering a relapse, having to play the down over with six yards to go. Luke Olvera went up the middle and was accosted by Joshua Jackson and Deandre Dude. (Fourth down and three on the 43.) Raymond Galvin carried through traffic for a first down on the 45-yard line.

At this point, quarterback Ryan Powell faked a handoff to Galvin, faded back to near side and launched a long pass. It was complete but was knocked loose by a Brave and then grabbed by a Vandal who scored. Olvera tried for two points, but Dude was there to tackle him short of the line. Score: 6-6.

Starting on their own 40-yard line, the Braves progressed backwards to their own 31 before having their punt blocked.

This gave the vandals excellent field position, first and 10 on the Braves’ 29. Dude caught Justin Cook for a loss, but Galvin got away from Xavior Classay on the next play. The Vandal slipped that tackle and a couple more to get a first down on the Braves 30 yard-line. Then v3 broke through the middle to get to the one yard line, which in the next play, the Vandals converted to a touchdown. Olvera went to the far side for the two points and the score was 6-14 Vandals.

The Braves got the ball on their own 33 and took the ball down to the Vandal 25 the hard way in 13 plays. Sneezy caught a pass on the one yard line and stepped into the end zone. Unfortunately,

Nathaniel Moses was pushed back in his attempt for the 2-point conversion, and the score was 12-14 instead of a tie. It meant that when Miami got ahead by a touchdown it was really a touchdown and two-point lead.

Getting the San Carlos kickoff, Galvin took the ball from the 20 to the Vandal 27, and then took the ball to the 35 before being tackled by EJ Haozous and Palicio Ramos. Then Olvera was able to turn the corner on the far side for a 30-yard run to the Braves 35. After a few yards up the middle, Olvera got down to the 17 before being tackled by Jaden Harney.

After stalling a minute on a bad snap, Powell escaped Haozous with the help of “Bear” Flores-Garcia and continued into the end zone. Olvera was able to get in for the two extra points. Score: 22-12.

The Braves got the ball again on their own 41 with 2:58 left in the half. Quarterback, Eliah Victor passed to Nathaniel Moses who took the ball to the Vandals 29. After Dude tried to run up the middle and the Braves suffered a false start, Victor passed to Sneezy who dove to the one yard-line. Miami proceeded to hold the line at the one and to throw the Braves back to the four-yard-line as the half ended with Miami getting the ball on downs.

The half ended with Miami a comfortable 10 points in the lead. Both teams had shown they could stop the other and both teams were able to sustain successful drives up the field. Starting from behind, Miami was more than one 8-point touchdown ahead.

In the second half, one touchdown was answered by another, but Miami made scores out of more of their possessions.

The vandals took the Braves’ second half kickoff out to the 18 yard line, and a Brave offside put the Vandals on their 23 with five yards to go. The Vandals moved the ball up field in five quick first downs till they were on the Braves 29. A false start put them on the 34 with 15 yards to go. A handoff to Olvera followed by a pass brought them into the end zone again, and Galvin powered in for the extra two points. Score: 30-12.

Haozous took the ball from near the goal to the 26, and Sneezy carried it out to the 29 where the Braves stalled for a play before getting out to the 40. Charles Mendoza lost a yard, but the team gained a first, and Eliah Victor ran for the touchdown. B88 got in for the 2 extra points. Score: 20-30.

The Braves came right back and scored and B88 got there for the extra points. Score: 20-30. Still with 11 minutes left in the game, Miami was not quite safe. However, they were able to seal the deal by scoring an 8-point touchdown in their next possession.

Then when San Carlos got the ball, and it was second and five on the 25, Sneezy’s pass went into the hands of v77 for another Vandal 8-point touchdown. Miami’s lead was back in the safety deposit box for good. Even though San Carlos scored again, Miami scored again also to bring the final score to 52-28.

Bear Flores Martinez rumbles into the end zone with an intercepted pass.

Ryan Powell tries to stop Raymond Sneezy on the way to first down.