"THE STAND"

The date was December 3rd,2005.

With little time on the clock, the Mission Bay Pirates were inside the SFC 5 yard line with first and goal. SFC’s 2 point lead wasn’t going to hold up, the eagles were up 7-5 over the Pirates.  However, this SFC team was a special bunch of boys that have no end to the fight in them. After an improbable stop on second and goal from the 6 inch line and then another one on third down, Head Coach Brian Sipe’s mind shifted to the last few plays he would have after the opponent did the obvious, and kicked a field goal and take a one point lead.  To Coach Sipe’s surprise, and perhaps out of frustration, Mission Bay chose to challenge our Eagles one more time on fourth down from the 6 inch line in order to go up by six and squash any chance SFC would have to take the following kickoff into field goal range before the clock would run out.  Mission Bay’s decision set up the final chapter in one of the greatest efforts in the our school’s history, or so everybody thought. As improbable as it was that this small private school team could again shut down a much larger public school team whose offensive line out weighed San Diego State’s. Well, our boys did just that, and on fourth and goal from the 6 inch line, the Eagles stopped the Pirates short of the goal line.  On the SFC sideline, the excitement was indescribable everywhere. However on the other side of the field, the visiting fans and team stood in stunned silence. But the battle wasn’t over.  SFC now had to move the ball off the 6 inch into the teeth of a monstrous wall of MIssion Bay players who, if they stuffed the Eagle offense back into the end zone for a two point safety, would have a tie score. Then the Pirates would receive the touchback kick almost already in field goal range to win.

 

No one familiar with SFC football will ever forget “The Stand”. Coach Sipe, Coach Russcetta and Coach Wallace certainly will not. But they will also will never forget our Eagle warriors taking a quarterback sneak right down the throat of the Mission Bay defense for an 11 yard gain, out of danger, and then run out the clock in this momentous playoff win that sent us on to Qualcomm stadium for a another Championship game. 

 

Next time you are in the north end of the SFC end zone, look up at the goal post and know that was where history was made.

 

GO EAGLES!