Half Moon Bay falls to Salinas High 42-22

The Cougars fell to the visiting Cowboys 42-22, ending a tough week against a strong opponent. The team worked hard during the week to replace two injured starters, and no one prepared himself and his teammates harder than Peter Valdez who was named Scout player of the week. PJ Modena gained 179 yards in his first varsity game and scored a touchdown on a 90 yard breakaway. Also in his first varsity start, Julian Jiminez earned Special Teams player of the week for his deep kickoffs and he made both PAT kicks. Leading in more ways than one, Quinn McCauley earned Offensive player of the week for his overall contribution running for 88 yards and blocking while playing guard, running back and slotback.... in addition to playing every snap at free safety. Quarterback William Moffitt hit Kai Zannette for a 28 yard TD pass and both played defensive back in a game that saw many HMB players lose snaps due to fatigue and some injuries. Senior Satchel Hart rarely left the field and was named Defensive player of the week for his steady and improving play at linebacker.

Next up the BearCats of San Mateo come to Cougar Hill at 7 PM this Friday for Pop Warner Night.

Game Highlights: http://www.hudl.com/v/2FgVtt

Game Summary – Burlingame at HMB, 3/12/2021

The Cougars finally returned to the gridiron on Friday night, defeating Burlingame 19-10 on a cool evening at Francis Field. There was a lot of excitement and media interest as this was their first game in well over a year, and the first of the PAL spring 2021 season. Connor Quosig got things going with a 30 yard kick off return to the Cougars 35 yard line. After a 3 yard loss and an incompletion, quarterback William Moffitt hit senior tight end Emilio Villalobos over the middle for an 11 yard reception. The fourth down run was short, setting up Burlingame in Cougar territory for a prime opportunity to take an early lead. After a long pass, the Panthers had first and goal from the two yard line but the Cougar defense stopped them three straight plays and the field goal attempt was wide, giving the Cougars the ball back at their 20 yard line. The offense went on a 14 play drive, led on the ground by Quosig and fellow senior Tristan Hoffman. With third and goal from the 11 yard line, Moffitt hit offensive player of the week Luke James on the left side for a touchdown. Villalobos hit the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

It was a tightly fought battle with both defenses dominating much of the action throughout the game. No one more so than Hoffman who led the defense in tackles including at least four behind the line of scrimmage to earn defensive player of the week. The Cougar defense gave up just 86 yards rushing and had two goal line stands in the victory. Quosig added an interception to go along with senior safety Nohea Sharp’s who returned his 42 yards before being pushed out of bounds. The Cougars also pressured the Burlingame quarterback numerous times with defensive lineman M. Anthony Hamor Jr. and linebacker Sam Lowings each getting a sack. Lowings had a good night all the way around and was honored as special teams player of the week as well. 

The players waited a long time for this game with many months preparing for a season delayed many times. Senior Lukas Meighen was named scout team player of the week for his efforts and earned game time in his first year playing at defensive end. The Half Moon Bay offense struggled at times but ended up with 301 total yards with Moffit going 6 of 11 for 104 yards passing. The running game was led by Quosig with 80 yards on 7 carries, Hoffman with 64 yards on 14 attempts and Moffit totaling 63 yards on 10 carries. Moffit had two touchdowns passing, the first by James and Hoffman scored on a 37 yard reception weaving through tacklers for the touchdown. Up next for the Cougars is an away game next Friday night at Menlo-Atherton.

See Game Highlights here:  http://www.hudl.com/v/2FCRWG

News Clips Here:

https://abc7news.com/society/friday-night-football-and-bay-area-sports-are-back/10412876/

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/high-school-football-returns-after-year-long-hiatus/2491863/?amp

A big thank you goes out to our week 1 Community Cougar, Danny Dimas.  Danny is father to Preston "Tuna" Dimas who plays for the varsity squad and Dusty Dimas who plays for the Pop Warner Program. Danny's wife, Marina, does all of our communications.  Danny and Marina are both HMBHS Grads.  Danny has been responsible for communicating with players and families about Covid Testing and making sure all players have been tested, are negative, and have documentation of their results.  It's not a glamorous job, but one that allows us to keep our players on the field. Thank you Danny!

The Cougars would now like to congratulate their week 2 selection for Community Cougar, Becky Ruppel.  Becky has been a consistent figure in the program (and many others).  If you've seen a quality picture of a Cougar athlete, chances are Becky took it.  Becky also runs our website, does all the photography for our program, and our team pictures.  The HMB Football Program would like to thank Becky for all that she does for us. 

Final Football Wrap Up

Fans from the Coastside filled the visiting stands Saturday and witnessed a supreme effort against a talented Padres team. Nothing exemplified this better than the Cougars 23 play opening drive which used up the entire first quarter, culminating in a touchdown run by Connor Quosig. After the defense forced a quick punt, the offense went back to work capped off by another Quosig TD run and a 14-0 lead. When Serra scored a touchdown with under 30 seconds left in the second quarter, the scrappy Cougars led 14-7 at halftime.

As the warm afternoon wore on, the orange and black ultimately fell to the host Padres by a score of 42-14. Our team played with pride, grit and spirit until the clock wound down.

It was a season of many successes and firsts that led the Cougars to the Serra campus on Saturday afternoon:

The 5th time in school history undefeated in league.

A 39-7 victory to bring home The Skull against Terra Nova.  

The 3rd time in school history undefeated regular season.  

The 1st time in school history to play in Division 1 of the CCS Playoffs (The highest level of playoff competition), and the first ever football game against Serra High School. 

This team has earned their place as one of the best in Cougar history.  Thank you to everyone who helps make this program successful and allows our players to learn life lessons from this sport.  Cougar Pride Always!

Cougars take back the Skull!

The Cougars crushed the rival Tigers 39-7 in the Skull Game and brought home the vaunted trophy to Half Moon Bay. In doing so, they ruined Terra Nova’s senior night, finished off the regular season a perfect 10-0, and have earned a place in Division 1 of the CCS playoffs. The Cougars came out ready.  They scored often on offense and held Terra Nova’s offense to just 126 total yards. Quarterback William Moffit racked up over 300 combined yards and five touchdowns while Hoffman led the defense in total tackles and forced a fumble which was recovered by Conor Quosig for a ‘scoop and score’ touchdown. The defense put a stranglehold on the Tigers, not allowing them into the endzone until the final minute of the game. Senior defensive back Oz Monroy played well on defense along with linebacker Weston Henry who had five solo tackles. Cade Duncan had  a 29 yard kickoff return, he recovered an onside kick, and was a force on the defensive line. He also had a key third down reception for 23 yards. 

The Cougars have been placed in the Div I Bracket and will be playing Serra HS @ 1:00 on Sat. at Serra.  Tickets can be purchased here:  

https://hmbcougarboosters.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c97f7569a1560856e7e1bc96&id=29ebfd9711&e=f5fdf83f2d

Rocky Perry Players of the Game

Offense- QB, William Moffitt

Defense- LB, Tristan Hofmann

Special Teams- Cover Man and Kick Returner, Cade Duncan

Scout Team- RB, Jake Perkins

Cougars Thrash Carlmont 56-7

The 2019 varsity football team earned the title of undefeated league champions and an automatic playoff spot by thrashing Carlmont at Francis Field 56-7. The Cougars came out on the attack by scoring on their opening drive, passing for a two point conversion to Cade Duncan and then the defense stuffed the Scots fourth down play to set up another drive ending with a Conor Quosig touchdown run. After forcing a punt, Tristan Hofmann scored his second of three TDs in the game. Then Lorenzo Perez recovered the kick off at the Carlmont 26 yard line to set the table once again. Quarterback William Moffit ran the ball in three plays later for a 29-0 lead before the end of the first quarter. Moffit was four of four passing on the night and had three rushing touchdowns. Defensive backs Quosig, Nohea Sharp and Quinn McCauley each had an interception while Luke James also had a solid night of coverage for the Cougars, shutting down the Scots deep passing game. Jake Perkins finished the scoring with a TD run from the fullback position in the Jumbo formation. The Cougars visit Terra Nova this Friday for the Skull Game prior to entering the sectional playoffs.  The JV play at 4:00 and the Varsity at 7:00.  

Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  QB, William Moffitt

Defense: Defensive Backs:  Luke James, Connor Quosig, Nohea Sharp, and Quinn McCauley

Special Teams:  Kick Off Man, Lorenzo Perez

Scout Team:  Linebacker, Defensive Lineman, Luis Antonio

This week’s Community Cougars is the entire Seaton Family.  All of the Seaton family has given their hearts and souls to the Half Moon Bay Football Program even long after playing. From coaching, to providing team meals, and being the most legendary chain gang crew, The Seatons do it all and then some. 

Cougars Down Sequoia 42-14

The Cougars visited Sequoia High School on Friday night at Redwood City and continued their winning ways with a 42-14 victory. A solid defensive performance was delivered, most notably by Quinn McCauley who had 6 tackles and Weston Henry who amassed 8 total tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss. The offense was guided effectively by quarterback William Moffit who provided 122 yards rushing and 7 of 13 passing attempts for 102 yards. Nohea Sharp had 4 receptions for 80 yards, with 3 of those catches shocking the host Ravens for touchdowns. Connor Quosig also had a reception and a rushing touchdown to go along with two running scores by junior slot Cristian Haro to cap the scoring. Two way starter Oz Monroy played well kicking 4 PATs and kicking off 7 times.

Come out this week and support the Cougars for their Homecoming and Senior night.  The JV kick off at 4:00 and the varsity at 7:00.

Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  WR, Nohea Sharp

Defense: LB, Weston Henry

Special Teams: Kicker, Oz Monroy

Scout: Safety, Quinn McCauley

This week’s Community Cougar is Ag Teacher, Ms. Carney.  Ms. Carney, a Carlmont grad, has brought new enthusiasm to the Ag Program at Half Moon Bay High School.  When you look up on campus and see a pumpkin, be sure to thank Ms. Carney, Ms. Camozzi, and the entire Ag program. 

Cougars Crush Menlo 54-14

Friday night’s clash with visiting Menlo School turned into a record-breaking performance by running back Tristan Hofmann. He ran for 363 yards and 6 touchdowns both all-time single game rushing records at Half Moon Bay High School. Conor Quosig added 130 more yards on the ground, crushing the Knights 54-14. Things started off great for the Cougars as Oz Monroy dropped the opening kick off into an open area which was recovered by Cade Duncan. The defense completely shut down the Knights running game which lost 40 yards due to sacks and tackles for loss. Preston Dimas had two sacks and pressured the quarterback all night. This week the Cougars travel to Sequoia High School.  The JVs kick off at 4:00 and the varsity at 7:00.

Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  Running Back, Tristan Hofmann

Defense: Defensive Lineman, Preston Dimas and Safety, Quinn McCauley

Special Teams:  Kick Off Cover Man, Cade Duncan

Scout Player: Wide Receiver and Linebacker, Lorenzo Perez

This week’s Community Cougar is John Carey.  Mr. Carey teaches English and is known for his overall positive attitude and storytelling in class.  Mr. Carey, his wife Ayanna, and his little guy Duncan are big time Cougar fans. 

Cougar handle Knights 27-13

The game at Hillsdale was a battle for control of the Ocean division by two of the best teams on the Peninsula. The Cougar defense again dominated in a 27-13 victory, owning the line of scrimmage.  Combined with losses from sacking their quarterback at least five times, the Hillsdale running game resulted in negative rushing yards. Cade Duncan had three sacks and with Sam Lowings making numerous tackles they were selected as defensive players of the game. Oz Monroy added a sack and had a timely interception to erase any chances for the Knights. On offense the going was tough at times but the offensive line kept pushing and Tristan Hofmann had another 100 yard game, two touchdowns and was selected offensive player of the game. Special teams player of the game Conor Quosig had a rushing touchdown and caught a 13 yard pass on a fake punt from Hofmann to keep their first scoring drive going. William Moffit connected with Nohea Sharp on a beautiful 27 yard TD reception in the right corner of the end zone. For his efforts helping to prepare the team for the game,  junior Emilio Vasquez was named scout player of the week.

Highlights:  http://www.hudl.com/v/2C5HYA

Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  RB, Tristan Hofmann

Defense:  DL, Cade Duncan and LB, Sam Lowings

Special Teams:  Return Man, Connor Quosig

Scout: DL, Emilio Vasquez

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/sports/half-moon-bay-roars-past-hillsdale/article_00496206-ecbc-11e9-9134-ff226ad4168c.html

This week’s Community Cougars are Rachel Daly and Andrea Quosig.  Rachel and Andrea run our snack shack for all of our games and do it with a positive attitude. Rachel’s son, Tommy, played for the Cougars for four years and her daughter, Danielle is a cheerleader.  Andrea’s son, Jake, played four years for the Cougars and son, Connor, is a standout on the current team. Andrea also has a daughter, Sarah, who is a student at Cunha. 

The Cougars play the Menlo Knights this Friday at home. JV starts at 4:00 and the varsity kicks off at 7:00.

Cougars shut out San Mateo 25-0

The defense was again dominant and the offense effective in a 25-0 victory at San Mateo. The BearCats were 0 for 7 on third down attempts and stopped cold four times in the red zone. Sacks were registered by Cade Duncan and Weston Henry, and Conor Quosig had an interception on a pass disrupted by safeties Quinn McCauley and Christian Haro. QB William Moffit was a perfect 7 for 7 and added 44 yards rushing for the Cougars, while Tristan Hofmann led all rushers with 158 yards on the ground. Hofmann wasn’t done contributing though as he caught a pass for 17 yards, led the defense with 12 tackles and caused a missed field goal by pressuring the kicker in the BearCat’s backfield. Haro delivered a halfback pass to receiver Nohea Sharp for a big 32 yard gain and the two also had a good game on defense.

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/sports/local/hmb-stuffs-mateo/article_92438cf8-e731-11e9-9f27-3fb73d49ad95.html

http://www.prep2prep.com/story.aspx?ArticleID=27388

Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  #3, William Moffitt, QB

Defense:  #2, Connor Quosig, DB

Special Teams:  #13, Nohea Sharp, Cover Man

Scout Team:  #50, Weston Henry, LB

This week’s Community Cougar is science teacher Andy Brown.  Mr. Brown has quietly been a pillar at Half Moon Bay High School for many years. Aside from being an outstanding teacher and surfer, Mr. Brown was standout football player in high school.  Mr. Brown’s wife, Erin, is a teacher at Cunha and his daughters Jesse and Quin go to school in the district.  

Cougars defeat El Camino 56-0

Dynamic plays on special teams provided all the spark that was needed to overwhelm the El Camino Colts 56-0 in the first away game of the season Friday night.  The game turned into a rout early when Tristan Hofmann blocked three punts leading to a scoop and score by Luke James, another recovery for a touchdown by Nohea Sharp and yet another returned to the one yard line by Brian Voris. Hofmann started the scoring for the offense on the first offensive play from scrimmage with a 50 yard touchdown run. He also caused a fumble in the Colts backfield, recovered it and scored on a 36 yard return for a defensive touchdown. Quarterback William Moffit added another rushing touchdown, along with TD runs by Lorenzo Valadez and a long scoring run by Luke James. Sharp finished things off with a bootleg run for a score. The defense played well, keeping El Camino off the scoreboard for the second consecutive shut out.  This week the Cougars enjoy a bye week, then will take on the San Mateo Bearcats on Friday, Oct 4th @ 7:00 at San Mateo.  

Rocky Perry Players of the Game

Offense:  Slot, #4 Luke James

Defense: Defensive Lineman, #68 Bobby Lester

Special Teams: Block Man, #12 Tristan Hofmann

Scout:  Quarterback, #3 William Moffitt

Next week’s Community Cougar is science teacher, Dr. Yerby.  Dr. Yerby is one of the brightest, most caring teachers on campus.  She always goes out of her way to help students, whether it is spending extra hours tutoring or attending meetings for her students.  Dr. Yerby’s son, Ryan was a standout student-athlete at HMBHS. He is currently pitching for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her daughter, Claire, is a senior standout student-athlete in Cross Country and Track.

Cougars shut out Sacred Heart Prep 40-0

The Cougars dominated all aspects of their Friday the 13th game against the Gators of Sacred Heart Prep on Friday night at John Francis Field.  Junior Tristan Hofmann terrorized the opponent scoring four touchdowns playing running back and had a sack, multiple tackles for loss and generally strangled the SHP running game with help from his teammates. Cornerback Nohea Sharp had an interception, a 78 yard TD run and safety Christian Haro added a blocked punt and 56 yard reception to the barrage of big plays delivered by the Cougars. The offensive line led by senior center Atticus Hart opened holes for Hofmann and quarterback William Moffitt on the ground and continued grinding out first downs through all four quarters. Defensive ends Cade Duncan and Luis Antonio each had a sack while linebackers Weston Henry and Sam Lowings combined with safeties Quinn McCauley, Oz Monroy and Haro to shut down the Gators and preserve the shut out. The Cougars are now 3-0 heading into their next game at El Camino high school in South San Francisco this Friday night.

The Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  The Offensive Line

Defense:  Tristan Hofmann,  #12

Special Teams: Cristian Haro, #6

Scout Team:  Jake Perkins, #55 and Luke James, #4

This week’s Community Cougar is Half Moon Bay High School alumna and science teacher, Marsenne Kendall.  Ms. Kendall puts in countless hours at lunch and after school to help out students with their science classes.  Anyone who knows Ms. Kendall would tell you she is one of the most school spirited teachers on campus as well as one of the kindest people you will ever meet.  Thank you Ms. Kendall for what you do for Half Moon Bay High School. 

Cougars Beat Burlingame 45-26

The Cougars rolled over the visiting Burlingame Panthers 45–26 with a huge night from offensive player of the game Connor Quosig. The junior slotback started the scoring with a 60 yard touchdown reception from William Moffit. He also piled up 142 yards rushing and added another touchdown. Running back and special teams player of the game Tristan Hoffman had two offensive touchdowns and blocked an extra point. Moffit threw his touchdown pass to Hoffman and ran for another score as the Cougar ground game couldn’t be stopped.  

The Cougar defense had to slow Burlingame’s strong attack and came well prepared by running back Lorenzo Valadez who earned scout player of the week. Oz Monroy had another good game earning outstanding defensive player with six tackles. Christian Haro combined with Quosig on a tackle and forced a fumble, then returned it 16 yards to set up the offense on another scoring drive. 

This week's Community Cougar is Tom Vana. Tom is the voice of Cougar Football, the announcer for home football games. You can come out and listen to Tom this Friday as the Cougars play at home at Friday. JV at 4 and Varsity at 7.

August 30th Half Moon Bay Defeats Jefferson 38-14

The varsity football team started the 2019 season with a 38-14 win over Jefferson Friday night at Francis field. The Cougars maintained control in a contest where mistakes were made by both teams. The defense played well throughout, led by junior Tristan Hofmann with 7 tackles. On offense, sophomore QB William Moffit had a solid performance throwing and running and converted a 2 point conversion pass to sophomore Sam Lowings in his first varsity start. Hofmann led all rushers with 100 yards on 17 carries with juniors Brian Voris and Preston Dimas paving the way on the offensive line.  Senior Oz Monroy had an interception, a touchdown saving tackle and converted 4 PATs. 

Offensive Player of the Game-  QB- William Moffitt #3

Defensive Player of the Game- LB- Tristan Hofmann #12

Special Teams Player of the Game- Long/Short Snapper-Sam Lowings #46

Scout Player of the Week- Slot/DB- Cristian Haro #6

This week’s Community Cougar is band teacher, Walter Anderson.  Mr. Anderson always brings a ton of passion and enthusiasm to his classroom and the football field.  The football program would like to thank Mr. Anderson and the HMBHS Band for giving us a true Friday Night Lights experience at John Francis Field.  

Scrimmage

On Friday night the Cougars hosted a three way scrimmage with Bellarmine and Mountain View to start the 2019 varsity football season. Under the new lights, the defense started things off and played well throughout. Linebackers Weston Henry and Tristan Hofmann led the defense which had two sacks, holding the Bells to one score. Safeties Oz Monroy, Christian Haro and Quinn McCauley each broke up a pass and Mountain View also scored just once. On offense quarterback William Moffit was 10 of 13 with two passing touchdowns to Nohea Sharp and Oz Monroy. The offensive line provided good protection and paved the way for three rushing touchdowns by Hofmann, Moffit and McCauley. The Cougars finished the scoring with a touchdown pass from Hofmann to Monroy to cap a good beginning to the season. Come out for the first game this Friday night at home versus the Jefferson Grizzlies.

This week’s Community Cougar is the one and only Dr. Hees.  Dr. Hees is a dedicated math teacher on campus who puts his heart and soul into his profession.  Dr. Hees shows his support for our students by attending many Cougar sporting events. Dr. Hees also supports our students regularly at homework club in the library.  HMB Football would like to thank Dr. Hees for all he does for our students.

Cougars fall to Steele Canyon 44-42

The 2017 football season was truly memorable and record-setting for the Half Moon Bay Cougars. Winning all of the regular season games while in the PAL Bay League, beating Terra Nova for the first time as a visitor in the 2000s in the annual Skull Game, beating Terra Nova again to win the CCS Division 3 Championship, and then becoming the CIF Nor Cal Division 3-A Champions.

The Cougars headed to San Diego to compete in the CIF State 3-A Championship game against the Steele Canyon High School Cougars. In the end, Steele Canyon held on for a 44-42 win against Half Moon Bay High School, giving the Cougars their first loss of the season.

The game was originally planned to be played at Steele Canyon’s field down in San Diego. The game was moved to Southwestern College, still in San Diego but slightly more neutral. The Cougars were set for a 9 hour bus ride, and going through pre-game prep in unfamiliar territory and fashion.

The game started out rough for Half Moon Bay. After receiving the kickoff, HMB was forced to punt, and Steele Canyon scored on their first possession. On HMB’s possession after that score, Steele Canyon picked up a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, making the score 14-0 quickly.

Starting the 2nd quarter, the Cougars got their mojo back, getting a safety, when #57 Aaron Baird tackled the QB in the end zone. With that, the Cougars found their groove, scoring twice more in the 2nd quarter, one on a 5 yard rush from #26 Jake Quosig, and then on a 7 yard touchdown pass from #8 Gavin Tomberlin to #27 Hayden Von Almen. Going into halftime HMB was leading 15-14.

However, Steele Canyon came out in the 3rd quarter firing on all cylinders, scoring 3 unanswered touchdowns, taking the lead at 34-15. But, if there is one thing we all know about the HMB Cougars, is that they are always in the game and will continue to fight. The Cougars drove the ball 75 yards, capping the drive with a rushing score by #21 Chase Hofmann. Then on the ensuing kickoff, #11 Dylan Williams onsided the kick and recovered, giving the Cougars another chance to score. 10 plays later, Chase Hofmann scored his second touchdown of the day, making the score 34-28 in favor of Steele Canyon.

The 4th quarter was truly a battle, as both teams amped up their play to vye for the championship. Steele Canyon scored on a 21 yard field goal, only to have HMB follow up with a 4 yard touchdown run by Chase Hofmann, making the score 37-35. Steele Canyon then drove the length of the field and scored again, with HMB following that score with a 26 yard touchdown pass from Tomberlin to Von Almen.

With the score at 44-42 in favor of Steele Canyon, HMB came out to attempt another onside kick. Williams have the correct angle on the kick, and if the ball had 2 more yards to travel, it would have taken the perfect 2nd hop, giving the Cougars a chance to recover. Unfortunately, the Steele Canyon players were ready, and jumped on the ball before it crossed 10 yards, sealing the victory for them. The Cougars, devastated and exhausted from their effort, held their heads high as the came up short of the victory and Steele Canyon ran the clock out.

In what could be the toughest team HMB played this year, the offense still managed to rack up 479 yards in total offense, and the defense held Steele Canyon to only 38% 3rd down conversions.

A truly tough loss for the Half Moon Bay Cougars, but taking the entire season into account, it truly was a magical season that will go down in history.  Thank you all for your support all season long.

COUGARS HARNESS SUTTER HUSKIES 28-7 TO REACH DIVISION 3A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Playing in the school’s first ever CIF Football State Championship game, the Half Moon Bay Cougars kept their perfect season going strong with a solid victory over the Sutter Huskies, 28-7.

With excitement buzzing through the town, and added on to by a great visiting team contingent of fans, the stadium was completely packed. Additional grandstands where brought in to handle this capacity crowd, and Cougar fans lined the ramp and the upper standing areas. The Sutter Huskies brought a 40+ point scoring average into the game, along with a 12-1 record. However, the Cougars were ready for them. The match-up would be tough, right from the start, with gusty winds adding to the intrigue.

Half Moon Bay received the kickoff, and in their first series, pulled off a fantastic fake punt with #8 Gavin Tomberlin pitching to #11 Dylan Williams, who got just enough for a first down to keep the drive alive. Four plays later, Tomberlin threw a bullet right into the hands of a streaking #26 Jake Quosig, who outran the defenders for a 45-yard touchdown, putting the Cougars on the board first.

Half Moon Bay scored again in the 2nd quarter, capping a 65 yard drive with a 7 yard touchdown run by #21 Chase Hofmann. Sutter kept up their fast-paced offense, sprinting to the line of scrimmage and snapping the ball, but the Cougars held tight. After a great punt by Williams, #13 Sean Fitzgerald batted the ball short of the endzone, and #18 Carlos Luna downed the ball at the Huskie 1-yard line.

However, with 1 drive left before the end of the 1st half, the Huskies seemed poised to get a score, driving down to the Cougar 30 yard line. On the last play of the game, the Huskies ran a draw that looked certain to score, but yet again, Fitzgerald tackled the ball carrier at the 2 yard line, letting time expire and preserving a 14-0 lead.

The second half started off rough for both teams, as they traded fumbles on their first possessions. The Huskies 2nd possession of the game stalling out inside their own red zone, and on the punt Hayden Von Almen made a huge play, blocking the punt and giving the Cougars the ball on the Huskies 6 yard line. 2 plays later, Chase Hofmann scored his second touchdown of the game, making the score 21-0.

The Huskies were not about to give up though, taking the ball 80 yards on their next possession to score. Overcoming a great sack by #50 JoJo Weinberger, the Huskies stayed true to their strategy, running the ball 9 times and finally getting on the scoreboard.

Not to be deterred, the Cougars went to their bread & butter Jumbo formation, and slowly grinded the Huskies down. After a few back and forth possessions, the Cougars got their final score on a 3 yard run by Tomberlin, making the score 28-7 and securing the victory for the Cougars.

Here is the video recap of the game: http://www.hudl.com/v/28QcVZ

The Rocky Perry Players of the Game:
Offense:  #59 - Freshman Offensive Lineman- Preston Dimas
Defense: #12 - Freshman Linebacker- Tristan Hofmann
ST: #27 and #21- Senior Kick Blockers- Hayden Von Almen and Chase Hofmann
Scout: #2 - Freshman Slot- Connor Quosig

The week's Community Cougar is Julie Baird.  Julie is the Cougars' team mom and does it all.  There couldn't be a better person to represent as the Community Cougar in the school's first State Championship game. Thank you Julie for your years of commitment to our program. 

The Half Moon Bay Cougars will be playing in the CIF Division 3 State Championship game on Saturday, December 16th. Facing the Cougars of Steele Canyon High School, the game will played in San Diego at Steele Canyon’s field at 6PM. The Steele Canyon Cougars come into this championship game with an 11-4 record, having won their 7 games to make the finals. For more information about the upcoming championship game, make sure to come back to the HMB football team website: www.hmbfootball.org

Go Cougars!

COUGARS TEAR UP TERRA NOVA TIGERS 41-9 FOR CCS CHAMPIONSHIP

For the 3rd year in a row, the Half Moon Bay Cougars are a CCS Champion! Playing rival Terra Nova for the second time this year, the Cougars tore up the Tigers 41-9. In addition to the CCS championship, the Cougars remain undefeated for the year with their 13th win. With the win, Half Moon Bay moves on to the CIF State Championship series for the first time in school history.

The game started off with the Tigers taking the first possession. Returning for this game against the Cougars were key players for Terra Nova, specifically their running back. Taking the ball down the field 58 yards, the Cougar defense held strong and only allowed a FG. That was the last time Terra Nova would have the lead for the game.

After taking the kickoff from Terra Nova, the Cougars marched down the field, capped by a 2 yard touchdown run by #12 Tristan Hofmann. On the next possession, #8 Gavin Tomberlin threw a perfectly placed pass to #11 Dylan Williams, who went on a streak route down the field, catching the ball and outrunning the defense for a  57 yard touchdown. #26 Jake Quosig caught the next touchdown pass from Tomberlin, dashing 18 yards to bring the score to 20-3.

The Tigers were able to get down in the Cougar red zone twice more, but only coming away with 2 more field goals. Going into the last possession of the 1st half, the Cougars ran a reverse sweep with Tomberlin pitching to Williams,  who got a great downfield block from #27 Hayden Von Almen to run 77 yards for a touchdown, taking the lead to 27-9 going into the half.

The 2nd half was all Half Moon Bay, who scored two more touchdowns. #21 Chase Hofmann and Tomberlin each had a 1 yard touchdown run. Chase set up his own score with a 58 yard screen pass down inside the 10 yard line.

Overall, the offense put up 440 yards total, with 137 yards coming from #8 Gavin Tomberlin’s perfect 5 for 5 passing game, and 303 yards on the ground, led by #21 Chase Hofmann with 85 yards, #11 Dylan Williams with his one run of 77 yards, Tomberlin who had 60 yards, and #12 Tristan Hofmann with 54 yards. #9 Dom Padua and #26 Jake Quosig also ran for 9 yards and 19 yards respectively.

Defensively, the Cougars held the Tigers to 202 yards of offense, with only 29 yards rushing and 173 yards passing. Leading the team in tackles was #21 Chase Hofmann with 7 total tackles. Keeping the Tiger’s passing offense in check was a critical focus for the Cougars. The team racked up 7 sacks, 2 each by #50 JoJo Weinberger and #15 Jonathan Carrillo, along with one each from #12 Tristan Hofmann, #57 Aaron Baird, and #52 Zach Henry.

With the game in control, the Cougars went to their Jumbo package and methodically ran the clock out in the 4th quarter, solidifying the championship win. After a gatorade bath for head coach Keith Holden, the both teams gathered on the field to accept their CCS trophies, and the players gathered yet again for a team championship photo.

Here is the game video recap: http://www.hudl.com/v/28PSn0

The Rocky Perry Players of the Game:
Offense:  #12, Freshman Slot, Tristan Hofmann
Defense: #50, Senior Defensive Lineman, Jojo Weinberger
ST: #13, Senior Back-Up Kicker, Do it all man, Sean Fitzgerald
Scout: #81, Sophomore RB, Cade Duncan

The Half Moon Bay Cougars now move on to the Northern California CIF Regional Playoff series. This Saturday at 6PM, the Cougars will host the Sutter Huskies at Half Moon Bay High School for the 1st round game. The Huskies are 12-1 on the season, and have a potent offense that averages 46 points per game. Go Cougars!

This week's Community Cougar is Breen Hofmann Senior.  Senior is our most dedicated fan.  He's been a Cougar Football fan for many, many years on the Coast Side, but this year has been a special year for him having both grandchildren (Chase and Tristan) on the same team. 

Cougars crush Live Oak Acorns 52-17

For the 3rd year in a row, the Half Moon Bay Cougars are heading to the CCS Championship game, following a convincing 52-17 win over the Live Oak Acorns. Both teams entered the game ready to win, but as usual, whatever a competitor threw at the Cougars, just give Half Moon Bay some time and they always make it work.

The game started off strong for the Cougars, who scored the 20 answered points heading into the middle of the 2nd quarter. #8 Gavin Tomberlin threw a perfect screen pass to #27 Hayden Von Almen, who then weaved his way 31 yards into the endzone. #21 Chase Hofmann then had 2 rushing touchdowns, on drives that the Cougars stuck to their grinding ground attack. Defensively, the Cougars held strong against the Acorns, keeping them to only 2 drives that netted only 9 plays total.

However, the Acorns immediately came back and scored on an 80 yard touchdown pass, and began to rely heavily on the passing attack. Along with a field goal, and another 83 yard touchdown score on the 2nd play of the 2nd half, it looked like the Acorns would pull themselves back into this game, as the score stood at 23-17.

The defense began to tighten up, allowing a decent play by the Acorns here and there, but not letting them back into their red zone for the remainder of the game along with allowing only 7 more completed passes.

#8 Gavin Tomberlin ran an option play and found a seam for a 23 yard touchdown run, with #21 Chase Hofmann scoring a 2 point conversion, to bring the score to 31-17, and then the floodgates opened. Chase then ran for a 64 yard touchdown on a 4th and 1 play, #26 Jake Quosig had a 12 yard touchdown run after taking on almost all of the run plays in the drive, and #12 Tristan Hofmann had the final score of the game, taking the ball on a counter run for a 11 yard touchdown run.

Huge play upfront by the offensive line was key for the game. The Live Oak defense was not only completely selling out to stop the run, you do not get to the semifinal game without having a stout defense. “Hat on a Hat, all the way to the whistle” is what coaches want their offensive line to do on every play. #53 Ricky Camacho, #56 Gerardo Penaloza, #52 Zach Henry, #57 Aaron Baird, and #58 Kellan Royce dominated the line of scrimmage and helped keep the momentum going for the Cougars.

Here is the video recap: http://www.hudl.com/v/28N2iJ

The Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  The entire offense

Defense: #27, Senior Safety, Hayden Von Almen

ST: #11, Senior Kicker, Dylan Williams

Scout: #56, Senior Lineman, Gerardo Penaloza

This week's Community Cougars are the previous CCS Champions (teams of 2005, 2015, and 2016). Thank you for laying the foundation of success and thank you for your constant support.
 

For the 2017 CCS Division 3 Open Championship game, the Cougars will again face their biggest rival, the Terra Nova Tigers. Having just faced each other 4 weeks ago for the annual Skull Game, where the Cougars won 45-7, this should prove to be a great match-up though. The Tigers were the last team to beat the Cougars, happening in the 2016 season in the Skull Game. The game Time and Location is still to be determined, so make sure to check the HMB Football website (hmbfootball.org) to see where and when this game will take place. Go Cougars!

Cougars claw Burlingame Panthers 38-20

For the second time this season, the Half Moon Bay Cougars faced off against the Burlingame Panthers.  Yet again, the Cougars beat the Panthers 38-20 in a hard fought game to advance to the CCS Division III Semi-Finals.

The Panthers brought their bruising rushing attack (222 yards for HMB, and 224 yards for Burlingame), but the Cougar defense bent but did not break, and the offense kept pace on the ground and relied on the precision passing attack to keep momentum going.

#8 Gavin Tomberlin had one of his best games of the year, which helped make the difference for the Cougars. Completing 72% of his passes for 178 yards, he tossed 3 touchdowns, one each to #27 Hayden Von Almen, #11 Dylan Williams, and #26 Jake Quosig. In addition, Gavin rushed for 74 yards on 11 carries, with a 37 yard carry that lead to a rushing TD by #9 Dom Padua.

#21 Chase Hofmann was the bruiser for the game, rushing for 65 yards and 1 TD, mostly right up the middle, thanks to the heavy blocking by #53 Ricky Camacho #57 Arron Baird #52 Zach Henry, #56 Gerardo Penaloza, and #58 Kellan Royce.

Defensively, the Cougars had their work cut out for them. The Panthers rely heavily on their running game, with 2 running backs that are fantastic and have a great downfield running style that is hard to stop. However, when they needed a stop, the Cougar defense came through. #12 Tristan Hofmann lead the team with 7 total tackles and 2 sacks while flying around the field laying out some fantastic hits on the Panthers. #58 Kellen Royce had 8 total tackles and 1 sack, and was consistently getting pressure up the middle to stifle the Panther running game.

Even with the Panthers coming out in the 2nd half with a 60 yard touchdown run on the first play of the game, and then scoring again on their next drive to make the score 21-20, the Cougars continued to play their smash mouth style of football and rolled up 2 more touchdowns, plus a field goal from #11 Dylan Williams, giving the Cougars a solid 2nd victory against Burlingame for the year, and moving on to their next CCS game.

Here is the game video recap: http://www.hudl.com/v/28LcVW

The Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense:  #8 Senior QB- Gavin Tomberlin
Defense: #58 Junior DL- Kellan Royce
ST: #21 Senior Kick Blocker- Chase Hofmann
Scout: #2 Freshman Slot/DB- Connor Quosig
 
This week’s Community Cougar is a regular in our Community Cougar rotation, Becky Ruppel.  Becky is one of the team photographers who takes amazing photos of our players. Becky supports HMB Football as well as many other community organizations and events in our community.  Thank you Becky for your loyalty to our players, high school and town.

Next up for the Cougars is their 2nd round CCS game against the Live Oak Acorns from Morgan Hill. Live Oak beat Sacred Heart Cathedral 28-21, and will come to HMB for the game with a record of 7-4 on the year. The game will kick off at 7PM on Friday November 24th. Go Cougars!

COUGARS DROWN SACRED HEART GATORS 40-26

With a perfect 10-0 regular season record on the line, along with facing an opponent that was fighting for their inclusion in CCS, the Half Moon Bay Cougars overcame a slow start and beat the Sacred Heart Prep Gators by a score of 40-26.

The game was originally scheduled for mid-October, but because of the poor air quality stemming from the devastating fires in Santa Rosa, all high school games were postponed till this week. This was also the first day game for the Cougars this year, which seemed to set the team in slow mode as the game kicked off.

The Gators took the opening kickoff, and then proceeded to march 80 yards down the field in 12 plays, capping the drive with a 38 yard touchdown pass. Even with #21 Chase Hofmann laying out and blocking the extra point kick, the Cougars could not get anything going, with a score of 6-0 heading into the 2nd quarter.

However, the Cougars finally got some momentum going when the Gators fumbled a punt return, and #12 Tristan Hofmann fell on it to give the Cougars a second chance on the possession and great field position. 3 plays later, Chase Hofmann pushed his way in from 1 yard out to put the Cougars on the scoreboard.

The Gators were completely selling out to stop the Cougar’s rushing attack, which meant that #8 Gavin Tomberlin would be leaned on to get the ball down the field. On the next possession, #11 Dylan Williams had single coverage, running a sprint pattern to the end-zone, where a perfectly placed pass by Tomberlin hit him for a 23 yard touchdown catch. In all, #8 Gavin Tomberlin had 3 touchdown passes on the day, including 2 more to #27 Hayden Von Almen, and has a 74% completion ratio with 199 yards of passing.

One of the key players of the game was #26 Jake Quosig, who not only had 90 yards of total offense (71 yards receiving plus 19 yards of rushing), but had some fantastic tackles (ending up with 5 total on the day) during the game which stopped Sacred Heart Prep during some key drives. #15 Johnny Carrillo stepped in as the dive back for the game, carrying most of the running load on the day with 13 carries for 41 yards, taking some serious hits from the Gator defense but continuing to push forward every play.

One of the most overlooked parts of a game is the kicking game. The Cougars have one, if not the best, kickers in the nation in #11 Dylan Williams. Field position is one of the critical aspects of a game, and with Dylan consistently setting up teams at their own 20 to start drives with his booming kickoffs, opponents have that much more work to score. He also had two field goals on the day, giving him 8 on the year.

As the 2nd half went on, the Gators kept clawing back trying to match the pace of Half Moon Bay, but could not. In addition to Hayden Von Almen’s second TD catch, the Cougars recovered an onside kick and then drove 40 yards down the field, finishing with a 2 yard TD run by Chase Hofmann. Sacred Heart Prep kept relying on their passing game, but once again, #13 Sean Fitzgerald intercepted a pass with a dazzling display of athleticism. You’d think by now teams would not throw at him late in the game, but Sean got his 5th interception on the year and ending the Gator’s chance to score, setting the final score at 40-26.

Here is this week’s game video recap: http://www.hudl.com/v/28JKL2

The Rocky Perry Players of the Game:

Offense: #8 Senior QB- Gavin Tomberlin
Defense: #21 Senior DB - Chase Hofmann and #9 Senior DB- Dom Padua
ST: #11 Senior Kicker/Punter/Return Man- Dylan Williams
Scout: #26 Senior Slot and DB- Jake Quosig