At the annual bell game, varsity football crushed rival team Fremont Firebirds 40-0 last Friday, marking the season’s end with a spirited note.

Not long into the first quarter, tight end and outside linebacker, junior David Robu gained possession of the ball and rushed down the field, scoring the first touchdown of the game. After a few more exchanges, the quarter ended with a score of 7-0.

The second quarter began with the Firebirds in possession of the ball. Struggling to make it past the Mustangs’ strong defensive line, their run ended uneventfully. After a smooth 30-yard pass from quarterback, senior Carson Chang, Robu ran the ball to the endzone for yet another touchdown.

In the last few minutes of the quarter, the Mustangs scored a safety, and the teams headed into halftime with a score of 16-0. 

During the break, the Mustangs made a couple adjustments to the plays they wanted to run for the second half of the game, coach Shawn Hook said.

“We went into our diamond formation that we put in this last week, and we didn’t think that they had an answer to it,” Hook said. “It shows that we just kind of out-schemed them on the corners.”

Heading into the third quarter, Drew Hamburger intercepted the ball and sprinted down the field for a touchdown. Kicker and punter, junior Omri Pnini followed up with a field goal, leaving the score at 26-0.

Despite missing a field goal in the first half, Pnini said learning from his mistake helped him stay focused later in the game.

“Sometimes we lose momentum on a play where the other team gains yards on us or something happens, but the most important thing is keeping our heads up even when we make a bad play,” Pnini said. “I missed a field goal in the first half, but I didn’t let that affect me. I went out there and made the second one.”

In the final quarter, spirits were high among the Mustang crowd. Upon intercepting the ball at 45 yards, free safety, senior Drew Hamburger dashed into the end zone, further widening the score gap. With a few minutes left on the clock, Robu made one last 10-yard run for a touchdown, with two Firebirds trailing behind.

The clock’s final seconds ticked down, and when it hit all zeroes, the game ended 40-0. For many players, this was their last game, and the victory held great emotional significance, Robu said. 

“When the game ended, I was flooded with a bunch of emotions,” Robu said. “Sadness because my friends, my seniors, were leaving. But I was also very happy just because of the score, and then after the game, getting to ring the bell and doing stuff like that, it was great.”

Not waiting long, the Mustangs ecstatically dumped Gatorade coolers on their coaches and flooded the field to congratulate fellow teammates. After two years, the bell returned to HHS, ringing loudly among cheers and laughs.