Saugus and Valencia also fall in first round of CIF playoffs; All Foothill League teams eliminated
Following an emotional defeat to the Valencia Vikings in last week’s Foothill League title-decider, the Hart Hawks and coach Jake Goossen-Brown looked toward the playoffs to right their season.
But after a 35-14 loss to the Quartz Hill Royals in the first round of the Division 4 playoffs, the Hawks were eliminated and their season ended Friday night.
“This one’s tough because of this senior class … they’re a great group of kids and I came on campus at the end of their freshman year and they bought into what I was trying to do,” Goossen-Brown said afterward. “They helped create this regenerated culture of Hart football and I’m so grateful for them and the hard work.”
Friday’s first-round matchup against the Quartz Hill Royals was an opportunity for the team to begin the new phase of the season 1-0 after last week’s defeat to Valencia in the Foothill League championship.
And in Friday’s first-round playoff game, although the Hawks lost by multiple scores, Hart’s defense brought the energy in the first quarter and looked like a team with a point to prove.
In Quartz Hill’s opening drive, Michael Toner picked off quarterback Deshawn Laporte’s deep pass that erupted Hart’s sideline.
The momentum from Toner’s interception helped the Hawks move the ball downfield on offense.
On fourth and long on the Royals’ 30-yard line, the Hawks attempted the covert the first down with a deep pass play that resulted in Camren Ketner finding Silas Tucker for a 27-yard connection.
With the fresh set of downs, the Hawks punched the ball in with Matix Frithsmith scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run and took a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.
Despite the momentum and lead, the Quartz Hill Royals rallied and tied the game on the following drive with junior running back Kemir Smith scoring on a rushing touchdown.
The Royals scored again late in the second half with Deshawn Laporte scoring a rushing touchdown to take a 14-7 lead.
In the second half, Laporte added two more rushing touchdowns to his stat sheet and ran up the score for his Royals.
Laporte, who held collegiate offers from Division 1 schools and ultimately committed to Delaware State, was a gamechanger in Friday’s loss, according to Goossen-Brown.
“He’s a phenomenal athlete and we knew that going into this game,” Goossen-Brown said. “He’s a good player and it’s hard to overcome mistakes against guys like him.”
Laporte ended with three rushing touchdowns.
As for Hart’s offense, the Hawks were limited to just 14 points offensively, with Frithsmith scoring two touchdowns, including one late in the final minutes of the game.
The end of Hart’s season also means the end of Frithsmith’s high school football career.
Frithsmith ended the season as the Foothill League’s leading player in total touchdowns and rushing yards. And after the game, Goossen-Brown spoke on his senior running back’s work ethic and leadership that he hopes underclassmen can emulate in future seasons.
“I think a lot of people look up to him, you know, and everybody talks about him, but it’s not just what he does on the field. It’s all that other stuff,” Goossen-Brown said. “He was training all off season. He’d come in at different times to not counteract his baseball schedule … hopefully people see that talent plus hard work can lead to becoming a phenomenal player and Matix Frithsmith was a game changer for our program.”
With the loss, the Hawks’ season came to an end and tallied their third loss of the year. The Hawks ended the season 8-3.
Saugus, Valencia also eliminated
Also on the road in the first round of the playoffs were Saugus and Valencia. Both teams were eliminated: Saugus by a 35-11 score to Citrus Valley, and Valencia, the Foothill League champion, by a score of 42-28 to La Serna.
With the losses, all Foothill League teams have been eliminated from the CIF playoffs.
Photos below from Hart’s loss to Quartz Hill:
