Before the Game: Egg Bowl Preview
by Maya Walter (she/her)
The east and west sides are once more preparing for the Egg Bowl, the classic clash between Petaluma and Casa Grande football.
This year’s Egg Bowl is set for Oct. 29 at Casa Grande. As of Oct. 14, the varsity Trojans have a winning record of 5-1, including an impressive victory over Vintage and one rough loss against Analy. This year, Petaluma’s senior-heavy varsity team fields only 30 players.
“On a team of 30 guys, you have to rely on everyone. There’s no one that’s a bench player, there’s no one that’s a third string player,” said senior quarterback Henry Ellis. “But, I think especially this year, we have a strong group of senior leaders, myself included. I know people can rely on me, but I think I have an amazing receiver, Dawson Shaw, and running back, Silas [Pologeorgis].”
Ellis was injured in the second game of the season, against Santa Rosa, and unfortunately re-injured the same shoulder again in their fourth, against Maria Carillo. However, he remains optimistic about Petaluma’s chances against Casa this year. “I feel one hundred percent confident,” Ellis said. "I mean, we started off the year super strong. If we can keep guys healthy, I don’t think there’s a team around us that we can’t beat.”
The team is quite disciplined and has a strong offensive line; everyone is very focused on winning this season. More importantly, many of these players have been playing together for years, and they have great chemistry.
“We’re all pretty fun. It’s kind of like a group of brothers fighting for the same goal,” junior offensive lineman Jed Anezil said.
In the end, like any rivalry game, the Egg Bowl will come down to who plays the best, who is the most aggressive and who has the most heart.