On September twenty-third, the San Francisco 49ers hosted their annual high school double-header at Levi’s Stadium. This year, the Chargers were welcomed back for the third time to participate in the fourth installment of the tradition. The Wilcox Chargers played the Los Altos Eagles in the first game of the day. Both schools came from the Santa Clara Valley Athletic De Anza League, meaning the teams had faced each other before. In the end, the game was a quick and easy match for the Chargers, who won forty-nine to eleven.

On September twenty-third, the San Francisco 49ers hosted their annual high school double-header at Levi’s Stadium. This year, the Chargers were welcomed back for the third time to participate in the fourth installment of the tradition. The Wilcox Chargers played the Los Altos Eagles in the first game of the day. Both schools came from the Santa Clara Valley Athletic De Anza League, meaning the teams had faced each other before. In the end, the game was a quick and easy match for the Chargers, who won forty-nine to eleven.

Los Altos scored the first three points of the game, but the Chargers quickly took back the lead with a touchdown by senior quarterback David Hernandez with about four minutes left in the first quarter. In fact, Hernandez— who currently has the most total points in the De Anza league—dominated the game with a total of three touchdowns for the Chargers. Charger running back Gabe Herrera had the second most points of the night with a total of two touchdowns, while teammates A. Bernardino and Devin Baddo also scored a touchdown each for the Chargers. Wilcox sopho

more Paul Rosa and  Wilcox senior K. Colaiacova also accumulated a lot of points for the Chargers, with four points and three points respectively, by a combination of extra points and field goals.

Even though the team’s amazing effort and skill made for an exciting game, the sweltering heat and unbearable sun rays made the match difficult to watch in the first half. It took until about the third quarter for the sun to finally disappear behind the giant silhouette of the Levi’s stadium. However, the student section wouldn’t let the extreme weather halt their voices, and they continued to cheer for their peers throughout the entire game. The Chargers never let a little bit of heat get in their way. They powered through the temperature on and off the football field.

This time around, the 49er High School Football Series was presented by Foster Farms. According to the official Levi’s Stadium website, this festive event is hosted every year to get youths engaged in athletic activities, such as sporting events, as well as to provide students with the “opportunity to expire football through a multitude of diverse programs.” The 49ers also hold these types of programs in order to create a chance for leaders to emerge on and off the field.

Although it is the Charger’s third time in 49er territory, the Levi’s game never seems to lose its magic, and it continues to inspire the aspiring football players who are lucky enough to set foot on the 49er field. In a recent interview, Wilcox senior Brandon Washington recalled the experience fondly, “There are players who dream of playing on that field in the future and even players who have never been in the stadium; they were all able to play. This opportunity is truly once in a lifetime.”