Wolves Football wins solo league title for first time in eight years

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American Canyon Wolves football team gathered on the field — American Canyon Wolves Football team with the league banner after Saturday’s 22-13 win on Saturday, Nov. 8. *Shotss Media photo @kshotss_ photo*

The American Canyon High School Varsity Wolves came away from Saturday’s contest at Redwood High School in Larkspur as the lone Vine Valley League title holder after a hard-fought victory over the Giants. It’s the first league title the football team has earned since 2017 when the team went 4-0 in the Solano County Athletic Conference.

After a few special team’s missteps led to a 7-0 lead for the Giants, the Wolves put together a pair of long drives resulting in touchdowns. Marcus-Jasiri Hughes, #23, kick-started the first of those drives with a couple of carries for over 10 yards each, breaking tackles and sparking life in the Wolves’ offense. Hughes would eventually put the team on the board with a touchdown run shortly into the second quarter.

Isaac Anderson, #10, capped off the second drive with a touchdown, and a 2-point conversion from Hughes extended the Wolves lead to 8. On the defensive side, Anderson came up with a drive-ending interception that was nearly returned for a touchdown to close out the half.

It was a defensive battle most of the second half, with the Wolves and Giants finding the end zone one time each. Throughout the game, the Wolves defense recorded five tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Combined with an offense that doesn’t turn the ball over often, the Wolves sit at a +15 turnover differential on the season.

The Wolves’ defense came in clutch at the end of the game when team captains, #9 Evan Emmons and #51 Caden James, combined for a sack on 4th and 15 to get the ball back. The Wolves would hold the ball and their 9-point lead to win the game, 22-13.

With a dominant performance throughout league play, the Wolves clinched home field advantage in the North Coast Section Division 2 Quarterfinal against the California High School Grizzlies from San Ramon.

The Grizzlies will come into the contest 7-3, starting 7-0 before losing the last three games. Coming from a tough league with De La Salle who ranks 17 in the nation, the team is truly battle-hardened against many of the top schools in Northern California.

Wolves’ Head Coach Marcellus Holmes is looking forward to making his playoff debut as a varsity head coach and believes in his team’s ability to face adversity, stating: “This is big. I think our guys are battle-tested and were good for this, so it doesn’t shock me. I think we’re prepared. I think we’ve got a great shot to win it all.”

The game is set to take place at Wolf Den Stadium in American Canyon on Friday, Nov. 14, with kickoff at 7 p.m.