The Thursday night lights shined this week as Carlsbad took on the El Camino Wildcats, beating the team 35-7 in a pre-Halloween match. Other than simply improving their record, Thursday was also an emotional win for the Lancers, as it was Senior Night and the last home game of the regular season.

Before the game each senior from the band, dance, cheer and football teams was recognized as they stood hand-in-hand with their families, receiving flowers and warm cheers from the crowd. As the season comes to a close, Thursday could be the last time many of them step onto that field. With that in mind, the Lancers were determined to make one last statement.

The Lancers started off strong on defense, holding the wildcats at their own 15 yard line. Then, with their first possession of the game, the Lancers quickly moved down the field for a touchdown with 2:14 left in the first quarter.

“We played hard, played physical and really limited our mistakes. Defense balled out and offense put points on the board, that’s how you win” senior Garrison Young said.

Before El Camino could get settled, senior Dylan Rutledge ran 75 yards for another touchdown early in the second quarter.

The Lancers kept at it with another huge play, a long reception from senior Chris Spiering, to place the Lancers on the 5 yard line. El Camino countered with relentless defense, but couldn’t stop Rutledge from breaking through on 4th down, making the score 21-0 Carlsbad going into halftime.

Carlsbad’s offensive dominance continued into the third quarter with two more touchdowns, bringing Rutledge’s total to three for the night and putting the Lancers up by a solid 35 points.

“The boys did a great job; their hard work really came out tonight” Coach MacNeal said. “We got jumped on early, made some big plays and got on the scoreboard quickly.”

The fourth quarter brought an end to the shut-out with the Wildcats scoring in the final 3 minutes of the game to bring the final score to 35-7, Lancers.

With another strong win at home, the Lancers place themselves among the top teams in the area and are predicted to move up from division one to open division for the post-season. This year, playoffs seating and division will be determined by a holistic power-ranking, which factors in not only number of wins, but also difficulty of opponent.

The Lancers hope to continue their winning record next week on the road against Ramona, securing themselves a position in the open division. However, playoffs were the last thing on the mind of many of the seniors, who relished in this final victory on their home field.

“It feels amazing” Spiering said. “I love my team and I love what we’ve been doing all year. We knew we would win and I’m just so proud of my team.”