The crowd went wild during the very last minutes of the varsity football home game on Friday night, with the score still tied, 21-21, between the Colonials and the James Madison High School Warhawks. With two minutes and one second remaining on the clock, senior Ben Carniol scored a 35-yard field goal that ended up giving Jefferson its first win over Madison in school history.

Prior to first quarter, the game seemed a clear win in Madison’s favor, having scored 14 points while the Colonials had yet to score anything. By halftime, Madison had three touchdowns and extra points under their belt, while the Colonials had scored one, making the score 21-7 in Jefferson’s favor.

“We knew it would be tough from the get-go, but we also knew we were fully capable of pulling off the win,” senior Tim Zhong said.

In the latter half of the third quarter, senior Nathan Kim scored two touchdowns, including a 76-yard run, with Carniol converting both extra points. Going into the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 21-21.

“Nathan’s pick six really changed the momentum of the whole game,” junior Kayleigh Vance said. “Ben really stepped up when he needed to and had a key fumble recovery and field goal.”

The game was themed as a “Pink-Out” to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The stadium and bleachers were decorated with pink balloons, while varsity cheerleaders held pink and white pom-poms.

“The win kept the team’s playoff hopes alive, and they need everyone’s support if they want a repeat appearance,” Vance said.

The victory now gives Jefferson an overall season record of 4-3. The Colonials travel to Langley High School next week to take on the Saxons, and the last home game will be against the McLean High School Highlanders on Nov. 1.

“After we won, everyone was so excited, and it felt like a dream to me,” Zhong said. “We’re looking forward to a nice finish to our season, and possibly the playoffs afterwards.”