Coronado's football program picked up a road victory over Harrison on Friday, pulling away in the final two quarters to secure a 20-7 final on the Panthers' home field.
Trailing by a single point at the break, coach Rob Leboeuf delivered a halftime message built around the goldfish — an animal said to have no memory — urging his players to release their mistakes and focus entirely on the next play. Senior Antonio Terrones credited that mental reset, saying the team had been overthinking things and that committing to a physical, aggressive style was what allowed them to start making plays.
Harrison drew first blood early in the opening quarter, when wide receiver Dominic Atilano broke loose on a 20-yard scoring run to put the Panthers ahead 7-0. Coronado answered in the second quarter with a short touchdown run by senior Hank Kelley from five yards out, set up by a personal foul call against Harrison. The half ended with a Cougar interception killing Harrison's final drive, though Coronado failed to convert it into points, sending the teams to the locker room with the Panthers ahead 7-6.
Coronado came out of the break looking for a fight, and Terrones turned a fumble recovery into an 80-yard touchdown to flip the scoreboard in the Cougars' favor at 12-7; a converted two-point attempt then pushed the lead to 14-7 and quieted the crowd. Atilano recorded an interception on third down as the third quarter wound down, though Harrison's ensuing possession stalled when the ball came loose inside the Coronado 20. Yet another Panther turnover late in the fourth opened the door for Samuel Kelley to find the end zone, locking in the final margin of 20-7.
The Cougars are operating this season without their marquee returning player from a year ago, yet senior quarterback Billy Ratican has stepped forward and steadied the offense in that absence. Leboeuf praised Ratican's growth, calling him a patient, well-prepared signal caller who reads defenses well and brings strong leadership to practice each day. The 2-1 record represents meaningful progress for a squad that carries only two starters over from last season's playoff run.
Harrison fell to 0-3, with repeated turnovers on Friday compounding the team's ongoing struggle to reach its first victory of the year. Leboeuf acknowledged his team still has room to grow but viewed the outcome as instructive, saying the Cougars "didn't let circumstances impact our approach" and that competing against what he described as "a gritty, tough, never-say-die Harrison team" made for a valuable learning experience.
How quickly Coronado's rebuilt roster continues to mature — and whether Harrison can halt its early-season skid — are the storylines to track as both programs move deeper into the fall schedule.