With a score of 26-21, the Cupertino Pioneers, led by head coach Chris Oswald, beat the Fremont Firebirds.
Jayden Hall (#12) helped lead the Pioneers to victory through some big offensive plays against the Firebirds. Hall is a junior who plays quarterback, and he finished off the night 12-23 with 262 yards and three touchdowns.
Hall started his football journey at the early age of five years old. He grew up in Sunnyvale, and his entire family played football. Since his mom did not want him to play pop warner, he started playing flag football at his school and at parks. At first, he played wide receiver and then switched over to quarterback after a few games. Having an opportunity to get the ball and constantly impact the game made Hall fall in love with the position.
Once freshmen year came around, Hall switched over to tackle football. The biggest adjustment for him was the mobility in his arms. However, practicing with shoulder pads allowed him to get more comfortable with throwing. He takes pride in his ability to extend plays with his legs, and he did a great job of making plays for his team on Friday night.
The most memorable play for Hall was his 69-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Harry Singh. With 1:34 left in the 2nd quarter, Hall hit Harry on a corner route, and this touchdown gave the Pioneers momentum going into halftime.
Not only did he make plays on offense, but he also made a big play on defense. In the fourth quarter, coach Oswald asked Jayden, "Do you want to play some football?" Jayden was ready to go, and the coach decided to put him in at free safety where he could bracket one of their top receivers. With one minute left in the game, Jayden intercepted a pass to secure the Pioneer victory.
As the school of this week's recipient of the 49ers PREP High School Player of the Week presented by U.S. Bank, Cupertino High School will receive a grant from the 49ers Foundation to put towards its football program.
Congratulations, Jayden!
