On Saturday, the California School for the Deaf football team competed in its first-ever state championship. Unfortunately for the Riverside Cubs, they came up short of their ultimate goal in a 74-22 loss to Faith Baptist in the state title game.
The California School for the Deaf won their semifinal game earlier this month when they defeated Avalon High School 62-51. In doing so, the Cubs became the first team in the school’s 70-year history to make it to the state championship game.
Faith Baptist scored 28 unanswered points to start off the game, but the California School for the Deaf did answer with 22 points of its own in the second quarter. However, Faith Baptist then put the game out of reach as they scored 22 points and took a commanding 50-22 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Every one of the school’s players and coaches are completely deaf and face off against hearing teams. The California School for the Deaf had lost every single game for seven consecutive seasons prior to the 2021 campaign.
“It feels overwhelming,” Cubs head coach Keith Adams told NBC Los Angeles. “It’s been nonstop, getting messages, you know, congratulations and well-wishes. My email is blowing up. I’ve had some NFL head coaches — the Tennessee Titans have sent me congratulations. It’s just been amazing.”
After several losing seasons, the Cubs put together a season in which they averaged a staggering 65.6 points-per-game. This was truly a season that no one affiliated with the school will ever forget regardless of the final game’s outcome.
