Titans go to California to get a victory, have some fun
We asked the Union football program if one of the players would be willing to jot down a few notes from the the team’s trip to California last week. Here is the perspective from senior Tumua Sosene:
Day 1, Sept 6: At 6 a.m., we left on a long, tiring, hot bus ride. This was a 17-hour drive because we had to detour due to the Shasta fires, and we did not arrive (to Berkeley) until after 11 p.m. We did try to make the best of the bus ride. Many of us slept and most of us had our earbuds in. Lots of stories, team bonding, and maybe a few practical jokes.
(The Titans were scheduled to arrive in plenty of time to have dinner with their opponents from El Cerrito High School. That was scratched due to the extended trip.)
Day 2, Sept. 7: This was game day. The day that everyone was excited about. The reason for coming to California. This was the time for us to show what being a Union Titan was all about. We had a great team breakfast, went to a team movie and ate lunch in downtown Berkeley, and then shared a pre-game meal together. The game got started a little late as they forgot to get refs, but at 9 p.m. we finally kicked off. We had a few bumps in the road during the game, but in the fourth quarter we flipped the switch and won 34-29. Exciting night!
(For the record, the Titans watched “The Meg,” a shark movie. Not exactly a sports inspiring movie, but it did the trick. Union and El Cerrito exchanged the lead four times in the fourth quarter before Darien Chase won the game for Union with a kickoff return with 29 seconds left in the game. And yes, game officials in the Bay Area were not in the stadium at the scheduled kickoff time. But after going that far, Union coach Rory Rosenbach said there was no way the Titans were going home without playing.)
Day 3, Sept. 8: This was the fun day! Especially a day after winning. We packed up and left our rooms. After we headed down to the water for a picture by the Bay, we drove to UC Davis where they hosted us for their game. We got to go on the field pre-game and watched them warm up, then sat together and watched Davis win 54-21. It was a really nice stadium with a bunch of food options to choose from such as pizza, pulled pork, tri tip, popcorn, and etc. We really enjoyed the game, and had a lot of fun with the football team.
(UC Davis played the University of San Diego. The Titans were guests of the UC Davis program.)
Day 4, Sept. 9: Time to get back on the bus and head home. This is going to be another long ride home. Finally pulled into The U at 10 p.m. after a 12-hour drive. This was an amazing experience to be a part of. We grew as a family through all the trials and tribulations. I really loved everything about this trip, and I hope that I can be part of something like this again.
Darien Chase returned this kickoff for a touchdown Friday night with 29 seconds left in the game, giving Union the win in California. @chasedariem @UniontitanFB @UnionFBBoosters pic.twitter.com/dhVFu6DNh9
— Paul Valencia (@ValenciaCCT) September 8, 2018
