The Vashon Pirates football team got its first victory of the season last Friday night in a nailbiter of a win over Chimacum, and a final score of 22-13. At the end of the game, a delighted crowd of students took to the field to congratulate their team.

The Pirates were ahead the entire game, coming out of the gate strong. Senior Xavier Delgado-Williams set the tone early on with a touchdown run in the first quarter. He went on to be a dominant force throughout the game, scoring all three of the Pirates’ touchdowns.

In the first quarter, Vashon dominated. Of note was a long pass to senior Will Hennessey on a fourth down and the Pirates’ first touchdown, by Delgado-Williams, which followed closely. At the end of the first quarter, the Pirates were ahead of their competition for the first time this season, 6-0.

The second quarter brought more of the same, with Delgado-Williams continuing to run repeatedly and making another touchdown, putting the score to 12. The Pirates drove down the field and finished it off with a pass to senior Sol Dehnert. It was just shy of another touchdown though.

One of the standouts of the first half was junior Jack Cunningham, who has become an unstoppable force on defense for the Pirates. Joining him in tackling the Chimacum team throughout the night were Dehnert, Hennessey, Ryan Nelson and Moses Kilpatrick, among others.

The Cowboys got a touchdown in the third quarter, tightening up the score 12-7. The Pirates fumbled the ball with five minutes left, and things started looking a little shakey due to an array of penalties. But they hung in there, made a field goal, and went to half-time still ahead, 15-7.

Half-time included all of the standard Homecoming fun, including the crowning of the king and queen — Elliot Eades and Paisley Lieske — a cheer routine, competition between grades and more.

Highlights of the third quarter included a sack of the Chimacum quarterback by Ryan Nelson and another great catch from Dehnert. And Cunningham continued to rack up tackles, along with Kilpatrick.

In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys scored a touchdown, leaving the score a snug 15-13. However, they attempted a two-point conversion and were stopped by sophomore Martin Ellison, saving the Pirates from the tie. The game took on a tense edge as the crowd continued to hope for their first win of the season.

The Cowboys started moving up the field, and things were looking scary. They made a long pass attempt, and Dehnert jumped up in the air and stopped it. So the Pirates took possession with just a couple of minutes left in the game. But Delgado-Williams did it again, making a long run for his third touchdown of the night, and making the score 22-13.

The Cowboys took possession one more time with a little over a minute left in the game and started slowly moving up the field. However, Pirate senior Will Hennessey burst through the line and sacked the quarterback on their fourth down, bringing an end to Chimacum’s hopes.

The Pirates held on and ran down the clock. And the student body ran out onto the field to congratulate the team for the win (with the band playing, of course).

Delgado-Williams’s three-touchdown night was a highlight that will not soon be forgotten, as was the first win of the season for this team that never gave up. In addition to individual highlights, the young freshman quarterback, Will Godwin, had a chance to show what he can do under pressure in a tight game. It was a true achievement for Godwin after a long season of tough games. In addition, the offensive line did a fantastic job protecting Godwin.

The Pirates have just two games left, both at home. This Friday they play Raymond at home with an early start at 6 p.m. Then on Nov. 2, it is the final game of the season at home, when the Pirates take on tough Charles Wright for Senior Night.

— Lauri Hennessey is the mother of a Pirate football player.