(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

Down 21-0 two-thirds of the way through the first quarter of Friday night’s homecoming game, West Seattle High School‘s varsity football team refused to give up.

Led by quarterback Anthony Coats (#8, above), who threw and threw and threw – and ran, too – the WSHS players battled back to a 21-all tie with visiting Nathan Hale before the second quarter was half over.

(#3, Leland Gropper)

After that, though, Hale managed to pile up another 20 unanswered points before halftime – and it was 41-21 at the half.

(WSHS head coach Marcis Fennell)

Neither team added points in the third quarter. In the fourth, the Wildcats got into comeback mode again, and made up half the gap with a field goal and TD – but that’s as far as they got, and the final score was 41-31.

Also at Southwest Athletic Complex: At halftime, the WSHS Marching Band put on a show:

Besides the full band, directed by Ethan Thomas, the drumline entertained, too:

Lots of pink on the field, because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

And though the weather was the worst it had been for a game night so far this year – windy and drizzly – the fans kept the energy level up too:

This was also the last home game of the year for the Wildcats, who are 0-6 so far the season. Next Friday (October 13th), they play in Renton, at Liberty High School, 7 pm.