Following a disappointing 3-7 season in 2024, the Analy High School team bounced back with a fantastic 6-4 regular season, and a playoff berth against back-to-back state champions, St Vincent De Paul College Prep.
Analy’s team had high hopes coming into the 2025 season. With a roster of many standout seniors, the Tigers got rolling immediately during Spring Training. With practices beginning as early as June, the team was ready to show off their skills at some events, including Own the Line Summer Lineman Camp, where 8 of our Tiger lineman showed up to compete, and Senior Center/Defensive Line Orion Green would end up being named MVP of the event. The Tigers competed in a couple of passing tournaments against other teams as well. At these events, the Tigers showed up and fought. They competed well, but it was clear that there was still room to improve as summer practices ended, and the season was soon to start.. A couple weeks before the first game kicked off, the Tigers went to represent Analy at a 4-team scrimmage at San Rafael High School. There, though no scores were kept, the fight put up by the squad showed that this season was not going to be a repeat of the year prior, and the Tigers were going to go far.
Week 1 of the regular season was one of the Tigers hardest matchups of the season. They were set to play the Windsor High School Jaguars, away, in their territory. In the 2024 season, the Tigers and Jaguars faced off Week 1 as well, with the Tigers losing a hardfought game 48-7. This year, the Tigers were determined to have a different outcome, but sadly, after another battle, they fell short losing 13-48, and starting the season off 0-1.
That Week 1 loss would not affect the team too much, as they went on to win 4 games in a row, finishing non-league play 4-1! Week 2, the Tigers played the visiting Napa High School Grizzlies, and won a great game at Carlson Field, 56-35. Week 3, the Tigers matched up away against the Petaluma High School Trojans, where in a close game, the Tigers snuck away with the upset and won the battle for the first time in 3 years, 52-49. Many seniors said that win against Petaluma would go down as their favorite memory from the season, and even their football careers. Week 4, the Tigers hosted the visiting Piner High School Prospectors, and again, determined to win after falling short the year before by 1 point. The Tigers did not disappoint, and won the home thriller 49-7. The Tigers’ roll would continue, as another revenge game was coming in Week 5, when they played the Kimball High School Jaguars at Carlson Field. In 2024, the Tigers lost a rough game 72-14, and this year, the outcome was different. Going into halftime, the Tigers were down, but with a hard fought second half, the Tigers pulled off another upset, and left that night with a 48-34 win.
Entering league play, the Tigers knew the rest of the season was going to be harder, and it was. Week 6, against the Maria Carrillo High School Pumas, the Tigers were on a hot-streak, but that was soon to end. Following a hard battle, the Tigers faced a hard loss, 35-60. That loss brought many changes to the teams trajectory continuing league play. During the game, the team’s starting Quarterback, Matthew Medina, who was on pace to have over 2200 passing yards, 500 rushing yards, and over 30 total touchdowns, got hurt, and would be injured for the remainder of the year. Medina was not the only injury, as other vital players would also have their season cut short against Carrillo.
The devastating Week 6 loss would go on to be followed by another hard week. Week 7, the Tigers matchup would be a home game, but also Analy’s Homecoming football game. They would be playing the back-to-back state champions, the St Vincent De Paul College Prep Mustangs. Earlier that week, a major coaching change would occur, and the Tigers were faced with another challenge for that game, having to adjust to new coaches and leadership. After a long fight, the Tigers lost a hard game, in front of a large, home, and homecoming-spirited crowd, 0-49. With a hard start to league play, the Tigers were now 4-3, with only 3 more games promised.
The two back-to-back losses would not prove to be too detrimental to the season, as the Tigers went on to win two back-to-back games, against the Montgomery High School Vikings and the Santa Rosa High School Panthers. Week 8, and the third week of league play, the Tigers went to play Montgomery High School, and had a great victory, winning the game 41-12. That spark was enough, as the following week, Week 9, the Tigers on their own Senior Night, would win another great matchup against the Santa Rosa Panthers, pushing the Tigers to 6-3, and all but guaranteeing a Tiger postseason appearance.
The regular season was not over yet, as the Tigers were set to play their last league matchup, away, against the flashy Ukiah High School Wildcats. The previous year, the Tigers lost this Week 10 matchup by one point, 27-28, and used that as fuel going into this game. Sadly, there was not enough fuel in the tank, as the Tigers would go on to lose their final regular season game, 13-42.
The Tigers would finish their regular season 6-4, and 2-3 in league play. Analy was set as the 8th seed in Division 5 NCS Playoffs, and were going to match up against St Vincent De Paul for a second time, who had earned the 1 seed with a 9-1 record. The Tigers were determined to make sure to keep their season going, and the only way to do that was with a win against the Mustangs. This time, the matchup was much closer. The Tigers kept it a one score game for the majority of the matchup, but with a late touchdown allowed, the Tigers lost their final game, 28-42.
This season, though faced with a hard ending, was overall a huge success for the program. The Tigers were able to finish with a winning record (6-4), two wins against other great programs in their league, and a playoff matchup against one of the best teams in Northern California. This season was another great year for the program, and we cannot wait to see what the Tigers will do in 2026!
