At halftime, Coronado coach Rob Leboeuf told his team to think like a goldfish. 

The Cougars were down by one to Harrison at halftime, but instead of looking at past mistakes, it was all about the next play.  

That mentality sparked the Coronado offense in the second half, and the Cougars would go on to win 20-7 on the Panthers’ home field Friday night. The win brings Coronado’s record to 2-1 as it continues to learn with a new-look team featuring only two starters from last season’s playoff run. 

Harrison (0-3) struggled with turnovers Friday and is still looking for its first win of the season. 

“No matter how much people say it is physical, it’s a mental game,” Coronado senior Antonio Terrones said. “We were just in our heads. I think us coming out physical and having the mentality of let’s go out and hit, we were able to make some plays.”

Harrison started strong with a 20-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Dominic Atilano halfway into the first quarter to put the Panthers up 7-0. The Cougars responded in the second quarter with a five-yard touchdown by senior Hank Kelley after a personal foul call on the Panthers. 

An interception by Coronado stopped Harrison’s last drive of the half, but did not result in any points to put the Panthers up 7-6 into the break. 

The Cougars came out aggressive in the second half, and a fumble recovery into an 80-yard touchdown by Terrones put Coronado on top 12-7. A successful 2-point conversion quickly extended the Cougars’ lead to 14-7 and quieted the home crowd. 

“I just saw my teammate hit the ball out, picked it up, and I just had to hus, hus, hus down the field and not get caught,” Terrones said. 

The third quarter ended with a big interception on third down by Harrison’s Atilano, but a fumble at the 20-yard line stopped the drive. 

Another turnover for Harrison led to a touchdown by Coronado’s Samuel Kelley late in the fourth quarter to further extend the lead to 20-7. 

A fumble on the next drive returned the ball to the Cougars, but a penalty after a touchdown prevented any more points for the rest of the contest. 

Coronado is without 2025 Gazette Preps Peak Performer of the Year Thomas Buckmiller. But his absence hasn’t changed much with leadership from senior quarterback Billy Ratican. 

“Billy’s been doing a fantastic job,” Leboeuf said. “He’s been waiting his turn. He’s learning a lot of things. He’s playing very well, making good reads. He’s an excellent leader and has a great approach to practice.”

While the game wasn’t perfect for Coronado, it was a step in the right direction. 

“We didn’t let circumstances impact our approach to our process to get desired results,” Leboeuf said. “It’s a very new team this year. We’re learning quite a bit. Tonight was a great learning experience against a gritty, tough, never-say-die Harrison team.”