Varsity football falls short in opening game
Last Friday, the Aragon Dons hosted the San Mateo Bearcats in a clash of San Mateo High School football supremacy. Despite Aragon racking up 370 total yards of offense to San Mateo’s 323, multiple turnovers by the Dons coupled with a slew of injuries failed to convert the successes on offense into points.
The first quarter was dominated by defense on both sides. Junior fullback Victor Jimenez got injured on a dive play on 2nd & 4 with 5:00 left in the first quarter. Aragon got on the scoreboard first when the San Mateo long snapper sailed a snap over the punter’s head into the end zone for a safety, putting the Dons up 2-0 with 1:24 left in the first quarter.
The second quarter began with the Bearcats driving down the field on an 11-play drive lead by San Mateo senior running back George Naufahu. The Bearcats’ power running game would prove to be the bane of the Don defense with Naufahu finishing the game with 159 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns.
The Aragon defense eventually forced the Bearcats to punt on 4th down and the Don offense regained possession with 7:45 remaining in the second quarter. Lead by senior quarterback Anthony Nichols, the Dons marched down the field until they were inside the San Mateo ten-yard line. Senior wingback Aaron Eder then took the handoff from Nichols and plowed his way over left guard, only to be stopped by a mob of Bearcat defenders. In the confusion, San Mateo junior safety Lemoto Filikitonga stripped Eder of the ball and returned it 90 yards for the touchdown, putting the Bearcats up 7-2 with 5:10 remaining in the second quarter.
“We just weren’t executing,” says Eder. “When they stripped the ball from me, the momentum started to turn in their favor.”
On the next Don possession, the offense embarked on a 12-play drive featuring senior fullback Sam Pacholuk, sophomore running back Mo Tau and junior wide receiver James Egan. Nichols proved himself by going 11 of 18 for 129 yards, but also throwing two interceptions. One of those interceptions came on a 2nd & 9 play with ten seconds remaining in the first half, highlighting the Dons’ inability to capitalize on its red zone possessions.
“We fought hard but we couldn’t pull through,” says Egan. “We couldn’t execute on offense and that was what did us in.”
The third quarter began with San Mateo fumbling the kickoff return, only to have them regain possession shortly after due to a bad exchange between senior center Aniva Nunez-Mamea and Nichols. The Bearcats were quick to capitalize when junior running back Michael Latu raced up the middle for an 83-yard touchdown run, putting the visiting team up 14-2 with 10:51 remaining in the third quarter.
On their next possession, San Mateo continued to pound away with their running game, culminating with a Naufahu 29-yard touchdown run to make it 21-2 with 9:05 remaining in the third quarter.
With hope waning, the Dons finally caught a break on a 10-play drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by junior running back Davarian Redd. The two-point conversion failed, leaving the score at 21-8 with 4:00 remaining in the third quarter.
Despite a failed onside kick, Aragon was able to quickly regain possession after a San Mateo fumble was recovered by the Dons, who got back the ball with 1:20 left in the third quarter. Aragon showed signs of a comeback with a 9-play drive ending in a Tau rushing touchdown on 4th & Goal. Junior linebacker and interim kicker Greg Lyons nailed the PAT through the uprights, making it 21-15 with 10:00 left in the game.
That was as close as the Dons would get, as San Mateo’s next possession featured the one-two punch of both Naufahu and Filikitonga, with Naufahu eventually scoring a touchdown from nine yards out. The Bearcats failed on their own two-point conversion, leaving the score at 27-15 where it would remain until time expired.
“We played good as a team, but they had some strong players that stole the game,” says junior inside linebacker Nate Jordan. “I’d rather have our teamwork than a few players that carry the game.”
The next varsity football game will take place tomorrow, Friday, September 17, at Lincoln High School in San Jose. The next home game will not be until Friday, October 1, when the Capuchino Mustangs visit Aragon for another San Mateo Union High School District showdown.
