In the best performance of the season since it began, the Aragon varsity football team dealt a decisive blow to the visiting Capuchino Mustangs last Friday night. The Dons dominated the line of scrimmage on both offense and defense and their success at the point of attack was evident by gaining 441 yards of total offense with 272 yards on the ground. The victory brought a renewed sense of confidence to the team after suffering losses to San Mateo and Carlmont in the weeks before.
After receiving the opening kickoff, the Dons were quick to go to work utilizing their new no-huddle offense. The blocking up front was vastly improved from the previous games with the return of junior offensive lineman and Division I prospect Derek White. A knee injury kept White on the side lines for the early part of the season but the six-foot-four 235-pound guard played this game as if he had never missed a snap.
The 11-play opening drive paid off when senior fullback Sam Pacholuk forced his way into the end zone from one yard out putting the home team on the board first 7-0 with 8:20 left in the first quarter.
The Aragon defense provided no respite for Capuchino throughout the entire game. Capuchino fullback Will Scott was the main offensive weapon for the Mustangs but he was limited to just 79 yards on 21 carries.
In the second quarter, the Dons embarked on the 9-play drive that featured runs up the middle by Pacholuk and sprints on the outside by senior wingback Aaron Eder. Aragon hit pay dirt yet again when sophomore running back Mo Tau took the handoff from senior quarterback Anthony Nichols and powered his way into the end zone behind the lead block of Pacholuk. The extra point by sophomore kicker James Garcia put the Dons up 14-0 with 7:25 remaining in the half.
Tau was able to run almost at will against the Capuchino defense and finished the day with 95 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown.
The Aragon defense forced a quick three-and-out and the Dons on offense were again methodically marching down the field. This time a 7-play drive ended with Eder running in for the score from five yards out increasing the lead to 21-0 with 3:10 left in the half.
Eder continued to strengthen his reputation as a multi-purpose threat on offense racking up 51 yards rushing, 62 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Capuchino quarterback Enrico Zermeno was under pressure from the Aragon defensive line the entire night and ended up getting sacked three times. One of these sacks occurred on a 2nd & 10 with 2:41 left in half when senior defensive linemen Tyler Outzen and Etoni Tonga combined for the sack.
“It was a pinch call,” says Outzen. “On that play I was slanting in and I basically saw an open gap so I rushed in the same time Etoni did.”
Following another Capuchino punt, the Dons displayed their mettle on offense yet again when Pacholuk plowed into the end zone from four yards out on a 2-play drive that only took 22 seconds off the clock. The Dons were running away with this one with the score at 28-0 with 2:00 remaining in the half.
In the second half, the Mustangs showed signs of life when the offense orchestrated a 15-play drive that took up nearly the entire third quarter. The drive finally ended when Capuchino failed to convert on fourth down.
The Dons finally put the game out of reach on a 12-play drive that lasted from the end of the third quarter into the beginning of the fourth. Facing 2nd & 4 from inside the red zone, Nichols rolled out to his right and connected with senior tight end Sione Taufahema for the score from 15 yards out. Nichols would end the day going 7 of 14 for 154 yards and a touchdown pass. That last touchdown would put Aragon up 35-0 where the score would remain until the end of regulation.
“Before that play, Coach [Henderson] told me to visualize making the catch so I could do it on the field when it counted,” says Taufahema. “I’m just proud of my teammates and the way they played today.”
The Dons will be heading to Pacifica next week where they will be facing offensive powerhouse Terra Nova on Friday, October 8 at 8 p.m. The next home game will not be until Friday, October 15 at 3 p.m. when the Dons host the visiting Menlo-Atherton Bears. All of the Don’s games up until the annual Hillsdale rivalry game will against other teams in the Peninsula Bay Division. How well the team performs in the coming weeks will determine whether or not the Dons will be able to secure a playoff berth.
