It was a mix of old and new as Aragon rolled to a 55-0 victory over El Camino in the Dons’ home opener.
The Dons improved to 2-0 with their second straight shutout in the “Red Sea” game. The Colts are 0-1.
Aragon quarterback senior Tanner Nguyen threw for over 120 yards on just 10 completions and the Dons rushed for 177 yards, utilizing a blend of old and new offenses.
“[Aragon head coach Steve Sell] changed the offense this year to shotgun, allowing us to go into our passing game,” Nguyen said. “I guess you could say that we changed this year from less of a ‘ground-and-pound’ team to more of an ‘air bombing’ squad.”
Wide receiver sophomore Gabe Campos got the night off to a quick start for the Dons with a 30-yard touchdown run just 30 seconds into the game.
The Dons rewarded an amped-up home crowd with the familiar grinding style of the running attack, led by running back junior V.A. Wilson, who ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Nguyen and wide receiver junior Devin Grant highlighted the passing game, connecting for a 51-yard completion that put the Dons in the red zone, enabling Aragon to build a 35-0 lead midway through the third quarter.
El Camino’s offensive line failed to hold up against Aragon’s defense, which was able to weave through the Colts and force quarterback junior Heinay Keller to flee often. As a result Keller was pressured into a handful of incompletions and an interception by defensive back sophomore Donaven Robinson early in the second quarter.
El Camino running back senior Jason Nacion attempted to inject some energy into his team with his 23-yard carry in the first quarter, but there was no staving off the heat-seeking Dons. When asked about his team’s bullish running attack, Wilson said, “There really wasn’t one play in particular. Our performance required a team e
ffort. I am thankful for my linemen for the carries I was able to get this game. The more and more that we play, the more we’ll find those who can contribute to both the running and passing.”
Aragon is at Burlingame next week and El Camino is at Lincoln.
