In 1961, Aragon High School was established and soon became known as one of the best academic and athletic public schools in the Bay Area. While renowned for its academics, Aragon is also well known for the physicality and competitive nature of its athletic program, and the most popular among these sports is football.
Football also began in 1961, but the older team wasn’t as talented and ethnically diverse as it is now.
The team didn’t take off until 1971 when Dick Breau and Britt Williams took over the football program. Breau believed in putting the players first and playing with an aggressive and physical mentality on both sides of the ball.
With the new changes, the program soon began to improve. Former Aragon quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back and current head coach Steve Sell explains, “The 1974 team is what we call the ‘turnaround team.’ They really established the winning program and after them, we only had three or four losing seasons.”
The following year, the Dons went to the playoffs for the first time. Despite their loss in the second round, the team began to gain momentum and confidence going into the next season.
In 1984, Aragon made history by setting numerous records. The Dons were able to hold their opponents to an average of 15 rushing yards per game. During their first championship game, the Dons took on Hillsdale in a battle of two undefeated teams. People filled the stands and the sides of the field. The Dons were able to crush Hillsdale in a 14-0 victory for the Peninsula Athletic League championship, under head coach Williams.
Aragon went on to win 12 league championships, two section championships and one state championship. Aragon also achieved the longest PAL win streak from 2002-2006, winning 23 games in a row. “There were kids who played here and never lost a league game,” says Sell.
Williams, head coach from 1979 to 1999, has received the highest praises from his former outside linebacker Marlin Brown. The two have created an enduring bond, as Williams has even become the godfather of Brown’s middle son, Jamar-Darian Brown. Under the coaching and leadership of Williams, Brown became the first Aragon football player to receive a full athletic scholarship, taking his talents to Washington State University.
In 1992, Brown came back to Aragon as an assistant coach, a role he would play for six years, and helped the Dons win two PAL championships, two Central Coast Section championships, and one state championship.
Throughout all of Aragon’s achievements, one of the most prominent was the 1994 season. The Dons finished with a perfect 13-0 record, which was topped off with a state championship as they destroyed Piner High School in the semifinals 18-0, and obliterated Gunderson High School in the championship game 36-0.
A member of the Aragon Athletics Hall of Fame, former running back Manase Tonga was a dominant football player at Aragon. He played every position except for offensive linemen and defensive linemen. Tonga joined the Aragon frosh-soph team as a freshman in 1999, and went on to play varsity for the rest of his high school career.
Tonga’s career reached a high point during his team’s 2001 matchup against Carlmont. After losing the lead with around two minutes left, Aragon was skating on thin ice. Starting at their own 20-yard line, the Dons ran “24,” a play in which Tonga ran the ball right down the middle. Sell called the exact same play six times, which led to a touchdown, and then another time for the game-winning two point conversion.
“We weren’t very big, but we had heart and physicality,” says Tonga.
That mindset remains deeply rooted in the heart of Aragon football. Steve Sell had the opportunity to play for and coach Aragon football, but if there were to be a game between the 1983 varsity team and the 2016 varsity team, Sell says, “[The 1983 varsity team] would [win] and the quarterback, [Sell], would make the difference.”
The legendary players and coaches who have taken the field as a Don will go down in history as some of the most influential individuals in Aragon’s largely successful football program.
