On Sept. 25, the Aragon flag football team (1-3 overall) fell 6-13 to Carlmont (4-0 overall) in a hard-fought game at Menlo-Atherton. After losing to Carlmont twice last season, the Dons knew they would have to play their best if they wanted to compete with the Scots.
“The game is definitely going to be a challenge because Carlmont is a really strong team and they’ve kept consistent with their coaches and their plays,” said junior Annalise Krause before the game. “We’re going to really have to persevere and work hard because it’s going to be a really hard-fought and competitive game.”
The match started out with both teams in a tight contest, as both the Dons and the Scots were unable to get first downs in the early drives of the game. This was partly due to missed throws, but mainly a testament of the strong defensive efforts from both schools. Despite accurate passes from starting quarterback Kate Ramseyer, the Aragon offense had difficulty moving the ball up the field without getting their flags pulled.
The intensity picked up at the end of the first half after a long drive got the Dons two first downs and put them in a good position to score. However, despite their efforts, Aragon could not penetrate Carlmont’s strong defense and ultimately came up short from the end zone. In 24 minutes, both teams failed to get on the scoresheet, and the first half ended in a 0-0 tie.
Our defense was just great. Everyone’s been doing a great job at adapting during the game and I’m really proud of them for being so resilient
Once again, Aragon’s defense came out strong in the second half, starting with senior Jenna Jee knocking down a pass from the Carlmont quarterback. Although the Dons and the Scots had several strong runs, neither team was able to capitalize off of them for the majority of the second half. That was, until Jee made a crucial interception and ran the ball 15 yards into Carlmont’s half. From there, Aragon was able to move further up the field before Ramseyer ran the ball into the end zone, giving the Dons a 6-0 lead over Carlmont.
“When I caught the ball I just blacked out and got in the zone,” Jee said. “I’m not really used to running the ball since I only play defense, but it felt really good.”
Nevertheless, Aragon’s lead was short-lived. After the Dons missed their extra point, Carlmont quickly pushed towards their end zone where the quarterback ran the ball to score a touchdown. The Scots then got the extra point, giving them a 7-6 lead. Despite the Dons playing aggressively for the rest of the half, the Scots held them to just six points. Finally, on the last play of the game, Carlmont intercepted a pass from Ramseyer and returned it for a touchdown, concluding the match with a final score of 13-6.
While the Dons did not get the result they were hoping for, the team takes pride in their performance, having fought hard against Carlmont and kept the score close throughout the game. After the game, head coach Ronald Douglass expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance.
“The team played even better than I could have expected,” Douglass said. “I mean our defense was just great. Everyone’s been doing a great job at adapting during the game and I’m really proud of them for being so resilient.”
Other players shared the same mentality as their coach.
“The first half went really well,” Ramseyer said. “We held Carlmont’s offense and we completed a lot of our passes. Overall, it was a better game than the past two and it’s clear that we’re definitely improving.”
While the team is happy having played a competitive game, they know they must work hard in order to improve their record and prepare for the next time they face the Scots.
“Moving forward I think our team can improve on offense,” Jee said. “We’re still getting the hang of it and we’re working on new plays and trying to adjust and play to our strengths.”
Aragon will look to apply their experience in their upcoming games, in hopes of making it to the playoffs at the end of the season.
The team’s next game is Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. against Capuchino.
