On Oct. 26, Aragon’s varsity flag football team (3-11) played their senior night game against Hillsdale (5-9). The one-score contest ended with an Aragon loss 13-20, featuring two Dons’ touchdowns separated by three from the Knights.
With both teams heading into the match with losing streaks, the spotlight shifted to the rivalry. Each side aimed for one final triumph over the opposition.
“Especially when our previous record [wasn’t] so good,” said sophomore wide receiver and cornerback Cora Johnson. “We could forget [the record] and just focus on beating our rivals.”
Aragon looked to replicate their away win earlier in the season, but this time the matchup would be a lot tighter.
“Our teams were very evenly matched, and what made it even more competitive was that our [and their] injured players … were back,” said sophomore wide receiver Samantha Lim. “It was like seeing the full potential of both teams go head to head.”
Following an emotional senior night ceremony, the game kicked off. As the buzzing atmosphere stiffened into anticipation, both sides slowed down, struggling to penetrate the other’s defense.
Then, with a minute left in the first quarter, the Dons found themselves on a fourth down, 20 yards from the end zone.
As the hopeful crowd watched on, Lim caught the ball near the 15 yard line. She was able to skip past an oncoming defender before slipping past three more to make a touchdown.
After a successful extra point, the score stood at 7-0; the deadlock had finally been broken and excitement flowed back into the game, as Aragon’s lead prompted an immediate offensive push from Hillsdale throughout the second quarter.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Dons looked to hold on to their lead with tight marking. For a while, their disciplined defending held the Knights at bay, but then their troubles began.
After junior quarterback Samantha Pieper unexpectedly threw an interception, the game was again submerged in uncertainty. Soon after, the Hillsdale quarterback would make a run down the left flank, escaping multiple flag pull attempts and securing the first of three consecutive touchdowns.
With the score leveled, the Knights made another interception, this time making it past the heart of the Aragon defense and only being halted by a last-ditch flag pull by Lim.
From five yards out, the Knights lofted a wide ball and took a 7-13 lead, flipping the game on its head.
The Dons, who just minutes prior had held an optimistic lead, now found themselves six points behind with less than a half left.
“Unfortunately, we made one too many mistakes,” said head coach Malcolm Davis. “If you can’t tackle, if you can’t take care of the football … It starts snowballing more and more.”
Frustration continued to mount, and as Aragon’s defense became increasingly stiff and disjointed, it cost them another touchdown. This time, it was a pinpoint bullet pass that crossed the chaotic defending, minimizing hopes of a miracle comeback.
With a discouraging chance at victory, the Dons began throwing deep balls.
An opportunity finally emerged with 30 seconds left in the game, when a pass from Pieper found the arms of senior wide receiver Amelia Ortiz.
After spinning away from her marker, Ortiz accelerated into the end zone to cut the deficit to seven points, but it was too late.
“[When] the other team had an [interception] … we were shocked, and then we couldn’t really pick ourselves up,” said senior running back Megan Stewart. “They got another touchdown … and we started picking up the pace, but by then it was already the end.”
Though the Dons ultimately fell short of a win, the seniors enjoyed a thrilling final game and a heartfelt sendoff. The evening also marked an end for the three players who had been on the team since it first formed.
“I’m sad it’s over after four years,” said senior safety and running back Dana Schanker. “[The program] started my freshman year, so me, [senior wide receiver Olivia] Ramseyer and [Ortiz] were the last people from the original team.”
Coming off a Central Coast Section qualification last year, the Dons were not able to reach the heights expected this season. With most of the team’s key players graduating, the team will have to rely on rising JV players to step up next year and fill the places of the 11 seniors.
“Results weren’t what we wanted this year, but there’s a lot of growth that happened,” Davis said. “Our JV had a great year, so we’re excited to get into next year. I wish it was starting in two weeks, but we’ll wait and get better and we’ll be prepared for next year.”
