Amador Valley (6-2) takes on the California High Grizzlies (7-1) on the Pleasanton field at 7 p.m. tonight, with the two schools’ Junior Varsity teams battling it out starting at 4:30 p.m.
California beat Granada 21-17 last week.
The varsity Dons are hoping for a repeat of last week’s smashing of Monte Vista, 28-6. Coming into that game, the foremost thought in everyone’s mind was how the Dons would rebound from the previous week’s unexpected defeat at the hands of the Granada Matadors.
Playing inspired defense and aided by some erratic play by the Monte Vista offense, the Dons overcame a penalty-filled performance and rode their punishing running game to the rather convincing 28-6 victory over the Mustangs.
After kicking off to Monte Vista to start the game, the Dons’ defense held the Mustangs to three incomplete passes before Joe Young received the Monte Vista punt on the Dons’ 44-yard line. Pat Gondkoff quickly set the tone for the game, taking the first-down handoff from Pat Espiritu, then weaving through the entire Mustang defense from the left sideline to the right corner of the end zone to give the Dons the lead thirty-seven seconds into the game. Dillon Mullaney added the extra-point and the Dons had a 7-0 lead.
The Dons’ defense bent but didn’t break the remainder of the first half, even though they allowed the Mustangs to move close to the end zone three times. Monte Vista missed two field goal attempts, then the Dons forced a fumble with under 30 seconds to go before halftime.
On the offensive side, Joe Young swept around the right right side of the Mustangs’ defense, then outraced all defenders to the end zone for a 46-yard touchdown early in the second quarter. JR Souza tacked on another touchdown, bulling through the Monte Vista defense from two yards out later in the quarter to give the Dons a surprising 21-0 lead over the Mustangs, which they took to the locker room after recovering the Mustangs’ fumble on the one-yard line.
The third quarter was a scoreless affair, with both defenses keeping the opposing offenses out of the end zone. The Mustangs’ defense was aided by numerous penalties by the Dons, including two delay of game penalties in a row. The Dons’ defense didn’t need any help from the referees.
JR Souza scored his second touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter to increase the Dons’ lead to 28-0 and erase any doubt about the outcome. Monte Vista scored their only touchdown of the game with 40 seconds remaining to avoid the shutout. – Paula Avriett
