Dons make a major comeback against Oaks Christian in the Honor Bowl (slideshow)

Chris Lucio, Staff Writer

Last night, the Cathedral Catholic High School Dons faced the Oaks Christian High School Lions in the Honor Bowl at Oceanside High School.

“[The football players] came out in the first half and made a lot of mistakes,” Coach Mr. Sean Doyle said. “Oaks Christian jumped on us, and [the Dons] started putting their heads down and feeling sorry for themselves.”

The first half of the game, the Dons were down 7-35 with bad passes and bad plays on the team’s part. Throughout the first quarter and halfway through the second quarter, Mr. Doyle was in the announcer’s booth calling plays. Eventually, he came down to the field to motivate the boys to play harder.

“They decided they wanted to play football and get a couple scores,” Mr. Doyle said. “They finally decided that they wanted to play.”

The second half of the game showed great improvement – the Dons wanted to win. The team’s burst of confidence and energy could be felt in the stands.

The Dons continued to score touchdown after touchdown with great offensive plays by quarterback #14 Tate Haynes, and offensive lineman #25 Adam Eastwood. Defense was “on fire,” with some great defensive tackles from running back #5 Moroni Anae.

“It was all an energy thing,” #72 Hayden Center said. “We came out the first half and weren’t pumped up enough, and in the second half we were hurting and ready to kill.”

The enthusiasm from the team and fans kept the Dons going until the final seconds of the game. Despite their comeback, the Dons lost to Oaks Christian with a final score of 33-35.