Defeat. Loss. Falling short. These are all words that are used to describe a team that loses in an upset. The Dons were faced with this situation last week. This past Friday, the Saint Augustine Saints visited the Dons at Manchester Stadium for the famed “Holy Bowl.” The rivalry boasts an intense competitive spirit for each team on the opposing sideline, as well as a storied history stretching back over 40 years.
The game started off tight, with the Dons behind 7-13 at half. Both teams flexed their muscles on defense, which was reflected in the score. The Dons started the second half with the ball, but failed to get anything going. The Saints men got the ball back, and the Saints struck quickly with a 40 yard run by their running back. It would be the last time either team got on the board the entire night. Cathedral got the ball back just at the end of the third quarter, and it was their time to start mounting a comeback.
Just when things looked bleak for the Dons, the Saintsmen fumbled. The Dons recovered and got a second chance at mounting a comeback drive. After an efficient 3–minute, 71 yard drive, the Dons had the ball in scoring position. After 3 failed attempts at punching it in, they went for it on 4th down and goal. Quarterback Clayton Dale took the snap, dropped back and looked for a receiver. As the pocket collapsed, he shovel passed it forward, hoping for a miracle. Unfortunately, a Saints linebacker was waiting for the ball right there. He picked off the pitch and ran it back 95 yards for a pick 6.
And yet again, another chance for Cathedral to pull it off: the touchdown was negated by an illegal block in the back, putting the Saints on their own 5 yard line. They drove 20 yards, and on a critical third down, a Cathedral lineman jumped off sides and was called for a neutral zone infraction. The Saints were given an automatic first down, and after burning the clock, kneeled the game out, sealing Cathedral’s fate.
“If we play like we’re capable of, we can win. They’re not a bad team on paper. If you put theirs and ours, we didn’t play well. Defensively overall we played well. Just not well enough,” said defense coordinator Mr. John Montali.
Three games prior, the Dons had never allowed more than 13 points. The Dons allowed 19, their second highest all season. The offense has averaged 40.6 points over the three games prior, and only scored one touchdown the whole night.
“It comes down to who’s gonna make a big play, who’s goanna step up. We played better defense throughout the game this year than last year, and we just made better plays last year,” said Mr. Montali. Last year, the Dons won 28-20, and the offense mounted a 3 touchdown comeback in the second half, while the defense shut them down effectively all night.
“Overall improvement across the board, we need to execute. All week we’ve been preparing for Mira Mesa, and also improving our own game too,” said left tackle Jacob Van de Grifg. Van der Grifg also stated that the team is still poised to make a Division One CIF run, a first in Cathedral athletic history, and urged his fellow students to come out and show their support. Coach Montali also noted that it is in these situations that a team’s mentality can shift either to giving up on the season, or propelling them forward. “We wanted to win it to get us ready to make a D-1 run. The tell tale sign will be Friday,” he said.
Come out this Friday at 7:30 to support the Dons vs. Mira Mesa at Manchester Stadium and follow @ElCidSports for updates during the game.
