The football team dominated the Sacred Heart Gators, 36-14, in the Division 3 CCS semifinals on Friday night to clinch a spot in the championship game.
These crosstown rivals faced off earlier in the season, and the Bears narrowly took that game 24-17.
The Bears began strong on defense with a series of powerful tackles that forced the Gators to punt. On offense, senior running back Evaimalo Ama made quick work of the Gators’ defense with back-to-back runs, placing M-A just outside the end zone.
Senior quarterback Teddy Dacey capitalized on this strong offensive run by finding junior wide receiver Daniel Jackson cutting through the end zone to give the Bears an early lead, 7-0, with 3:15 left in the first quarter.
Carrying on their momentum, senior linebacker Monty Turner met the Gators receiver with an immediate hit, yet Sacred Heart still found space to move up the field. Numerous runs by the Gators were stuffed by senior defensive tackle John Niko to end the quarter at fourth down with six yards to go, 7-0 M-A.
Despite holding the advantage, a penalty on the Bears gave Sacred Heart the first down with only five yards to go. An attempted tackle by M-A proved insufficient, as the Gators plowed their way into the end zone for a touchdown, tying the score at 7-7.
As the Bears regained possession, junior cornerback Jamarlo Jackson bulldozed his way through the Gators’ first line of defense for an immediate first down. Dacey nailed a pass down the sideline to junior tight end Leif Weintz for a 15 yard gain.
A crucial penalty on the Sacred Heart defense placed the Bears in the red zone. Following a timeout to regroup, M-A proved prepared, and a handoff to Ama resulted in a touchdown to return the lead back to the Bears, 14-7, with 8:26 left in the half.
Continuing this run, M-A’s defense remained dominant. Junior cornerback Diego Madrid halted numerous runs by the Gators. Searching for redemption, Sacred Heart attempted a deep throw ahead, but junior free safety Lucca Keighery swooped in for an interception.
Back on offense, both teams traded penalties, but Ama persisted by darting through the defense to place the Bears just 13 yards away from the end zone. On third down, the Gators’ pressure was insufficient, as Keighery secured a pass to stretch the Bears’ lead to 20-7 with just over a minute left.
M-A’s solid defense further prevented the Gators from converting offensively, with several passes falling incomplete to end the half with the Bears ahead, 20-7.
“What I’m most proud of is that we were the more physical team. People were breaking tackles and making tackles on the first contact on defense,” Dacey said. “So if we keep that up, we’re gonna win the championship.”
Kicking off the third quarter, the Bears made their mark immediately with a throw ahead to Turner, landing M-A only a few yards away from the end zone. A successful touchdown pass was called off because of a penalty, hindering the Bears’ momentum offensively.
Following a series of incomplete passes, M-A opted for a field goal on fourth down by senior kicker Anthony Perez to extend their lead, 23-7, with 8:53 left in the quarter.
The Bears’ defense remained stifling thanks to numerous forceful tackles by Madrid. However, consecutive penalties on M-A positioned the Gators for a successful touchdown rush to set the score at 23-14, Bears.
Unfazed, the Bears were able to strike back on offense. Ama danced his way through the defense repeatedly to station M-A 13 yards from the end zone. The Bears opted to take the risk on fourth down, where a pass down the sideline landed in the hands of senior wide receiver Matthew Kwon for a touchdown, 30-14.
M-A wasted no time defensively, as the Gators only got one play before senior strong safety Matei Tau recovered a fumble and advanced the ball 25 yards. However, the Bears weren’t able to convert, with a failed fourth down attempt returning the ball to Sacred Heart.
The Gators were able to push their way through the M-A defense, as the Bears felt the pressure with the ball only a few yards from the end zone. Senior defensive tackle Jordan Lavulo swatted the ball out of the hands of the quarterback, and it was then recovered by Tau, who rushed the length of the field for a touchdown, 36-14, with 1:39 remaining in the game.
Sacred Heart had no response, as M-A won 36-14 to advance to the final round.
“I’m most proud of how we played a full four quarters of football. Nobody gave up,” Keighery said. “We played until the end, and we fought through adversity with a few things like questionable calls, and some plays didn’t go our way. But I think we fought really well.”
“We talked about our goals, like running backs talked about one cut up, receivers talked about making more catches. I think everybody around everyone just improved. We all stuck to our goals,” Ama said.
The Bears will take the field at MacDonald High School on Saturday at 7 p.m. They will face off against the San Mateo Bearcats in the CCS Division 3 championship.
