The football team fell to the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons, 41-9, on Friday night. M-A was overpowered by Bishop O’Dowd’s lengthy runs and intense defense.
The Dragons began the game with the ball, but senior free safety Zachary Sokol delivered a commanding hit to spark the Bears’ defense. Sophomore linebacker Kasper Ahonala added a powerful tackle of his own, preventing Bishop O’Dowd from advancing.
The Dragons’ struggle continued, as a false start and an incomplete pass resulted in a three-and-out, forcing them to punt. Senior quarterback Milo Lazare took hold of the offense, connecting with senior wide receiver Xavier Bedolla, who cut through the middle for a small gain. Still, the Bears were unable to advance further, and they punted the ball back to the Dragons.
Bishop O’Dowd’s second possession was no better than their first. Immediately after senior cornerback Diego Madrid halted the Dragons’ punt return, a fumble on the 47-yard line returned the ball to M-A.
Back on offense, junior quarterback Bishop Manumaleuna launched a monstrous throw to junior wide receiver Kyle Gabriel, landing M-A on the nine-yard line, and senior running back Jamarlo Jackson pushed through the defense for a few yards of his own.
However, a sack by Bishop O’Dowd put the Bears in a difficult situation of fourth down and 18 yards, and an incomplete pass to the end zone returned possession to the Dragons. Despite a series of destructive hits by senior linebacker Kaito Yoshida, Bishop O’Dowd linked together smooth runs to advance significantly toward the end zone.
Ahonala worked to stop the Dragons from moving further with strategic takedowns, and Bishop O’Dowd took a timeout with 1:33 remaining. Immediately out of the break, a pass from the Dragons found its way into the end zone, and a completed extra point gave them a 7-0 advantage.
Despite their best attempts, a three-and-out by M-A put the ball in Bishop O’Dowd’s hands to end the quarter, 7-0 in favor of the Dragons.
Kicking off the second quarter, a lengthy punt return by Bishop O’Dowd set them up in a promising position, but the Bears’ suffocating defense encouraged the Dragons to take a field goal. This attempt, however, was expertly blocked by sophomore cornerback Blake Danielewicz, preventing Bishop O’Dowd from extending its lead.
M-A’s offense emerged with a spark. Jackson pushed his way through the middle for a first down, and Manumaleuna delivered a well-placed pass to Sokol for a 30-yard gain. Manumaleuna spun out of the defensive pressure, nailing a throw to senior tight end Leif Weintz for M-A’s first points of the game. Their two-point attempt was unsuccessful, and they trailed 7-6, with 7:36 remaining in the half.
The Dragons started off on a rough note, dropping the punt return, but they were able to recover it. Stringing together several first downs, Bishop O’Dowd rapidly approached the end zone. Ahonala and Danielewicz contributed diving takedowns to hinder the Dragons’ momentum, but it wasn’t enough, as Bishop O’Dowd added another touchdown to push their lead to 14-6.
Weintz and Sokol combined for a first down, but the success was short-lived. Two consecutive sacks sent M-A backward and forced them to punt once again, and a crowd of Bears destroyed Bishop O’Dowd’s run. Sophomore defensive end Justice Toilolo and Madrid came in clutch, pushing the Dragons further back and returning possession to the Bears to end the half with Bishop O’Dowd ahead, 14-6.
“We just need to work harder in every aspect and practice,” Courson said.
Coming out of the break, junior running back Kennedy Monroe opened the drive with a nine-yard run, but a second carry by M-A was stopped short of the marker. Facing fourth down, the Bears were stopped and turned the ball over on downs.
Bishop O’Dowd made M-A pay, stringing together a series of runs before punching it in for a touchdown with 8:40 left in the third quarter. A successful extra point pushed the Dragons lead to 21-6.
The Bears responded with one of the strongest drives of the night. Manumaleuna completed a pass to Gabriel to move M-A into the red zone, and Jackson powered the ball down to the nine-yard line. Despite receiving a fresh set of downs after a defensive penalty, M-A was unable to convert on fourth down and turned the ball over just short of the goal line.
Bishop O’Dowd wasted no time moving the ball, breaking off a run of nearly 30 yards. Even so, Madrid and Yoshida each stopped the Dragons on the next two downs, forcing the Dragons to punt on fourth and 11.
Senior wide receiver Beau Courson fielded the ensuing punt with 3:57 remaining. Lazare broke off a 16-yard scramble up the middle, and Jackson weaved past four defenders for a 12-yard gain of his own.
Lazare added a five-yard run out of bounds before the Dragons intercepted the next M-A pass and returned it for a touchdown with 56 seconds left in the third quarter. A missed extra point put Bishop O’Dowd ahead 27-6 heading into the final quarter.
The Bears opened the fourth quarter with dominant offensive plays, combining a 16-yard Monroe run with completions to Gabriel and Courson. However, a pass intended for Bedolla was picked off and returned for another Dragons touchdown, pushing Bishop O’Dowd’s lead to 34-6 with 9:23 on the clock. M-A’s next drive got a boost from a personal foul on Bishop O’Dowd following a 20-yard run by Monroe, setting up a promising field position. The Bears couldn’t punch it in, but junior kicker Juanpablo Maciel connected on a field goal to make it 34-9 with 7:44 remaining.
Bishop O’Dowd was quick to answer, breaking off a long run that Ahonala stopped with a driving tackle, before ripping off another 33-yard gain on the next play that was finally pushed out of bounds near the goal line. The Dragons then scored once again, making it 41-9 with 5:59 remaining.
The kickoff gave M-A the ball at their own 20-yard line, but the Bears turned it over on downs after a fourth-down pass fell incomplete. Both teams traded stops from there, and the ball returned to M-A as the clock winded down.
The Bears’ final drive got a five-yard gain from Monroe before Manumaleuna threw a final long pass, but it fell incomplete as time expired. Bishop O’Dowd closed out the win, 41-9.
“We know what we have to do and what we need to do to be able to win these football games, and we’re just not executing,” Manumaleuna said.
The Bears will battle the Menlo Knights away on Friday, Oct. 9, at 3:30 p.m.
