The Bears defeated the San Mateo Bearcats 31-21 to claim the CCS Division 3 Championship on Saturday night.
M-A opened the night strong on offense, immediately gaining momentum when sophomore wide receiver Kyle Gabriel got the first catch of the game. Right after, sophomore offensive tackle Angel Villegas-Maldonado caught a throw from junior quarterback Milo Lazare before senior quarterback Teddy Dacey came back and continued to push the Bears downfield.
Dacey connected with senior running back Evaimalo Ama to gain significant yardage and get closer to the end zone. After an incomplete pass to junior wide receiver Zachary Sokol, Lazare managed to regain control and work with his team, allowing Dacey to power through for the first touchdown of the game.
Crucial tackles from senior defensive backs Joel Fifita and Matei Tau prevented San Mateo from bouncing back, and junior safety Lucca Keighery contributed with another powerful takedown to give M-A the ball back after the fourth down.
Right as the first quarter was coming to an end, Gabriel caught a long pass to set the Bears up for a touchdown. The first quarter finished with an M-A lead of 7-0.
M-A kept their momentum by starting the second quarter off with senior running back Monty Turner bolting down the sideline to increase their lead to 14-0. Immediately after, senior kicker Anthony Perez executed a kick that the Bearcats fumbled, allowing M-A to keep the possession and continue to put pressure on San Mateo’s defense.
“My favorite part of the game was when Monty took that rail route up the sideline,” Dacey said. “I thought he was going out of bounds, but then he took it into the end zone to score a touchdown.”
Forced into a fourth down, the Bears decided to go for a field goal, and Perez nailed it through to extend the lead, 17-0. A block from Fifita kept San Mateo away from the end zone, but after a timeout, the Bears were unable to fight back, and the Bearcats broke through their defense for a touchdown.
The Bears came back strong, pushing against San Mateo’s defense thanks to a skillful catch by Sokol. However, M-A was forced into a fourth-down punt that would send the Bearcats to the other side of the field. After an aggressive tackle by Tau, the quarter ended with M-A in the lead 17-7, going into halftime.
The Bears came out of halftime on defense, ready to control the pace of the game. Junior middle linebacker Julian Gonzalez blocked a play, and Ama delivered a commanding tackle, refusing to let the Bearcats gain on them. On the third down, M-A managed to get a sack, placing San Mateo in an even more difficult situation.
When M-A got back to offense, Dacey showcased his mobility, running the ball downfield to gain a few yards. Despite an illegal block penalty, the Bears’ spirits remained high, using a timeout to set up a fourth-down plan. Turner followed with a solid run, pushing the Bears in reach of the end zone.
The drive ended with an impressive touchdown as Dacey threw a long pass over the defense to find Sokol. After catching the ball and dashing along the sideline, a Bearcat defender pushed him into the end zone, giving the Bears a significant 24-7 advantage.
Back on defense, the Bears stayed aggressive. Penalties slowed the Bearcats down a little, and Ama made a crucial tackle on second down. After a false start by M-A and another powerful tackle by junior middle linebacker Cameron Talamoa, M-A regained possession, ending the third quarter with a 24-7 lead and full control of the game.
The Bears opened the fourth quarter on offense, determined to maintain their lead. Turner carried the ball on a second-down run, followed by a third-down play at the 48-yard line. Dacey then scrambled and sliced through the defense for a first down.
Ama powered through on a short run, though a holding penalty set them back. Turner returned to the field and caught a pass, but was unable to break through the Bearcats’ defense. After a timeout, Turner carried again, and a pass attempt to Gabriel in the end zone went too far, and M-A reset again at the 25-yard line for another play.
After yet another timeout, Ama came back with a short run to push them closer to the end zone. The drive ended with a touchdown by senior wide receiver Matthew Kwon, which extended the lead to 31-7 with eight minutes left in the game.
On defense, M-A stacked the line, holding the Bearcats just one yard from the end zone. However, San Mateo managed a touchdown and later recovered an onside kick to score again, narrowing the margin to a nail-biting 31-21. Senior defensive end Kolei Maile helped stop the Bearcats’ final attempt at a comeback to give the Bears some breathing room.
With the ball back, M-A decided to run the clock out and secure their 31-21 win.
“My favorite part of the game was just coming out here with my brothers and fighting for each other, getting each other’s backs, and just going out there and executing,” Perez said.
“I think my favorite part was the ending,” Ama said. “We sealed it off. We had our quarterback, he had a huge first down, and it just kept us rolling.”
When the final whistle blew, M-A emerged victorious, successfully getting the win for the CCS Division 3 Championship.
“I never thought we were gonna get here, I’m not gonna lie. So it feels outstanding. I just can’t believe we made it, came out, and we executed. It feels outstanding,” Dacey said.
The Bears will now face off against El Cerrito High School on Saturday at 6 p.m. at home.
