The football team beat the Sacred Heart Gators 14-7 in a tight game on Saturday afternoon.
M-A started off the game on defense and was quickly put under pressure. Flags on the Bears, as well as a series of runs from the Gators, pushed the ball deep into M-A’s half. Sacred Heart ran the ball in search of an early lead, but a firm tackle from senior safety Lucca Keighery put the Gators just short on the four-yard line.
Despite the Bears’ efforts, Sacred Heart found an opening in the back of the end zone, and the Gators scored the extra point to make it 7-0 just two minutes in.
Even so, M-A wasted no time getting their offense started. Junior quarterback Bishop Manumaleuna stepped through the pocket and zipped a pass to junior wide receiver Kyle Gabriel for an early first down. The Bears continued to make progress with bruising runs from senior running back Jamarlo Jackson, but a string of incomplete passes forced M-A to punt.
The Gators persisted, gaining small but steady yardage on their runs. Still, M-A’s defense prevented their passing game from hitting its stride. Sacred Heart connected a fourth-down pass to a seemingly open out route, but sophomore safety Spencer Ama Jr. arrived quickly with a hard tackle, leaving the Gators short for a turnover on downs.
The Bears kept showing flashes of their dynamic offense, as Manumaleuna consistently connected with receivers through the middle for first downs. Despite this, M-A’s progress was again halted by a series of incomplete passes, and they were forced to punt, ending the quarter down 7-0.
The Bears’ defense shone in the second quarter. Ama broke up a critical pass on another third down, forcing Sacred Heart to turn the ball over in the first possession of the quarter.
On the first play of the drive, Jackson burst down the sideline for a 20-yard gain. However, a sack and a series of incomplete passes led M-A to punt halfway through the quarter. Despite their offensive troubles, the Bears’ defensive intensity continued. Senior linebacker Kaito Yoshida and sophomore linebacker Kasper Ahonala teamed up for a huge sack, pressuring the Gators to punt.
The game remained tight in the second as both teams were unable to break through. The Bears held the Gators with aggressive tackling, but failed to get chances to score. The first half concluded with Sacred Heart holding a 7-0 lead.
M-A received the second half kickoff and got straight to work. Jackson opened with several persistent runs, breaking through multiple tackles to move the Bears downfield. On a crucial fourth-down attempt, an offside penalty against Sacred Heart gave M-A a first down, keeping the drive alive.
The Bears capitalized on the opportunity when Gabriel caught a pass from Manumaleuna on an out route, broke multiple tackles, and raced 30 yards into the end zone. The extra point was successful, tying the game at 7-7 with 8:19 remaining in the third quarter.
The Bears’ defense quickly followed with another intense series. Ama stuffed a Gators’ run for a loss. Sacred Heart failed to convert on third and 16, forcing a punt.
Manumaleuna wasted no time pushing M-A down the field, connecting with senior receiver Xavier Bedolla for a 59-yard completion to bring the Bears to the Gators’ 16-yard line. An offside on Sacred Heart moved M-A closer to the goal line, and the Bears used the remainder of the quarter to sustain the drive, with the score stalling at 7-7.
Ama finished the possession with a five-yard touchdown run up the gut just three seconds into the fourth quarter. Junior kicker Juanpablo Maciel’s extra point gave M-A its first lead of the game, 14-7.
The Gators looked to respond, but senior linebacker Sam Huddleston made a lunging tackle to stop a runner from breaking away. Trying to close the deficit, Sacred Heart attempted to run the ball out of the backfield, but senior defensive end Kaito Yoshida recorded another diving tackle for loss, and the Gators went for it on fourth down.
Senior cornerback Diego Madrid then dove to break up an outside pass intended, forcing a turnover on downs with 6:52 remaining.
“Being down or up points didn’t really affect us mentally since we’ve come back before. We put the first half behind us and immediately shifted our focus to the second,” Madrid said.
M-A looked to extend its lead, relying on Jackson’s runs to move the ball forward. Manumaleuna connected with Gabriel over the middle for a 19-yard gain and a first down, moving the chains for the Bears’ offense.
The Bears persisted and, after a roughing-the-kicker penalty on a field goal attempt, were able to run down the clock, ending the game with a 14-7 victory.
“It’s definitely been the most fun defense I’ve been on in all my years of playing football, and we’re going to continue to improve from here,” Yoshida said.
“We took a killer mentality into the second half and came out victorious,” Ama said.
The Bears will face off against the Wilcox Chargers at Sequoia High School in the homecoming game on Friday at 7 p.m.
