Touchdown Tidings: The flag football regular season had us all on the edge of our seats, and it ended with a bang that would make even fireworks jealous! The Dons are marching confidently into the playoffs, but let’s rewind and relive the shenanigans from Walnut Creek.
Wednesday, the Dons bravely ventured into the battlefield known as “Walnut Creek” to face off against the formidable duo, Benicia Panthers and Las Lomas Knights. If the Dons could win both games, it would earn a spot into the first ever DAL Flag Football Playoffs. Benicia was like a fire-breathing dragon, torching Las Lomas by more than 28 points in the opening match. These folks from Benicia played a whopping 20 games this season and the experience showed. The Dons had to channel their inner superheroes!
Enter Addie Martin as the Quarterback, and she orchestrated a symphony of passes down the field, hitting Kelly Todhunter, Jenna Steele, and finally, Monica Dikova, like they were catching dreams. The score? A cool 7-0. Todhunter turned into a one-woman wrecking crew and sacked the Panthers’ QB, forcing them to punt. Things were looking brighter than a supernova! But then, in a twist of fate, Acalanes stalled, and Benicia managed to sneak in a touchdown, making it 7-6. Acalanes was like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and Ella Thomason swooped in to catch a fantastic passing touchdown, making it 14-6. The Panthers didn’t want to be party poopers, so they scored again on a last second hail mary, making it 14-12 at halftime.
The second half was like a rollercoaster of emotions. Benicia started with the ball and moved down the field. Then Alana Brinkman, our very own football ninja, intercepted the Panthers on 3rd and goal! , The Dons took over holding on to their 2 point lead. A long pass from Zoya Acuna to Todhunter moved the Dons down the field. Later in the drive, Acuna, with the grace of a gazelle, ran one in for another TD. Score: 20-12.
Acalanes, feeling invincible, had Dakota Goyert applying more pressure than a stubborn ketchup bottle. The Dons defense held the Panthers scoreless in the second half behind the constant pressure from pass rushers of Goyert, Todhunter and Kira Chan while LB’s Steele, Thomason, and Brinkman with DB’s Dikova, Maya Shoenhair and Addie McShane were making all the plays. Eventually, the Dons got another interception from McShane, and then, they decided to take a leisurely stroll to run the clock down, savoring every yard, before Martin found Romi Avrahami wide open on a clutch 4th down for a touchdown. That’s when we knew it was a done deal. The Dons won 26-12 to earn a spot in the playoffs.
In the grand finale of the regular season, Las Lomas took center stage. The Dons, riding on a cloud of victory, were in party mode. Todhunter couldn’t resist the urge to score another TD, and suddenly, the Dons were up 7-0. The Dons’ defense, in a charitable mood, allowed the Knights to score a quick TD. But Brinkman, the goalie of the gridiron, said, ‘Not today!’ and swatted the extra point away. The Dons struck again when Thomason made another gravity-defying catch, and Brinkman continued her interception spree. The Acalanes defense turned into an impenetrable fortress, and the Knights couldn’t muster another point. Maya Bleich came in with fresh legs to harass the Knights QB over and over and Syndey Clarke anchored the middle of the defense. Lana Cerejo and Olivia DeBoy came in to spark the offense, feeling the rhythm of victory, the Dons scored again, leaving the Knights at 6 points, while the Dons soared to 27.
The Dons are now off to the playoffs this Saturday at Clayton Valley, where they’ll be chasing the championship like it’s the last piece of pizza at a party. Join us to cheer them on! It’s been an epic first season, and if you missed out on the fun, don’t worry; we’re always on the lookout for new recruits. The more, the merrier, right?
Don’t forget Our Flag Football Dons face Northgate at 1:00 at Clayton Valley this Saturday.
Go Dons!