DAL PLAYOFFS – A Thrilling Tale of Triumph and Turmoil!
Picture this: Saturday, October 28th at Clayton Valley High, the stage was set for an epic showdown. Acalanes Flag Football team had made it to the final four tournament for the DAL Championship, but looming over them was the ominous #1 seed, Clayton Valley, College Park and Northgate. The day started with a clash against College Park, and what followed was a spectacle of highs, lows, and outrageous football drama. If the Dons win their first game against Northgate, then they would play for the Championship.
Addie Martin was our QB for the day leading the Dons against the Northgate Broncos, who earlier this season beat the Dons. It was a defensive battle, with punt after punt as both teams struggled to get 1st downs when Jenna Steele, Dakota Goyert, Kira Chan, Alana Brinkman and Ella Thomason decided they’d had enough. These defenders were like a steel wall, shutting out the Broncos in the first half. And just when you thought things couldn’t get crazier, Steele, probably tired of all the punting, burst out with a 50-yard touchdown catch and run on a nice throw from Martin and with a little help from Romi Ahrahami. The Dons missed the extra point, though, making it a 6-0 cliffhanger. The suspense was real!
The second half kicked off with even more punts, and it seemed like everyone had collectively forgotten how to make a first down. The Broncos clearly had come in with a game plan to shut down the Dons WR speedsters, Monica Dikova and Maya Shoenhair. So Martin decided it was time for some magic. She started playing hot potato with the ball, working short passes in open space to Steele, Kelly Todhunter and eventually delivered a 35-yard pass to Thomason. 2 plays later, Todhunter, in a zigzagging frenzy, capped the drive with a touchdown, pushing the score to 12-0. But guess what? The Broncos pulled off a shocker and scored a touchdown on their next possession, narrowing the gap to just six points. The tension was unbearable!
Acalanes was forced to punted, and it looked like Northgate was about to stage a comeback, but then again Thomason emerged as the superhero of the day, swatting a crucial pass out of the air. A breathless crowd watched as the Dons defied all odds, upsetting the Broncos 12-6. It was a nail-biter, a game for the ages, and Acalanes had punched its ticket to the finals in dramatic style!
But the story didn’t end there; oh no, not by a long shot. Enter the overconfident College Park Falcons. They had a rowdy crowd, and they were seething about an earlier season loss to the Dons in the regular season. The stage was set for an epic showdown between two fierce rivals.
As the game began, it was like watching a war of attrition, with punt after punt. Again the Dons defense played incredible. Pass rushers, Goyert, Todhunter, and Chan were relentless all game. The Linebackers, Steele, Thomason and Brinkman would not let anybody get by them, while our DBs Shoenhair, Addie McShane and Dikova blanketed all of the Falcon receivers.
But that’s when Martin decided to play quarterback like the seasoned pro that she has become this season. Again, Martin found Steele, who decided it was time to light up the scoreboard. A touchdown! But oh, the extra point was an adventure in itself, and it was missed. The score? 6-0, but the drama was far from over.
College Park, with a determined drive, threatened to turn the tide just before halftime. Thomason, the guardian of the gridiron, swatted passes away like they were mere flies, leaving the Falcons fuming. Halftime score: 6-0, and the suspense hung in the air like a thick fog.
The second half was a spectacle of more punts, defensive stops, and a Falcons crowd growing rowdier by the minute. The game was as tight as a knot. But then, as time dwindled to its final seconds, College Park made an epic push. They were at the 1-yard line, and it was 4th down. The Falcons tried a short pass and the receiver ran towards the goal line. The stadium erupted, only to freeze as Ella Thomason made a game-saving flag pull on the half-yard line. The crowd held its collective breath as the referees in a moment of mass confusion, one ref initially called it a touchdown while the other ruled Thomason pulled the flag in time! After a huddle worthy of a courtroom drama, the refs made their call: no touchdown, and Acalanes got the ball on the 1/2-yard line.
However, this game was not yet over. Acalanes backed up on the goal line, had to protect the ball and punted the ball back to the Falcons 20 yard line, leaving the door ajar for College Park. But the Dons’ defense wasn’t in the mood for any funny business. They held firm, with Steele making the final 4th down tackle to clinch the DAL championship with a heart-stopping 6-0 victory. The crowd went absolutely bonkers, and it was an emotionally exhausting game that could’ve been scripted by Hollywood.
And there you have it, the sensational tale of Acalanes’ inaugural season, filled with drama, suspense, and triumphant glory! The story continues as the Dons gear up for the NCS tournament, with fans holding their breath for the next thrilling chapter in this unforgettable journey!
The Dons play on Saturday at 10:45 at Alhambra High School in their quest to win the Champion of Champions Tournament. Come out and catch this team!