The Acalanes JV flag football team capped off a remarkable season, blanking rival Campolindo 21–0 to secure their fifth straight win and close the year on a high note.
The streak began weeks earlier with another win over Campo at Bob Wilson Stadium when Avery Titus rumbled for an electrifying 35-yard touchdown run on the opening drive which brought the visiting crowd to its feet.
Before the fans could sit Lauren Gallagher picked off the Cougars’ first pass and returned it for six. And Gallagher wasn’t done, on Campo’s next possession, she jumped another route for her second pick-six, putting Acalanes up 21–0.
Later in the game Rania Adil added a 10-yard touchdown run, and an Ashby Raher to Ximena Espinosa Angel TD connection put The Dons up 33–6. Defensively, Gallagher, Espinosa Angel, and Ashlyn McCoin piled up tackles all over the field, Amber Qin broke free for a devastating QB sack, while Adil’s late interception iced the win.
The Dons brought a swagger and two game winning streak into George DeKlotz Stadium against Las Lomas and delivered their most complete performance of the season. And as expected, the defense set the tone early.
A key pass breakup by Violette Cline gave The Dons offense and Titus the ball and she repaid the favor with a 23-yard touchdown run, made possible by excellent downfield blocking by Maddie Garber and Margaret Stirling. Titus finished with four total scores, including a 25-yard reception from Raher, as Acalanes rolled to a 26–0 shutout. The defensive unit of Gallagher, Titus, McCoin, Julia Polson Flanigan, Amber Qin, Espinosa Angel and Emilia Deutsch Stella was dominant, making tackles all over the field and securing another shutout win.
Next up was a rematch with Dougherty Valley. The early start afforded fans some bright autumn sunshine, but it was The Dons that provided the heat. Raher opened strong connecting with Titus on a 27 yard pass and a short TD pass to Gallagher. Unlike their earlier matchup the Wildcats lived up to their fierce nickname and clawed back, capitalizing on a stalled Acalanes drive and a short field to tie it 6–6.
The Dons defense tightened behind Gallagher, who notched a sack, great pass coverage by Garber and Gallagher to force a Wildcat three and out, and Cline, who made a key fourth-down stop to end the half.
After a rousing halftime pep talk, the Dons came out firing. Raher completed six straight passes and led her team on a long drive to the Wildcat goal line where Titus punched it in to take the lead. Gallagher later sealed the win with a touchdown catch on one end and another pick six at the other propelling The Dons to a 25–6 victory.
With four wins in a row, the Dons returned to Bob Wilson Stadium to face Campo once again. This time against the Cougars’ full-strength lineup. Campo threatened early, reaching the red zone after a 30 yard pass completion. But Adil’s interception stopped the drive cold. Moments later, Raher found Gallagher for a touchdown and Adil for the extra point.
From there, the defense took over. McCoin, Gallagher, Stella, and Kamryn Dudley led a tackling clinic each with multiple tackles to stifle The Cougars while Titus added two more rushing touchdowns to make it 21–0 at halftime.
The Cougars never recovered. The were shut down and shut out by the defense including multiple key tackles by Dudley, Polson Flanigan, Deutch Stella, two timely 4th quarter interceptions by McCoin and key pass breakups by Dudley, Polson Flanigan, and Stirling on the final defensive stand.
When the final whistle blew, the Dons had recorded their fifth straight win, 21 – 0, their fifth shutout of the year, and a 10–4 overall record and heralds a bright future for the Acalanes flag football program.