On Thursday night at Riordan High in San Francisco—otherwise known as the nicest high school gym ever constructed by human hands and home to the best concession stand in the free world, featuring nachos so tremendous they should probably have their own NIL deal—the Dons took the floor against the powerhouse St. Ignatius Wildcats.
Things looked bleak early: a 21–6 hole after the first quarter—the kind of slow start that makes every Lamorinda mom instinctively reach for her emotional support Hydro Flask. To make matters worse, it quickly became clear it was an off shooting night for the Dons, who are typically sharp shooters.
Still, the boys refused to fold. By halftime it was 38–19, not great, but not nearly as disastrous as the first eight minutes suggested. Then Coach Powers delivered his halftime address—part strategy session, part motivational sermon, part controlled thunder—and suddenly the boys rediscovered their spark. They won the third quarter, trimming the lead to 52–38, and even pulled within 11, causing the blue-blooded Wildcats faithful to momentarily stop discussing which new restaurant in the Sunset is “actually worth crossing town for.”
A huge part of that push came from Gavin Dodge, who—still recovering from the sprained ankle he suffered in the Foundation game—returned to the starting lineup and played like someone who had simply decided pain was a myth. He led the Dons with 14 points, attacking relentlessly. Cameron Hood added 13, including three from downtown, each one a perfectly timed shot of adrenaline for the squad. A.J. Hastings chipped in with several key buckets, steadying the offense whenever it wobbled. And Preston Hilsabeck spent his night doing yeoman’s work on defense and the boards while guarding a 6’9″, 230-pound interior freight train—battling like a knight defending a castle gate.
Ultimately, the Wildcats’ size and depth wore down the Dons, whose starters had logged enough minutes to be declared historical landmarks. SI pulled away late for a 72–46 final, a score that doesn’t fully reflect the competitiveness and grit displayed in the middle frames.
And the road ahead? Not getting any easier. The Dons face two more games in the tournament, both against top-tier Bay Area programs—University High and Cal High—because apparently character is best forged in the fires of nonstop adversity. But as the saying goes, iron sharpens iron, and these battles are preparing the Dons for what truly matters: League play, where toughness, experience, and hard-earned confidence become real weapons.
