What kind of team do you want to be?

Coach Nat Beeman previously posed that question to the team after last week’s stinging loss and, Friday evening against Marin Catholic, with Acalanes trailing 14-6 late in the fourth quarter, the answer came into focus: a team that keeps battling. The Dons rallied for a touchdown, converted a dramatic two-point attempt, and nearly stole the game in the final seconds before walking away with a hard-earned 14-14 tie against a disciplined Marin Catholic squad.

The Marin Catholic Wildcats opened the game in unusual fashion with a seemingly planned squib kick. Lelan Stone deftly gathered the bouncing ball and returned it to the 45, beginning what would become a strong evening for Acalanes special teams.

The first half quickly settled into a defensive struggle. Andre Lewis and Jayden Lifson supplied some powerful early runs, while Luke Kelly moved the chains with a fourth-down reception. When the drive ended with an interception and Marin Catholic headed the other direction, Alden Sturm made a potentially touchdown-saving tackle from the secondary. The defense took it from there, holding firm and eventually forcing a turnover on downs.

After the Dons’ next possession ended with a punt that rolled all the way to the Wildcat 32, AJ Bishop exploded into the backfield for a sack that helped pin Marin Catholic deep. The Wildcats eventually punted, the ball came loose at the end of a solid return, and William Griffin made a terrific diving recovery to preserve possession.

Then the Dons put together their best drive of the half.

Lifson got things started with a hard five-yard run that became a first down with a Wildcat penalty. Stone Jaquet, one of Acalanes’ most reliable receiving targets throughout the evening, contributed through the air while Lifson and Lewis kept pounding away on the ground.

Penalties repeatedly interrupted the flow of the game, but the Dons kept moving. Eventually they reached the seven, where Lewis took the handoff behind an offensive line that was playing some of its best football of the season and powered into the end zone.

A creative two-point attempt disguised as an extra-point kick was stopped, but Acalanes went to halftime leading 6-0.

One small generally unnoticed halftime highlight deserves mention. Reese Caicedo, who was already producing on the gridiron, went through an impressive series of shuttle exercises that combined speed, footwork and power, a nice glimpse of the athleticism that often goes unnoticed among the guys doing the heavy lifting in the trenches.

The second half began with more strong defense. Kanishka Giridhar delivered a big hit for a loss on Marin Catholic’s first play, and Bishop and Stone combined on a third-down stop that forced another punt.

A Will Feinstein completion to Jaquet highlighted the next Acalanes possession, but the drive stalled. Marin Catholic did no better, with Lewis making a strong tackle to hold the Wildcats’ talented running back to a short gain and Griffin displaying high football-IQ by steering clear of a dangerously bouncing punt.

At that point, however, the momentum shifted quickly.

Heavy pressure produced a Dons fumble that Marin Catholic returned for a touchdown. The extra point gave the Wildcats a 7-6 lead. After the teams traded unsuccessful possessions, Marin Catholic broke through into the end zone again on third-and-goal. Another extra point made it 14-6.

The Dons were down eight, time was running short, and the Wildcats could taste victory.

And yet, harkening back to Coach Beeman’s earlier challenge, Acalanes responded with its best offensive football of the night.

The O-line took control. Lewis and Lifson, the Dons’ thunder-and-lightning backfield, took turns ripping off big gains, with Lewis powering through defenders and moving piles while Lifson found creases and made defenders miss. And the Dons kept marching forward, relying heavily on its punishing ground game.

Near the goal line, Lewis took the handoff and disappeared into a scrum. For a moment, the tug-of-war pile stood nearly motionless.

Then the entire pile started moving toward the end zone.

The line kept driving. Lewis kept churning. And four yards later, with a particularly energized Tandler push from the line, the Dons had their second touchdown and were down just two, 14-12.

There was no decision to make. Acalanes needed two.

Lifson took the handoff and initially appeared trapped in the backfield. Instead of going down, he shook free, changed direction, found a small crease and burst through into the end zone.
14-14.

And yet the Dons still weren’t finished.

An excellent Acalanes kickoff was curiously called back on a delay-of-game penalty, forcing a re-kick. The special teams group, which had come through time after time all game despite some anxiety-inducing loose balls, locked in for one last opportunity.

They found one.

The Wildcats muffed the re-kick, and Jackson Cooper emerged with the football as the Acalanes sideline erupted. After some confusion over the remaining time, the Dons were left with only a couple of plays. One final Hail Mary was unsuccessful, and the scoreboard remained 14-14.

The comeback was a true collective effort. August Van Ornum, Luke Fratarcangeli, Stone, Lucas Leingang, Cooper, Konstantin Zahn, Beau Tandler, Harrison Clark, DJ McClellan, Isaac Grinshpun, Samson Salvador and the rest of the offensive and defensive fronts – who, once again, were up against particularly beefy opposing linemen, did the difficult work in the trenches throughout the evening. Grinshpun’s return from an early-season injury was particularly welcome, while Salvador added a brilliant recovery of a loose ball to avert a potentially devastating turnover. It was also great to see newcomer Brady Mickelson getting into the action and playing an important role alongside his new teammates.

Afterward, Beeman smiled and said the kids had “battled throughout the game.” There are things to tighten up, he acknowledged, but he was already looking ahead to next week and, in his words, “a Dons victory.”

A tie won’t go into the record book as a win. But coming back from eight points down late, driving the field, converting a must-have two-point attempt and recovering the ensuing kickoff made this one feel like meaningful progress.

And it provided a pretty good answer to Beeman’s question: what kind of team do the Dons want to be?

One that keeps battling, stands together, learns from the week before and keeps getting better.

This occasionally reliable JV correspondent signs off with a special nod to Shalana Stone, whose unmistakably clear and passionate encouragement from the stands ensured that no Don player, coach, cheerleader, parent/guardian, or anyone within a surprisingly generous earshot could possibly contemplate easing up or surrendering hope.