By DON DELCO
LAFAYETTE, Calif. — Caelen Birrell scored two first-half touchdowns on a punt return and interception to help lead the Acalanes freshman football team past visiting Las Lomas 28-8 on Thursday, Oct. 8.
The win pulls Acalanes back to .500 at 3-3 with three games remaining in the season.
“Going into the Las Lomas game, the kids feel like these are their regional peers,” Acalanes coach Dana Hemmingsen said. “They want to beat the kids they know. That plays into it. They want to win, and I had a sense going into this game they are going to be competitive.”
Las Lomas opened the game with a three-and-out. Birrell fielded the punt at the Acalanes’ 42-yard line and returned it down the home-team sidelines for the game’s first score.
Leading 7-0, Acalanes defense stifled the Las Lomas offense. The Knights mustered 20 total yards on nine offensive plays from scrimmage and no first downs in the opening quarter.
“One of the messages going into this game was to the defense that this is their defense now,” Hemmingsen said. “You take ownership. I’m just the facilitator. You guys know how to do this.
“What you’re seeing out there at this frosh level now is they are starting to feel comfortable. They’re not having to think about technique now that they have enough reps. They just watch the play unfold and react accordingly.”
Acalanes second touchdown was set up by an interception from defensive tackle Dylan Andersen. Las Lomas quarterback Andrew Keeperman attempted a screen pass on a third-and-22 from the Knights’ 28-yard line. Andersen snagged the pass intended for Las Lomas running back Shane Kelley and returned it 10 yards to the Knights’ 18-yard line. Four plays later, Acalanes quarterback Eli Cooper found Kai Harmeyer for a 13-yard touchdown pass to extend the Dons lead to 14-0.
Las Lomas’ second turnover came two plays later on the following drive. Birrell intercepted a deep pass from Keeperman at midfield intended for Trenton O’Brien, and returned it 44 yards for the pick-six, handing the Dons a 21-0 at halftime advantage.
“We had a plan that we wanted to control the game, and big plays are back breakers,” Hemmingsen said. “Some of the plays I saw at this level were as good as any I’ve ever coached. That was fun to watch.”
Acalanes kept the momentum coming out of the break as the Dons took the opening kick of the second half and drove 58-yards on six plays capped with a 10-yard touchdown run by Hunter Stemmer, his first of the season. The Dons led with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter.
“We want to compete and we want the victory, but we also want to develop players,” Hemmingsen said. “Anytime as a staff that we can get the opportunity to start subbing in players and getting them playing time, that was the goal.”
Las Lomas avoided the shutout with 21 seconds left in the game on a 1-yard touchdown run by Keeperman. The Knights finished with only 110 yards of total offense – 77 rushing and 23 passing. Kelley paced Las Lomas with 94 yards rushing on 16 carries, as Los Lomas’ three other ball carriers finished with negative 17 yards on five carries.
Acalanes spread out its rushing attack, as three players had more than 20 yards on the ground led by Tate Foster with 54 on six carries, Rocco Coniglio with 25 on two carries and Birrell added 22 on two carries.
The Dons defense continued to shine in their victories this season. Acalanes is allowing 4.6 points in its three wins, with one shutout. Andersen had three tackles for a loss, Coniglio had two and Luca Delco had one, which set up the Andersen interception. Foster recorded his first quarterback sack of the season.
“The defense was fun to watch,” Hemmingsen said. “They are starting to understand leverage, alignment, approach and pursuit. You don’t magically acquire these things. You have to get the experience out there. They’re getting it, and it’s starting to show.”
Despite the victory, Hemmingsen had the team run after the game because of sloppy moments throughout the game.
“Acalanes has won state, went undefeated last year despite not having the biggest and best athletes,” Hemmingsen said. “It’s a combination of coaching, holding individuals accountable and effort that Coach Blue expects. This becomes tradition and the standard that drives program success and it’s the foundation we are building from. The game wasn’t up to our overall standards and that’s OK, that’s what we’re teaching these boys.”
GAME CAPTAINS — Wesley Boxerman, Hudson Ciccio, Rocco Coniglio and Trey Renno
SCOUT TEAM PLAYERS OF THE (LAST TWO) WEEKS — We are a week behind because of the unexpected bye week — Leo Beltran Rodrigez and Kamden Min.
NEXT GAME — Acalanes remains in Lafayette to play host to Miramonte at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. The Mats, after winning their season opener over Castro Valley 26-14 on Aug. 27, enter next week on a four-game losing streak. Miramonte lost to Granada 49-8 on Sept. 3, San Marin 50-20 on Sept. 10, Northgate 34-12 on Sept. 17 and Campolindo 27-8 on Oct. 8.
Last season, Acalanes beat Miramonte 28-6.