SAN MATEO, CA — In high school football, the team that wins a game is not necessarily the one that plays better, but is almost always the one that is able to take advantage of the other’s mistakes.
The Aragon Dons followed that formula on Friday night in beating the rival Hillsdale Knights, 37-27, at home to secure a CCS playoff spot and take back the Battle of the Fleas trophy after Hillsdale had won the previous two years.
Aragon (7-3, 3-2 PAL Bay) had led the whole way until late in the third quarter when, with the Dons up 24-19, quarterback Gabe Campos couldn’t handle a snap and Hillsdale’s Nate Rosas recovered and returned the ball to the Aragon six. Three plays later, quarterback Ben Carrithers connected with Jeremy Teteak for a touchdown, and coupled with a two-point conversion, the Knights led 27-24.
But Aragon responded right away in five plays. From the Hillsdale 40, Siua Tongamoa broke free along the left sideline for the score that would give the Dons the lead they never relinquished. Tongamoa added another score later in the game to put it out of reach.
“Our guys just pulled it together,” Aragon coach Steve Sell said. “We’re like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. Our kids kept playing hard, and they were physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage.”
Aragon’s defense took advantage of Hillsdale’s first mistake of the game early on. Following a three-and-out, the Knights took over on their own 45 to begin their first possession. But on their very first play, Rosas fumbled the ball and Brent Marin scooped it up and raced 40 yards to the end zone to give the Dons a 7-0 lead.
Hillsdale (4-6, 1-4) advanced into Aragon territory on its next possession, but turned the ball over on downs. The Dons took advantage by driving for a Dakota Severson field goal and a 10-0 lead after a quarter.
The Knights’ running game, led by Rosas, was not its usual effective self, so Hillsdale leaned heavily on the pass. On a drive that bridged the first and second periods, Carrithers hit Joey Sabel over the middle for a 31-yard gain that brought the Knights to the one yard-line. Rosas scored two plays later to put Hillsdale on the board, trailing 10-6 at that point.
The Dons, however, had a quick response. On third-and-eight from their own 38, Campos faded back and threw deep along the left sideline to Anthony Sandoval, who scampered in for the score and a 17-6 Aragon lead. But Hillsdale came back and scored on just one play. After Rosas returned the kickoff to the Dons’ 35, Carrithers found Nate Shani along the left sideline for a quick touchdown to cut the Knights’ deficit to 17-12. The teams would trade scores once more in the half, and so Aragon led 24-19 at halftime.
After a scoreless and uneventful third period, the Aragon running game began to take over. The Dons utilized both Tongamoa and sophomore Paul Lautaimi and gradually wore down the Hillsdale defense.
“It’s great to have,” Sell said of the rushing attack. “It keeps us fresh, it’s terrific.”
Aragon’s defense also came up big late in the game, with three interceptions in the second half, including two by Marin in the fourth quarter. Marin ended Hillsdale’s last chance to get back into the game with a minute and a half remaining by intercepting Carrithers and returning the ball to the Knights’ 20. Aragon kneeled out the victory from there.
“Hillsdale is such a great program,” Sell said. “They play so well that beating them is a big deal. We just want to enjoy it right now.”
After having beaten the Knights 22 years in a row from 1992 to 2013, the Dons lost to Hillsdale in 2014 and 2015 before taking back the Battle of the Fleas trophy this season. Now Aragon moves onto the playoffs, where they will be placed in the Open Division II or Division III bracket. Their seed and opponent will be announced at the seeding meeting on Sunday.
