OAKLAND, CA - Senior quarterback Joe Deluca threw for three touchdowns, and Bishop O'Dowd's defense continued its strong run, leading the Dragons to a CIF 5-AA North title with a 24-21 victory over Capital Christian on Friday night.
Bishop O’Dowd (14-1) came into Friday’s game battle tested, having withstood the very ruthless NCS Division 3 playoff bracket. Already in their road to the state championship game, the Dragons had to get past tough opponents like Rancho Cotate (37-34) and Marin Catholic (27-7). Capital Christian proved to be every bit as difficult, especially after the Cougars had dispatched Sonora and Colfax on their way to this regional final.
Deluca went 10-of-14 for 189 yards and the three scores on Friday night, two of which were to Jevon Holland.
“We started off pounding the ball. You know they brought eight in the box the whole game, so we just spread it out," Deluca said. "I got some deep outs to Ethan (Baker Greene), and we took some shots downfield as well. I’m happy I have Jevon to get under them.”
Deluca’s first touchdown pass to Holland was on a 2nd-and-15 play from midfield with 7:27 left in the first half. Deluca dropped back and threw a pass that floated right into the hands of Holland for the score. His second came with 7:04 left to go in the third quarter. On a 3rd-and-9, Deluca rolled to his right to find Holland near the right sideline of the end zone. Holland kept both feet in bounds for the score. Deluca’s final touchdown pass was to senior tight end Cooper Hagmier. Deluca dropped back to pass on a 1st-and-20 and found Hagmier near the right sideline for the 20-yard touchdown.
While Deluca was busy leading the air attack for the Dragons, the ground game was lead by star sophomore running back Austin Jones. Jones ran the ball 35 times for 251 yards, proving once again how much of a work horse the young player can be.
Coach Napoleon Kaufman now has his team headed to the state championship game for the first time in his three year reign as the Bishop O’Dowd head coach.
“I’m just so grateful for these kids and how they bought into the program," Kaufman said. "They just played hard today. This was a hard fought battle, but we did what we needed to do to close the game out."
Capital Christian was led by junior running back Christian Simmons. Simmons ran the ball 16 times for 106 yards and two touchdowns in the game. His first came in the third quarter, after he set himself up with a 73 yard kickoff return to start the second half. Four plays later, he found the end zone with a three-yard touchdown run. With 5:41 left to go in the game, Simmons found the end zone again, this time with a four-yard run, closing the final gap to three points.
"We knew that (Capital Christian) was a tough team," Kaufman added. "They are used to winning. We came out, fought hard, and executed when it was necessary.”
The Dragons' defense, meanwhile, was lead by junior Kenyan Branscomb, Jr. Branscomb had two crucial turnovers in the game. One was a fumble recovery in the first half, and the other came on a late interception to give the Dragons the ball back in the fourth quarter.
Branscomb was part of a key defensive effort, which harassed Capital Christian quarterback Jacob Norville into a 3-for-13 performance, for just 58 yards. It was a disappointing end to the standout senior signal-caller for the Cougars, who had over 2,300 yards passing on the year.
The Cougars also got production from sophomore back D’Marcus Ross. Ross carried the ball 12 times for 36 yards, and one touchdown. At the end of the day, the Cougars finished the season with an 11-3 Record. Head Coach Ron Gerringer gave a lot of praise to the Dragon’s for the way the played.
“That's a great program, a great coaching staff, and a great team," said Capital Christian coach Ron Gerringer, referring to O'Dowd. "Tonight was a hard fought battle, it was a great football game.”
For the Dragons, they will now play the Valley View Eagles (12-3) for the CIF 5-AA state championship.
