JESUS CANO
Prep2Prep Adult Contributor

October 4, 2019

SAN RAMON - One day after becoming a father for the first time, Amador Valley coach Danny Jones was able to watch his team go out and execute its game plan at Dougherty Valley, building a big first-half lead and then cruising to the 56-7 victory in the EBAL-Valley opener for both teams.

"Obviously every game is important, but you definitely want to open up league with a win," Jones said. "Regardless of the team you are playing, you want to focus on yourself. I felt like if we were able to do that, we would get this kind of outcome. We don't care about who we play, we just want to focus on ourselves and follow that formula."

The Dons (4-2, 1-0) certainly started fast, scoring three times in the first quarter to build a quick 21-point advantage. Eric Hunter III broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run on the third offensive play of the game for Amador Valley, less than three minutes into the game. On the next Dons' possession, Hunter did it again, this time dashing 49 yards to the end zone on his final carry of the night, as he racked up 101 yards on just four offensive touches.

"Eric Hunter is a guy who can score at any point, from anywhere on the field. You just get the ball in his hands and he is electric. The idea is to get the ball to him in space," Jones added. "And Kannon (Dote) is a fearless leader for us. The kid can spin it, and I think he is as good as anyone in the area, and he will continue to show how great he is the rest of the season."

Dote showed off his arm following Hunter's two scoring runs, connecting with Kai Burgermeister for a 51-yard score late in the first quarter. He would later add a pair of touchdown passes to Cal Ewanich, from 22 and 28 yards out.

Following the first scoring pass, Hunter showed off his versatility, taking an interception 90 yards for a touchdown to thwart a Dougherty (1-6, 0-1) drive. The Wildcats reached the end zone with 3:50 left in the first half, but Amador Valley struck back not once but twice before heading to the locker room, first on a 22-yard pass from Dote to Ewanich and then on an eight-yard scoring run by Dote with 16 seconds left in the second quarter to make the score 42-7 at the break.

Despite the one-sided score, Jones still found plenty of areas for improvement as the Dons get ready to face Granada next Friday in a game that will go a long way to deciding the division title.

"When you win a game, it can mask some of those little things you still need to work on, and we need to focus on those moving forward and get those corrected," Jones said. "We still have some issues with those things, such as penalties, getting lined up, some mental toughness. Those are the things we need to improve on."