Dons Football Goes 3-2 Through First Five Games 

As the school year began once again, the SBHS community eagerly awaited the return of Dons Football. However, the future of the team was unclear after the loss of quarterback Laird Finkle along with the graduation of many key players from last year’s squad. Despite this, the team did not disappoint week one as they started out the season with a 21-14 victory over the Camarillo Scorpions on Aug. 22. An away game for the Dons, it was a tale of two halves as the squad scored three touchdowns in the first two quarters only to be held to zero points for the remainder of the contest. Even so, it was a positive start for the young team as they were able to get a victory despite some mistakes. “I thought the first half was really good, and I think the second half we are going to learn a lot in film,” said Head Coach Nate Mendoza of the meeting.

Week two marked the first home game for the Dons as they faced off against the Corona Del Mar Seakings at Peabody Stadium. This exciting matchup proved that the squad was capable of facing adversity as they held their own against the highly lauded Sea Kings. Rushing touchdowns were scored by sophomore wide receiver Nate Meister and senior running back Aaron Baizan, in addition to sophomore quarterback Griffin Arnold slinging it to senior wide receiver James King and junior wide receiver Reid Miller for a couple of passing touchdowns. Arnold played well in his first game at home, going 16 of 27 for 139 yards. Unfortunately, this explosive performance on offense was not enough to get a victory for the Dons as Corona Del Mar managed to rally in the fourth quarter, bringing the final score to 27-28. Still, it was an impressive showing for the young squad as they came incredibly close to defeating a team that was, at the time, ranked 18th in Southern California. Overall, this loss showed everyone that the Dons are not afraid to play hard-nosed football.

Coming off the disappointment of week two, the team was able to rest easy knowing they were set to play Dos Pueblos at their house the following week. Sure enough, the match-up proved to be a straightforward victory for the boys as they defeated the Chargers 44-7. With senior running backs Zane Webb and Aaron Baizan sidelined by injuries, Coach Mendoza called on senior Monty Lopez to fill the gap. Lopez took this responsibility seriously and proceeded to score three touchdowns in the first quarter, which, along with a pick-six by Miller, brought the score to 28-0 going into the second quarter. The Dons’ dominance continued with touchdowns by wide receivers Cade Mault and Fin Congdon as well as a field goal, bringing the total up to 44 points for the Dons. The Chargers, to their credit, did manage to score one time midway through the third, bringing the final score to 44-7. 

Week four brought another away game for the team as they geared up to face the undefeated Moorpark Musketeers at their house. As the game began, Moorpark came out swinging, bringing the score to 7-0 through the first quarter. The Dons answered early in the second with Arnold completing a 43-yard pass to King to tie up the game. The Musketeers quickly struck back with another score to regain the lead before the Dons ran a two-minute drill ending with a touchdown for Lopez as time expired in the half. Unfortunately, the Moorpark defense prevailed in the second half, holding the Dons scoreless for the remainder of the contest, eventually ending in a 14-24 loss for the squad.

After this defeat, the team turned their attentions to “The Big Game” vs San Marcos set to be played at Peabody Stadium on Sept. 19. The 65th annual meeting between the cross-town rivals, all eyes were on the Dons, and they did not disappoint. The contest began with a pitch-and-run touchdown from Arnold to Meister, and the action did not slow down for the remainder of the game. Mault and Meister scored on the ensuing drives, which, along with two-point conversions by Baizan, brought the score to 24-0 going into the second quarter. A pair of touchdowns, through the air and on the ground, for Lopez increased the Dons’ lead to 40-0 with 4:12 left in the half. The Dons weren’t done yet, however, with Webb scoring one last touchdown before halftime, bringing the score to 46-0 as time ran out. The second half saw continued dominance from the Dons as Arnold dumped it off to senior wide receiver James Faletti for yet another touchdown. The Dons’ 53-0 advantage held throughout the third quarter, with the final score occurring midway through the fourth as junior cornerback Senyo Wojogbe caught an interception and ran it back for a seventy-yard pick six. This brought the final score to 60-0, a record high in the sixty-five-year history of “The Big Game”. “It felt good…it felt really good after the loss last week, the boys played so hard, and it was a really fun night”, coach Mendoza said of the victory post-game. Coming off this historic win, the boys went into a week five bye with their heads held high. Tonight, they are playing Newbury Park at their place, so make sure to go out and support your fellow Dons!