Football (1-5) won 27-6 against Woodbridge High at home on Oct. 4 in its first league game of the season. The next game was scheduled for Oct. 11 against Katella High.
“It was just kind of icing on a cake to see it all come together, having played the best game of the year against Northwood [on Sept. 20] and come up barely short right in the last minute of that game,” head football coach Peter Abe said. “Then, for it to come out and put it all together in our first league game when it all really matters, it’s definitely a satisfying kind of feeling.”
In the first half of the game, there were strong defensive plays such as sacks and interceptions by the Bulldogs that kept the score close to the Warriors’, according to Abe. The Bulldogs’ score after the first half was 7-6 during the third quarter.
“In football, teamwork is one of the most important things,” Riccardi said. “If one person doesn’t do their job, then everything goes bad. It is the ultimate team sport, and everyone contributes, especially the offensive line. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do anything in the run game, which is a big part of our offense.”
In the second half, however, the Bulldogs were able to make a comeback through their strategic use of special teams — players who are on the field during kicking plays — and defensive plays to maintain their position until the offense could score points, according to Abe.
During the third quarter, Mapstone intercepted a pass that set the Bulldogs’ offense up for a touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a lead of two points, according to Riccardi. The team’s goal is to keep themselves in good shape to win more games and eventually win the league championship and CIF, according to Abe.
“Our team’s goal for the rest of the year is to improve and play consistently since we have a lot of playmakers and our defense plays lights out,” defensive nose guard and junior Hamza Soliman said. “The seniors on our team heavily impacted the game for me and helped me learn because they always give me feedback after every play and hype me up to perform.”
This game was one of the best that the Bulldogs have played so far because the team had improved significantly in their strategies and coordination since their first five games, according to Riccardi.
“Regardless of what anybody says, how anybody feels, the focus is getting better,” Abe said. “Not only are we doing that, but we are in a good position right now to keep ourselves in that conversation of winning the league championship. But we also want to make sure that our kids are presenting themselves and their program and their families and our school in a manner that would make our community proud.”
