OAKLAND — As Bishop O’Dowd head coach Hardy Nickerson walked off the sphere after the Dragons’ 35-27 win over James Logan on Friday night time, he couldn’t maintain in his pleasure.
“League champs!” Nickerson yelled in entrance of the O’Dowd house bleachers. “We got the belt!”
Regardless of a livid Logan comeback within the second half, O’Dowd held on to beat the Union Metropolis faculty and seize the Mission Valley/West Alameda Foothill Division crown on senior night time.
“We’ve been building,” Nickerson stated. “This ain’t something that happened overnight. The guys have just been committed and they’ve taken the next step. It’s been really really fun to watch.”
Bishop O’Dowd’s Xavier Garrett #88 recovers a fumble within the first half towards James Logan in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
O’Dowd quarterback Devin Wilson had one in all his greatest performances of the season, finishing 12 of 20 passes for 168 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Senior security Jacob Knopp got here up large for the Dragons as he made the game-sealing interception on Logan’s ultimate drive of the sport.
“We got back for our brothers,” Knopp stated. “The last time we were here on senior night two years ago, we lost 28-0. … Now we won. No questions asked.”
Logan had the sport tied at 7 after the primary quarter, however a string of O’Dowd scores put the Dragons up large early.
Wilson discovered Jaren Beene for a 26-yard rating to place O’Dowd up 13-7 to start out the second quarter.
Later, Knopp picked off a Logan cross and returned it 23 yards for a landing to make the rating 21-7.
Logan received again into the sport momentarily when the Colts strung collectively a six-play, 78-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard scoring rush by Lamar Ellis.
However O’Dowd’s offense saved their foot on the fuel as Wilson threw his third and fourth landing passes earlier than the tip of the primary half to place O’Dowd up 35-14 at halftime.
Rain begins to fall within the fourth quarter of the Bishop O’Dowd recreation towards James Logan in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Because the third quarter began, rain poured into Oakland and dampened the O’Dowd subject. However simply because the Dragons regarded like they had been going to run away with the sport, the Colts discovered their groove.
Late within the third quarter, senior quarterback David Mercado discovered broad receiver Ayden McChristian for a 12-yard rating over the center of O’Dowd’s protection to chop the result in 15.
Logan made a vital cease later within the third, and marched its offense 85 yards in 9 performs, capped off by a Mercado 23-yard strike to Danzel Mercado that introduced the Colts to inside eight factors with beneath seven minutes left within the fourth quarter.
James Logan’s Lamar Ellis #4 is hoisted by Kevin Bradley #72 after scoring the primary landing of the sport, a 15-yard run towards Bishop O’Dowd in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
With Logan having all of the momentum, O’Dowd went again to its run recreation. The Dragons marched all the way down to the Logan 13-yard line utilizing a wide range of inside runs and brief passes, however Logan sophomore Tevita Taupaki gave the Colts one final likelihood to tie the sport.
On the 2:34 mark of the fourth quarter, the Dragons rushed up the center proper into Taupaki who stripped the ball from an O’Dowd working again and gave the Union Metropolis faculty possession with simply minutes left within the recreation.
With a league title on the road, O’Dowd’s protection got here in clutch. Logan couldn’t attain the first-down marker in its first three performs of the possession and had been confronted with a fourth-and-seven. The Colts determined to cross and Knopp got here up along with his second interception of the sport and sealed the MVAL/WACC Foothill crown for O’Dowd.
“I saw the ball thrown wide side the field and I’m like, ‘I gotta pick this. It’s my ball. This is the game,’” Knopp stated.
It was a full circle second for O’Dowd, which hasn’t gained a league title since 2018. Nickerson, who took the job in 2022, provides Friday’s victory to a listing of signature wins the Dragons have had this season that features Monte Vista and Moreau Catholic.
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“They are a tough opponent,” Nickerson stated of Logan. “They’re a Division I school, a big school with over 5,000 students. We’re a small Catholic school. … We worked so hard. This ain’t something that just happened overnight. It’s something that we’ve been working towards. We started during the offseason. It’s just great for us to be able to deliver on what we set as a goal and that’s to win our league.”
Wilson added, “This implies the whole lot to us. We glance up on the fitness center and we’ve got a banner up there that claims 2018. It’s one thing we’ve been planning on the entire season and we’re simply glad to be again.”
Bishop O’Dowd quarterback Devin Wilson #10 rolls out for cross towards James Logan within the fourth quarter of a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
For first-year Logan coach James Barnes, the truth that his staff was even in league title rivalry was one thing he was happy with, regardless of the loss. Logan misplaced its three-star quarterback Jonathan Craft when he transferred to El Cerrito earlier than this season and began the 12 months with 4 consecutive losses.
“The future is bright,” Barnes stated. “We’re not going anywhere. The guys believe in the system. It’s going to take one more year to get over that hump. We take our bumps now, so then going forward, we know what it feels like to be prepared and experienced to play those games.”
Bishop O’Dowd warms up earlier than the ultimate common season house recreation of the 12 months towards James Logan in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd protection faces James Logan in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation at Bishop O’Dowd in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
James Logan’s Lamar Ellis #4 stiff arms Bishop O’Dowd’s Jacob Knopp #12 in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd quarterback Devin Wilson #10 prepares to sort out James Logan Tevita Taupaki #50 who’d stripped a ball for turnover within the fourth quarter of a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
James Logan’s Lamar Ellis #4 hurdles his teammate Sergio Marin #60 on a fourth quarter run towards Bishop O’Dowd in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
James Logan’s Lamar Ellis #4 rushes towards Bishop O’Dowd within the fourth quarter of a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
James Logan’s Dore’on Banks #27 recovers a fumble towards Bishop O’Dowd in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd’s Evan Garrison #7 catches a cross between James Logan defenders Ayden McChristian #2 and Carmelo Martin #24 within the third quarter of a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
James Logan’s Ayden McChristian #2 catches a landing cross within the third quarter towards Bishop O’Dowd in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
James Logan’s Keian Davis #22 left the sport after being injured on a sort out by Bishop O’Dowd’s Evan Garrison #7 in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd’s Anthony Hassell #52 pursues James Logan quarterback David Mercado #1 within the first half of a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd’s OC Lehner #35 James Logan quarterback David Mercado #1 within the first half of a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd’s OC Lehner #35 rushes towards James Logan in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd’s Jaren Beene #2 scores on a landing reception towards James Logan’s Jacob Laday #32 and Shylon Inexperienced Jr. #11 within the second quarter of a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd’s Jacob Knopp #12 intercepts a cross within the ultimate moments of the fourth quarter supposed for James Logan’s Jahvarus Walker #6, guarded by Ian Garrick #3, to protect the Dragons’ 35-27 victory in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Bishop O’Dowd’s Jacob Knopp #12 intercepts a cross within the ultimate moments of the fourth quarter supposed for James Logan’s Jahvarus Walker #6, guarded by Ian Garrick #3, to protect the Dragons’ 35-27 victory in a West Alameda County Convention Foothill Division soccer recreation in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)