League champs! O’Dowd survives James Logan’s comeback to win MVAL/WACC Foothill crown

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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