The Dublin High Football team can take pride in knowing that it was playing its best football at the end of the season after defeating an 8-2 Livermore team at home on Senior Night (28-21) and going on the road to win against a 6-4 Dougherty Valley squad (48-18) in what proved to be the season finale.
Dublin’s final two victories allowed the Gaels to finish the season 6-4 overall. Excluding the pandemic-shortened spring season, this is the 3rd consecutive year in which the Gaels finished with a winning record. In addition, the Gaels were 50 seconds away from winning an East Bay Athletic League Valley Division title before giving up a touchdown at the end of regulation and ultimately falling 28-22 in overtime on the road against the eventual champion Foothill (the 2021 NCS finalists).
The Gaels were particularly explosive on offense at the end of the season, amassing over 900 yards in total offense in the final two games. Running Back Brady Steadman was nominated by the Bay Area News Group as Athlete of the Week after scoring three touchdowns in the win over Livermore, while Quarterback Angel Barraza was selected the following week for his 271-yard, 3-touchdown performance to help the Gaels claim the Shalele for the 12th time in the 14-year history of the rivalry with Dougherty Valley.
The Junior Varsity team also finished on a high note with a 40-24 win against the Wildcats, where the merged squad that included the Freshmen team saw all 61 players take the field. With a record number of players returning within the program, the team is expected to continue to compete at a high level in 2023.
