Following two tough EBAL Valley Division losses to Foothill and Livermore, more than the Shalele was on the line on November 5th when Dublin and Dougherty Valley battled on the gridiron. For the first time in the rivalry’s history, a berth in the North Coast Section Division II playoffs was also at stake. Despite Dublin’s strong start this year, the losses put the Gaels in a position where a loss to the Wildcats would mean missing the postseason.
The Gaels responded to the pressure in resounding fashion, posting a 54-7 win to reclaim the Shalele and earn a playoff spot. This was Dublin’s 3rd consecutive victory over Dougherty Valley, and proved to be a great way for Dublin’s 25 seniors to conclude their final game at Gaels Stadium. The victory by the Gaels also knocked the Wildcats out of postseason consideration, as the final two playoff berths went to league opponents Granada (#7) and Livermore (#8) instead.
Dublin finished the season 6-4 overall, and tied with the Matadors and Cowboys for 2nd place at 2-2 in EBAL Valley Division. The Gaels are the #5 seed in the NCS Division II bracket, and will renew an old Diablo Foothill Athletic League rivalry when it travels to face #4 seed Campolindo on Friday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m. This will be the program’s first NCS appearance since 2017, a year in which Dublin pulled off a remarkable 1st Round upset on the road at California as the #12 seed in a 16-team bracket. Camponlindo appeared in the most recent NCS playoffs that were conducted in 2019, advancing to the Division II Championship game before falling to Clayton Valley.
Campolindo finished the season 7-3 overall and went 4-1 in the Diablo Athletic League’s Foothill Division. The only common opponent between Dublin and Campolindo was Liberty. The Cougars lost to Liberty 13-7 on September 10th, while the Gaels defeated the Lions 37-21 on September 24th. Dublin and Campolindo actually squared off in a scrimmage to kickoff the shortened spring season on March 13, 2021 at an empty Gaels Stadium due to COVID protocols at the time. It was the first action for either squad in 16 months up to that point due to the pandemic, and the score was not allowed to be maintained. If Dublin wins on Friday, they will face the winner of the San Ramon Valley-Livermore contest during the weekend of November 19-20.
Dublin was able to punch it’s ticket to the postseason through its best offensive performance of the season. The Gaels compiled 614 yards in total offense, including 489 yards rushing. Six different players scored touchdowns to help lead a balanced Dublin attack.
The Gaels jumped on the board in the game’s opening minutes on a 7-yard touchdown run by Jayden Petrus. Lineman Jake Cooney got into the scoring action next with a 3-yard touchdown run, and the Gaels led 14-0 after the 1st quarter. Anthony Armdendariz connected with Brandon Burns on a 23-yard touchdown pass to push Dublin’s lead to 20-0 early in the 2nd quarter, and T.J. Costello finished the first half scoring with a 37-yard touchdown run to give the Gaels a 27-0 advantage at the break. Gary Cabida proceeded to score on a 5-yard run early in the 3rd quarter to extend Dublin’s lead to 34-0 and put the game out of reach.
In other positive developments, the Junior Varsity team finished its season with a winning record by defeating the Wildcats 21-7. Dublin compiled a 5-3-2 overall record while going 2-1-1 in the EBAL Valley Division.
