Flag Football
Blueprint Photo/ Luke Wellen, Graphics Team Member
By Phoebe Enriquez, Staff Writer
After an exciting start to the season, the Acalanes flag football team (11-4 overall, 7-3 league) is continuing to display their spirited grit.
The team aspires to continue to keep their attitudes high through the remaining games in their season.
“You don’t control the outcome, [but you can] control your effort [and] your attitude,” Head Coach Mike Ivankovich said. “So that’s what we [are] trying to continue to focus on.”
The Lady Dons extended their winning streak after a 31-6 win over Berean Christian on Sept. 21, followed by a 28-7 victory over Miramonte on Sept. 23, and a 41-7 win over Ygnacio Valley on Sept. 28.
They fought through an 18-27 loss to Clayton Valley Charter on Sept. 30, but have continued to show determination, quickly bouncing back with a 34-21 win over Benicia on Oct. 5, a 20-3 win over Concord on Oct. 12, and a shutout against Alhambra 20-0 on Oct. 14.
Throughout the season, the team has remained motivated to keep playing and performing their best.
“Although some things have not exactly gone our way, I am really proud of my team having resilience and encouragement throughout any hard games, even if it turns out differently than expected,” captain and senior Inés Coyne said.
As the regular season comes to a close, the team is enthusiastically awaiting the beginning of the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs, fueled by the momentum of last season’s championship run.
“We’re excited for playoffs,” captain and senior Stella Beuchotte said. “We were super close last year, so knowing [that], we can only go up.
Women’s Golf
Contributing Photo/ Courtney Hamill
By Rory Jackson, Staff Writer
The Acalanes women’s golf team (1-5 overall, 1-5 league) continues to play strong and work hard. While the Dons haven’t won every match, they have learned from past mistakes and plan to keep growing.
The team played Miramonte on Oct. 13, losing 252-241. On Oct. 15, the team took on Campolindo, losing 265-222.
Being on the golf team allows players to learn valuable lessons and make connections with those they play against and with.
“It's been a big learning experience on how to be patient and make good connections with new people,” junior Chloe Vignoles said.
The team focuses on having fun and showing support to teammates and other players on the course.
“I think the team is very collectively fun and we always support each other,” junior Stella Champion said. “[It is fun] to play with all your friends.”
The team reflects back on the support and growth of friendships and relationships between one another as the season closes.
“Golf is an individual sport, but high school golf is different,” captain and senior Miracle Gu said. “It's a team sport. [Other players] have taught me a lot about being a [team player], instead of just working on my own.”
Women’s Tennis
Blueprint Photo/ Isaiah Castillo, Senior Photographer
By Cruz Tamayo, Staff Writer
The Acalanes women’s tennis team continues its (4-8 overall, 2-5 league) season, playing intensely against their opponents.
The Dons dominated College Park in an 8-1 victory on Sept. 22. Following a tough 1-8 loss against Miramonte on Sept. 24, the team won 7-2 versus Las Lomas on Sept. 29.
The team aims for a competitive end to their season and to continue playing ambitiously, especially against top teams.
“I hope we can make it [far] in the season,” sophomore Elisabeta Sokolova said. “We have a strong team this year, so I'm confident we'll get far, and we're showing great results so far.”
The team’s close connections contribute to the supportive atmosphere.
“It's pretty mellow this year,” Head Coach Sharon Langtry said. “Everybody gets along really well. You know, people are supporting each other to get better.”
Before the season ends, the team will play all the teams in their league once more before the end-of-season championship. On Oct. 1, the team had their first playoff game, where the Dons faced a bitter 1-8loss against Northgate. The Dons then played Campolindo on Oct. 13, losing 1-8. On Oct. 15, the team faced off against College Park and won 11-0.
With new faces and a strong senior class, the team hopes for a successful playoff season and a chance to make it to the North Coast Section (NCS) playoffs.
“We've been playing some really hard teams,” Langtry said. “For example, Miramonte is really good competition. But we've done well, [and] we have some good new players playing singles.”
Women’s Volleyball
Blueprint Photo/ Maya Kayiran, Graphics Team Member
By Elinor Chen, Staff Writer
The Acalanes women’s volleyball team (8-12 overall, 5-3 in league) is looking forward to a strong season with strong teamwork.
On Sept. 22, they started off strong in their first league game of the season against College Park, emerging victorious with a score of 3-1 after losing the first set; they came back to win three sets in a row. Two days later, they faced Northgate, winning 3-1 again, despite missing two of their senior captains, outside hitter Ella Chong and libero Sahar Noroozi.
The Dons then fell to the Las Lomas Knights 0-3 on Sept. 29, but came back strong the following week with a 3-0 win against Berean Christian. The team faced one of their toughest games yet when they played Campolindo on Oct. 7 and lost 0-3, but the Acalanes community showed up decked out in pink to support the team.
Following the loss, the team played College Park on Oct. 8, winning 3-0. Then on Oct. 13, the team faced Northgate again, taking another 3-1 win. On Oct. 15, the team faced off against Las Lomas again and lost in a close game, 2-3.
The team feels that their serves are one of their strengths, which they strive to utilize on the court.
“We're a really tough serving team, and we consistently have been serving at above 90 percent, which is what we want to see in volleyball…so it's definitely hard for the other teams to pass our athletes right now,” Head Coach Haley Walsh said. “So we've been really trying to hone in on that skill and really continue to use it to our advantage.”
With eight out of the team’s 14 players being seniors, the team is exceptionally senior-heavy. Despite this, many feel as if the juniors are taking on leadership roles as well.
“I think a lot of the juniors have been stepping up, [and] most of them weren’t on [varsity] last year, and so for them to be starting ... to [play] at a higher level and being very confident in themselves is what really is standing out to me,” Chong said.
Overall, the team feels like they are improving and building trust and cooperation as they shift out of the preseason and into league games.
“We definitely had a bumpy start in [the preseason], but I think now that we've had more time to bond and we're building our team chemistry, and now that we have some more motivation because it's now league and the games are more important now, [we’re] really ... motivated ... to push harder,” captain and senior Amelia Easley said.
Women’s Water Polo
Blueprint Photo/ Emmet Fretwell, Head of Photography
By Sydney Piacente, Staff Writer
The Acalanes women’s water polo team (15-3 overall, 3-0 league) has been making a big splash throughout their season.
The team participated in the Heather Carr West Memorial Invitational Tournament on Sept. 25 and 26, finishing with an impressive winning streak of 4-0 over the weekend. On Sept. 25, they played Clovis and Rio Americano winning both of the games 11-8 and 10-4 respectively. Continuing their streak, on Sept. 26 they came out victorious in their games against Clovis West 11-6 and Stevenson 15-8.
Seniors on the team aspire to leave a positive impact on younger players, considering they graduate after this season.
“I hope to leave a legacy behind of having a team that does work hard and is very competitive, but is not toxic,” captain and senior Finley Graff said.
On Sept. 30, the Dons took the win against Las Lomas 13-4, and on Oct. 1 they dominated their match against Archbishop Mitty 15-6. The Dons successfully beat Campolindo 9-6 on Oct. 7.
The team recognizes the importance of their connection, both in and out of the water.
“We're just all bonded really well as a team, so we are able to communicate really well in the water,” junior Malin Stone said.
The Dons faced Leland and Monte Vista on Oct. 10, winning the games 13-12 and 11-3, respectively. The team played Miramonte on Oct. 14, winning 10-4.
The players and coaches have worked together to create a supportive and uplifting community while also remaining highly competitive as a team.
“We tell the girls, our goal is that this is the most special group that they're ever a part of,” Head Coach Misha Buchel said.
Football
Blueprint Photo/JP Birdwell, Senior Photographer
By Will Miller, Social Media Manager
The Acalanes football team (6-1 overall, 0-0 league) has continued their strong start to the season.
The team won big on Sept. 25, 42-15, in the homecoming game against American Canyon, with stellar performances from captains and seniors Tyler Winkles, Grant Condy, and Finn Rivera, along with senior Jackson Boselli. Winkles threw for 427 yards and five touchdowns, completing 19 of 26 passes. Condy caught four passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Rivera led the team that night with six receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Boselli caught five passes for two touchdowns and 120 yards. Kicker and sophomore Jonny Rubin was perfect, converting all six of the extra point attempts, making him 25 and 26 on the season.
The Dons secured another victory against Las Lomas on Oct. 9, 35-10, with the help of junior Joquien Bordi and his 24 carries for 108 yards. The defense showed out with 61 tackles, preventing the Knights from scoring again after their quick field goal and touchdown. Junior Dax Vail had a game-high 12 tackles and forced a fumble. Condy also had an interception that secured the Dons the victory.
The following week, they played Miramonte on Oct. 16 in their league opener and won 46-10, increasing their winning streak against Miramonte to 9 years. Winkles threw 5 touchdowns and over 300 yards, completing 13 of his 21 passes. Rubin had another perfect game, converting 5 extra points and scoring on the field goal attempt from 31 yards. He also had a touchdown-saving tackle in the fourth quarter during a kickoff return.
Then they will travel to play Clayton Valley on Oct. 23 and Campolindo on Oct. 30. Finally, they will play Benicia at home for senior night on Nov. 6.
After last year's success, coaches have continued to emphasize having good sportsmanship and attitudes on the field.
“Every day working on learning how to be great teammates,” Head Coach Joel Issac said. “That's really the emphasis. If we can learn how to do that and do things together with a common goal, we will have sustained success.”
Men’s Water Polo
Blueprint Photo/JP Birdwell, Senior Photographer
By Emiko Kuniyoshi, Online Editor
The Acalanes men’s water polo team (12-9 overall, 0-4 league) continues to work hard.
On Sept. 23, the team lost their game against Northgate 5-17. On Sept. 29, they won against James Logan, 11-10. Sophomore Borna Koopah put up an impressive four goals and three assists. Captain and senior Fisher Bradford-Urban had six saves in goal. Then on Sept. 30, they lost to Las Lomas, 15-9. On Oct. 1, they beat Piedmont 17-10. Sophomore Brecken Roberts put up five goals. The team had 17 goals and assists along with 10 steals. The team lost to Campolindo, 19-6, on Oct. 7.
Later that week, on Oct. 9 in the Alameda 501 Varsity Boys Tournament, the team won both games, beating Mission San Jose 17-5 and Washington 13-8. Against Mission San Jose, the team had 15 assists and eight steals. Roberts accounted for another five goals. In goal, frosh William Aliano had five saves. Versus Washington, Roberts was a top performer yet again, putting up four goals and one assist.
On the second day of the tournament, Oct. 10, the team won 19-14 in their game against Liberty. Koopah had five assists and four goals. Roberts added to the goal count with four of his own. In a close game, the team lost their last game in the tournament to Alameda 11-17. On Oct. 14, they fell 22-8 to Miramonte and beat Berkeley 19-8 the following day in a dominant showing.
Throughout the season, the team has been faced with many adversities and challenges to overcome.
“Injuries and sickness [have been a challenge this year],” Head Coach Jake Norton said. “We've had a lot of players down…There have been two or three games here or there [where we were low in numbers].”
Despite injuries, the team is ready to finish off the rest of the season with strong attitudes and close bonds.
“Our team is close-knit and supportive of each other, regardless of success or adversity,” Bradford-Urban said. “We routinely hang out outside of water polo and work to lift each other up. Success in relationships means success for the team.”
Cross Country
Blueprint Photo/ Emmett Fretwell, Head of Photography
By Jana Kabadaya, Staff Writer
The Acalanes Cross Country team is continuing to work and run hard.
The Dons attended their first Diablo Athletic League Center Meet, which was held at Hidden Valley Park on Sept. 23. The team had several strong performances and season-best times. Senior Peyton Eagans ran the three-mile course in 18:35.1, scoring a personal best, while captain and senior Xander Hagen ran 18:05.7 for the three-mile course.
Hidden Valley Park is often considered one of the more challenging courses due to the steep hill, given the name “Puke Hill”, at the end of the course
“It’s in the last third of a mile of the race,” Hagen said. “It’s really steep, and it’s the hardest part of the race because at that point you’re breathing hard and your legs feel heavy.”
Following their league opener, the Dons kept their momentum going at the Be the G.O.A.T. Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 26 at the Pinole Multi-Use Trails. The cooler weather and flatter terrain contributed to the team’s overall success. Both Varsity teams were able to secure the first-place team finish.
“For the varsity boys race, we all paced together, which helped, but I was able to pass a few runners in the last mile,” Hagen said. “We didn’t have the fastest times, but we all did well, so we were able to win the meet.”
The team is continuing to work hard and improve heading into some of the last meets in the regular season.
“Now that it has cooled down, we feel that our fitness has improved from running and sprinting in the heat,” Hagen said.
The strong bond between team members has contributed to the team's ongoing success throughout the season.
“As a team member, my favorite part about running with the Dons is being able to run with my friends and improve my endurance,” captain and sophomore Charlotte Keyser said.
