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Sports

Dublin High Falls To Top Seed Windsor

The Gaels struggle on both sides of the ball, losing 35-0 against the Jaguars.

Windsor High’s perfect season continues after their 35-0 victory over Dublin High in the North Coast Section Division II football semifinals Friday night.

The Gaels had missed the playoffs the past six years and were looking to continue their post-season success against number one seed Windsor High, but they were dominated on all aspects of the game.

The Dublin defense hung around early on, keeping the score 14-0 with 3:57 left in the first half, but their offensive line could not handle the Jaguars front seven.

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Gaels senior quarterback Edward Achziger was under pressure the entire game, resulting in forced throws, two of which got intercepted in the first half and were turned into touchdowns by the Windsor defense.

The Jaguars defense also kept Dublin’s running game under control. Defensive linemen and linebackers shed blocks, penetrating the line of scrimmage as they smothered Gaels running backs Ondre Rudolph and Major Stelly. Rudolph led the team with 56 rushing yards.

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“They tried to mix it up with the run. Our game plan was to really man them up on the outside and bring the pressure up the middle with our two great defensive ends and linebackers,” said Windsor head coach Rob Gatrell. “We really liked the matchups.”

The first half belonged to Windsor senior quarterback Christian McAlvain. He had enough time in the pocket to find receivers down the field for intermediate gains, including a 25-yard touchdown pass to receiver Taylor Biaggi late in the second quarter.

McAlvain finished the game with 111 passing yards and led the Jaguars on the ground with 58 rushing yards. He also had a 4-yard touchdown run with under a minute left in the half.

“They play tough defense, gave us a 3-4 look and we just had to grind out on offense and all the credit goes to our coaches for preparing us all week,” he said.

Although Dublin trailed 21-0 at halftime, they didn’t give up and continued to play hard. The defense played considerably better in the second half, breaking up passes and not allowing a passing touchdown.

“Talking to the kids, especially the seniors, I just said go have fun and leave it out on the field and when you walk off the field, if it is the last time, please don’t have any regrets that you didn’t try as hard as you could in the second half,” said Gaels head coach John Wade.

However, Windsor’s offensive line dominated the Gaels defensive front in the second half, opening up holes for Jaguars running back Darrian Roman.

He scored his two rushing touchdowns in back-to-back drives during the third quarter, making the score at 35-0. 

For Dublin, this season ended their six-year postseason drought. Their 8-5 record under Wade is the best they’ve had since the 2005 season.

“I can’t say enough about the season. We were able to turn around pretty fast with the kids and the kids, they won eight games. They got to the semifinals with the section playoffs and I’m really proud of these guys and the team,” Wade said.

The Jaguars have earned their ticket to the championship game. They will play the winner of the Concord High and Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park game Saturday night.

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