“Responding the right way and continuing to handle adversity.” According to Head Coach Nate Mendoza, this has been the motto for Santa Barbara High football this year as the Dons have catapulted to an undefeated 4-0 record halfway through the regular season. In the season opener against Camarillo, the team cruised to an easy 42-17 win that set the tone for the season. The victory was a true team effort as big plays from senior receivers Kai Mault, Carter Debusk, Bode Fauskee and Mason Morales put points on the board. The defense stood strong holding the Scorpions to just two touchdowns with junior running back and linebacker Jacob Hurtado and senior safety D.J. Wilson both coming up with interceptions. In addition to this, an electric fake punt by senior kicker and punter Thiago Valerio at the beginning of the fourth quarter helped solidify the Dons victory. “It’s a nice home opening win. We had a great crowd (and) our student section was awesome. I don’t think our student section was very strong last year so it was really cool to see tonight…The first week of school I think everybody was excited to be out here…so it’s good for our boys to back it up with a win,” Mendoza said of the game. He summed up it up saying, “I thought the defense played well, I think they could have played better (but) that’s how good we can be…so a nice job on offense and defense, we thought Thiago did a really good job kicking the ball tonight so it’s nice to have Thiago.” 

The Dons were primed for revenge going into week two as they prepared to face the Valencia Vikings in a rematch after last year’s heartbreaking loss at home. This time around, the game took place on Valencia’s home turf and the tension was palpable as the Dons raced onto the field. The game got off to a slow start for the Dons as Valencia finished out the first quarter leading 10-0. However, the momentum changed in the second quarter as junior running back and cornerback Monty Lopez ran it in for a ten-yard touchdown. From there an additional rushing touchdown by Fauskee and an interception by Lopez kept the Dons in the game. The team went into halftime down one point as Valerio split the uprights to end the second quarter, bringing the score to 17-16. The Dons dominated the second half with touchdowns by Fauskee and Debusk, in addition to a gutsy Hail Mary from junior quarterback Laird Finkle to finish the game. However, it was the defense that secured the win that night as a forced fumble by Fauskee and an additional interception by Lopez proved to be critical as they held the Vikings to just one score in the second half. “We had a good win, shout-out to the defense, they played outstanding,” coach Mendoza said of the definitive 47-23 victory. “Valencia got us really good last year so it tasted a little better this time around.” 

The Dons returned home in high spirits which continued throughout the week as they were slated to face cross town rivals Dos Pueblos at home. This was a predictably easy win as they crushed the Chargers in a 49-0 shut out. Up against a weak Chargers defense, Finkle had a chance to show off his extraordinary arm talent as he threw a 40 yard bomb into the arms of senior wide receiver Thomas Gil, who went on to catch two touchdowns that night. It was also an impressive game for Fauskee as he rushed for a whopping three touchdowns. In addition to Gil and Fauskee, Lopez scored a rushing touchdown late in the fourth to finish out the game. On the other side of the ball, the Dons defense once again proved itself a force to be reckoned with, as they completely shut down the Chargers offense.

Coming off the straight forward victory of week three, the Dons quickly looked ahead to their matchup against the 3-0 Moorpark Musketeers, the toughest opponent they were yet to face. A tight back and forth matchup all night, the Dons drew first blood as an interception by Fauskee on the Musketeers opening drive led to an electric 81-yard touchdown catch from Finkle to Mault, putting the Dons up 7-0 through the end of the first. As the second quarter began, Moorpark answered with a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game up. On the following drive, the SB offense took a risk on 4th down which proved to be unsuccessful, giving the ball back to Moorpark with under two minutes left. However, a critical stop on 4th down by Lopez ended the Musketeers’ attempt with 22 seconds remaining in the half. With the ball back in his hands, Finkle found Mault in the endzone and delivered a 40-yard dart, bringing the score to 14-7 at the half.

The Musketeers came out of halftime revitalized as they swiftly tied up the game just two minutes into the third quarter. The Dons offense then answered with a textbook 13-play drive and regained their 7 point lead as Gil raced into the endzone. The game was shaping up to be a shoot out as Moorpark began to march into Dons’ territory once again. However, the momentum changed as a forced fumble by senior safety Javier Valencia gave the ball back to the Dons early in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, the SB offense was stopped once again on 4th down, and the Musketeers took over with eight minutes left in the contest. Just three plays later, Valencia had his second take away of the night, which helped the Dons keep their lead. The offense continued to struggle as Moorpark forced the Dons to punt on the ensuing drive with just six minutes left to play. However, Mault stepped up once again, catching an interception at the 20-yard line and running it all the way back for a pick-6. The drama continued as the Musketeers answered with a 64-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Dons lead to just one score with 4:45 in the game. In hopes of running out the clock, the Dons offense relied on the ground game and a final pass to Mault secured the win.

“I thought the defense played outstanding and we made big plays on offense when we needed to. It was a back and forth game so it was really exciting to see the kids stay in there and not lose their focus, not freak out, and come out on top in the end,” Coach Mendoza said when asked his thoughts. With this triumphant victory the Dons rose to 4-0 and continue to lead the Conejo Coast League, along with the undefeated Newbury Park Panthers. As far as the rest of the season is concerned, Mendoza said, “Every league game is going to be a challenge, we’re in a tough league this year and I think the boys are ready for it.” Only time will tell, however, if these games are any indication, the Dons are sure to be successful throughout the rest of the regular season. Catch the squad in their next home game against Newbury Park on October 5th.