By Raven Robinson '24
This winter season O’Dowd’s student-athletes have more than risen to the challenge, with not one but two North Coast Section Champions.
Never Give Up Until The Final Whistle
The Cinderella story began as the newly crowned WACC Champions galloped over the Livermore Cowboys 4-0. Leading the team, Ian Nasif ’24 scored two goals. “I remember being there when the home crowd went wild!” said Jasper Osser, who attended the game on behalf of the football team.
“When Ian scored the first goal, it was cool, but after he scored the second, we knew that the game was over,” said Colton Downing ’24, who went with her rugby teammates to show that boys soccer had the support of all of O’Dowd’s sports teams.
Then the 5th-seeded Dragons moved on to the North Coast Section playoffs, facing the 12th-seeded Northgate Broncos at home, and beating them 1-0. As regulation time came close to ending, Sebastian Rivadeneyra ’24 saved the Dragons, scoring the winning goal and advancing the Dragons to face the top seed, Las Lomas.
After taking Las Lomas down in a 5-4 shootout, the Dragons rode their high to Richmond High School, ready to take on the task of beating the Oilers on their own field. The team secured the North Coast Section Championship, scoring in the last second with a pass from Ian Nasif to Mason Cox and back to Nasif, who quickly whipped the ball to Sean Bullard for the winning goal. “There’s no such thing as an easy win, and watching the NCS game for boys soccer as they won in double overtime, the final shot was just inspirational,” said Principal Dr. Doug Evans.
All Faith, No Fear
The O'Dowd girls basketball program is founded on a culture of “family first.” This year’s team stands on the shoulders of those who came before them.“This team feels like they have been passed the baton from all the previous O’Dowd Basketball alumnae,” shares Head Coach Malik McCord.
Since the start of the season, the Dragons have had their eyes on the prize. With only three returning varsity players, the team had to band together to achieve their accomplishments. Most impressive, they won their 20-9 season with six 9th graders on their roster, three of whom started the championship game. “Because of the trust we built outside the court, we could trust each other in between the lines,” said Nyah Greenwood ’24, beaming as she talked about her superstar teammates. “I might throw a pass up court while Savannah is sprinting to run in transition, and I have to trust her to make the right play.”
Building a solid foundation off the court led to the Dragons to be such a joy to witness on the court. “The games are fun and I enjoy supporting our athletes,” said Principal Evans.
The team glided through the North Coast Section playoffs, beating their opponents by an average of 42 points and asserted their dominance on the most important stage at Dublin High School in front of a sold-out crowd, taking on the Moreau Catholic Mariners in a highly competitive match. “Everyone that stepped on the court gave 110% effort that night,” reflects Nyah.
Just before tipoff, the starters huddled.
“You got me?” asked Savannah, the team’s point guard.
“Yes.” they collectively replied.
“And I got y’all.”
Going into halftime with a 34-22 lead on the Mariners, the Dragons were optimistic about their chances of winning. By the fourth quarter, the Dragons pulled away, winning the NCS Championship 71-51. “I was extremely happy after the game,” said Savannah. “I just wanted to do whatever I needed to secure a championship for my team,” And that she did.
While we proudly fly our many championship banners, the Dragons are more than our wins and losses. We represent resilience and strength through adversity.