Sports
Bishop O'Dowd Wins Second Straight HAAL Title
San Leandro High and Bishop O'Dowd met on the gridiron Thursday night to vie for the Hayward Area Athletic League title. Once O'Dowd took the lead, they didn't give it back.
Big plays ruled the Hayward Area Athletic League title game as Bishop O’Dowd High captured its second straight HAAL crown with a 48-26 win over San Leandro High.
The league title game was played at Chabot College on Thursday evening.
The O'Dowd Dragons (8-2, 7-0 HAAL) offense got off to an explosive start after quarterback Dominic Miroglio connected with receiver Dominic Gomes for a 66-yard touchdown on the first pass attempt.
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The Dragons did not let up the rest of the first half with a balanced offense that accounted for 412 yards. Miroglio was definitely in rhythm the first half, commanding his team down the field time after time.
The Dragon quarterback finished the half with more than 300 passing yards and three touchdowns, helping his team go into halftime leading 34-6 over San Leandro (6-4, 5-2 HAAL).
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Miroglio looked comfortable with plenty of time to throw from the pocket, allowing for routes to develop and for him to make the proper reads of the San Leandro defense.
“They were playing a loose cover three and we have so many weapons; at the tight end position, at the wideout position, and they just made it so easy on me,” Miroglio said.
Receiver Daniel Jones had a big night for the Dragons. He had the two biggest plays of the game with his 71-yard score off a screen catch and a 72-yard touchdown return on the fourth quarter.
The second half was a more balanced match, as the Pirates were able to finish drives, rather than turning the ball over like they did in the first two quarters.
Pirate quarterback Jose Ferreira found senior receiver Jermaine Berry for two touchdowns late on the game. San Leandro’s defense also played better after halftime.
“They dropped to a two safety man and that definitely hurt us because they got more guys on the secondary,” Miroglio said.
Penalties hurt the Pirates, too.
“We just had a lot of mistakes, a lot of missed assignments, a lot of things that might have confused us a little bit,” said San Leandro head coach Brad Bowers.
After a 0-2 start to their season, the Dragons finished unbeaten in league play. They are now heading into the North Coast Section Division III playoffs.
“We got off to a rough start with our season, but these guys bounced back and that just shows their character, and what they’re made of as a team,” said O’Dowd head coach Hardy Nickerson.
