Chavez head coach Rodrigo Nuñez made clear the key to this matchup was to play their game. Their “game” is tough, hard-nosed defense, ball-control offense, take the lead and never relinquish it. They had beaten Sylmar (a team comparable to Verdugo Hills) 6-3 earlier this season playing their game. However, Verdugo Hills head coach Sean Jackson had other ideas, planning for his team to score early and force Chavez out of their comfort zone. The Dons executed this strategy to perfection.

Verdugo Hills set the tone from the outset, taking the opening kickoff and moving downfield with a mix of short passes and runs. Chavez didn’t help their cause, jumping offsides twice, including a crucial third-down infraction. Dons’ star sophomore running back Aiden Mejia made them pay with an electrifying run, breaking several tackles and bullying his way into the end zone on a 29-yard scamper, putting the Dons up 7-0.

Chavez looked to answer, but a costly fumble after crossing midfield handed the ball right back to Verdugo Hills. The Dons capitalized with sophomore quarterback Jered Smith connecting with Mejia on a screen pass that he carried all the way to the house, scoring his second touchdown in as many drives.

Trailing 13-0 late in the first quarter and unable to move the ball effectively, Chavez punted back to the Dons, who appeared poised to score again, but a flubbed handoff to Mejia gave the Eagles the opening they’d been looking for. The Eagles managed to advance downfield with short runs and a 16-yard pass to senior wide receiver Aaron Fajardo. However, Chavez came up short inside the Dons’ 10-yard line, turning the ball over on downs.

The second quarter saw both defenses tighten up and no points scored. Verdugo Hills became stagnant in the face of the Eagles’ defensive intensity, while Chavez’s final drive of the half ended with an interception. As time expired, Smith hit Mejia with a 37-yard bomb, but the Dons fell just short of the end zone, keeping the score 13-0 at halftime. Nevertheless, it still felt like anybody’s game and Chavez would receive the second half kickoff.

The Eagle’s first drive of the second half ended in a three-and-out. Verdugo Hills capitalized on their opening possession with Smith finding senior receiver Matthew Pirnazari for three completions, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown to extend the Dons’ lead to 20-0. Forced to abandon the run game, Chavez took to the air resulting in a second interception by Dons’ junior defensive back Jack Ifrate. Midway through the third quarter, Chavez was running out of options. But teams often reflect the demeanor of their coach, and the Eagles never let up under Nuñez’s unyielding direction.

The Eagles’ defense found its rhythm in the second half, holding the Dons to under 100 yards of offense. However, not built for a big comeback, Chavez struggled to gain traction on offense. A late fourth-quarter touchdown pass to senior tight end Noah Alvarado put Chavez on the scoreboard, but it was too little, too late, with Verdugo Hills claiming a decisive 23-6 victory.

Asked about the keys to the game afterwards, coach Nuñez admitted, “We never found the damn keys. Our goal was to minimize what (the Dons) can do very well. And I think we did that, post the two touchdowns. (Verdugo Hills) runs end-arounds and short passes. They’re decent with their inside running. We knew all that coming in, but we gave them two touchdowns. And with a team like that, a coach like that, you just can’t do that.”

Coach Jackson was happy to beat Chavez but acknowledged, “We’ve got to figure out the stagnant part of our offense. Started off like a house on fire – scored thirteen in the first quarter. It looked like it was going to get ugly really quick and it (devolved) into a bunch of hiccups in between.” Looking ahead to the Dons’ winner-take-all East Valley showdown against North Hollywood, Jackson admitted “We need to put some more points on the board. Our defense needs to be more locked in. We’re going to have to have a perfect game.”

Chavez now 4-4 (3-3 in East Valley) hosts Arleta 6-3 (4-2 in East Valley) on Friday at 7:00PM.

Verdugo Hills 7-2 (5-1 in East Valley) visits undefeated North Hollywood 9-0 (6-0 in East Valley) to crown the East Valley league champion this Friday at 7:00 p.m. Be there or be square.