Week 1

On Friday, August 25, the Mats stormed the field, anxious for the kickoff of their season against the Vanden Vikings. The Vikings traveled all the way from Fairfield to match up with the home team Matadors. Vanden won the toss and chose to defer. The unstoppable Miramonte Matadors trudged their way down field effortlessly. Eventually the drive was capped off with a seven yard run, courtesy of Peter Stehr ‘18. The Mats defense stood strong led by Sam Walker ‘18 with a total of 12 tackles. In the second quarter Vanden rallied and took the lead. However, this was the first and last time the Vikings would cross the goal line. Just before the half, Coach Jack Schram pulled a trick out of his sleeve with a reverse pass. Will Cassriel ‘18 connected with Keilan Stone ‘19 for the team’s second score to go into halftime with a score of 12-7. The Mats prevailed in the second half, relying heavily on the run game. Peter Stehr, Henry Vacakis ‘19, and Xavier Clark ‘18 had a combined 163 yards on the the ground. A proficient performance from Mats resulted in a exceptional 25-7 route of the Vikings.

Week 2

On Friday, September 1, the Mats football team’s spirit rode high from week one with another home matchup for week two. The Mats’ second game was against the Saint Mary’s Panthers.  Once again the Matadors began the game with a stellar opening drive, topped off with a three yard run from Xavier Clark ‘19 on a read option. The Saint Mary’s offense was as effective as a butter knife cutting steak and were shutout for the first three quarters. The defense was led by strong performances from Sam Walker ‘18, Ben Schmiedt ‘19, and Travis Armistead ‘18. The team cruised to victory as Keilan Stone ‘19 added 2 touchdowns in the game. In the second half second string players and sophomores alike got some time on the field as the margin was insurmountable for the Panthers. Also, kicker Henry Marken ‘18 bounced back from his week one performance to convert all five of his PATs. With week two in the books, the Mats came out with a still undefeated record of 2-0.

Week 3

On Friday, September 2, the Miramonte Matadors traveled Concord for their first away football game against the Mt. Diablo Red Devils. The Mats squad kicked off in their unworn crispy white jerseys. The first defensive possession set the precedent for the rest of the game as the Red Devils went four and out and struggled to find any offensive production for the rest of the game. Donald Trump’s notorious wall came to fruition as the Miramonte defense prevented any passage from the Devils’ offense forward. The Mats set a new team high with 12 tackles for loss on the game. On the other side the offense moved smoothly and efficiently like a well oiled machine. Running back Peter Stehr ‘18 was a man on a mission and had a season high of three touchdowns- at that point- as well as 104 yards. Also, Henry Vacakis ‘19 helped out with 110 yards and adding two more touchdowns. Stehr and Vacakis carried their team to a 40-0 blowout. The Mats’ record improved to 3-0 as they focused toward their next home game against formidable opponent, the Alameda Hornets.

Week 4

On Friday, September 9, the Mats faced the Alameda Hornets at home. The Matadors once again set a strong precedent on defense for the first drive as the Hornets when three and out and were forced to punt. The offense had optimal field position as they prepped for the first drive. The team barreled down the field and the drive was capped off by a 17-yard run by Peter Stehr ‘18. Travis Armistead ‘18 intercepted the opposing quarterback which set up the Mats’ offense. The very next play, Xavier Clark ‘18 connected with Sam Walker ‘18 a 32 yard score on a screen play. The Mats next score came in the third quarter, when Stehr ran for his second touchdown. Stehr ended the game with a total of four touchdowns, with three on the ground and one catch. The Hornets put up their first score of the game with an 89 yard kickoff return. The last of the four touchdowns from Stehr came from a 61 yard score in the third quarter. The Mats scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter, sealing the game with a final score of 47-6.

Week 5

On Friday, September 22, the Matadors hopped on the yellow bus and ventured over to Martinez to square up against old league opponent Alhambra. On the first drive, the Alhambra Bulldogs were forced to punt. Defensive end Zach Barker ‘19 made a tackle for loss on third and long to end the short lived drive.The defense was led by Jake Hassard ‘18, who had 5 tackles and 2 tackles for loss, and Ben Schmiedt ‘19, who had his season high: 7 tackles. This week the Mats ended their four week streak of touchdowns on their first drive and were forced to punt right back to the Bulldogs. Later in the first quarter the Mats trudged downfield for the first touchdown of the night. The 90 yard drive was topped off by a 10 yard run by Peter Stehr ‘18. Both defenses held strong and the halftime score was 7-0 in favor of the Matadors. The Bulldogs tied up the game with a 17-yard touchdown pass. Midway through the third, Xavier Clark ‘18 connected with Ethan Fischler ‘18 for a 46 yard reception. Then Stehr converted a 15 yard touchdown run. After the PAT was converted by Henry Marken ‘18, the Mats led 14-7. In the fourth, the Bulldogs made their way downfield, threatening to score. On 4th and 5 the Alhambra quarterback looked as if he had converted a first down and more until linebacker Ben Schmiedt ‘19 laid the boom and forced a crucial fumble that gave the Matadors the ball and sucked all the Bulldogs’ momentum. Taking advantage of the turnover, Clark threw a 65 yard bomb to Fischler putting the game out of reach for the Bulldogs. Going into their bye week and headed for league play, the Mats are 5-0.