Dons run over Menlo

Aragon rushed for 489 yards with Lautaimi scoring five times during the Dons’ 56-13 win over visiting Menlo School, grabbing a fourth-place finish in the Peninsula Athletic League’s Bay Division and an automatic berth into the Central Coast Section playoffs.

Aragon has figured out their quarterback situation, with Cam Grant and Paul Lautaimi rotating as “Wildcat” style quarterbacks/running backs, has designed a somewhat Frankenstein-style type of offensive set that includes aspects of several different offensive theories and then made just enough plays defensively.

“We were playing against better teams (earlier in the season), but we’re also just playing better,” said Aragon head coach Steve Sell. “Our offensive line is playing better. Our guard play is outstanding.”

That offensive line was opening up huge holes against the under-manned and under-sized Knights. And when they weren’t opening big holes on the inside, they Dons were pulling and getting crushing kickout blocks to spring their running backs.

Lautaimi was the main recipient of that blocking as the senior rushed for 221 yards and scored five times on just 17 carries.

“He has incredible balance and strength and is deceptively fast,” Sell said.

Lautaimi was hardly alone. Grant added 121 yards and a score on 14 carries while Rene Alamoti Meafua added a pair of touchdowns as well.

“We’re running the ball like I thought we would this year,” Sell said.

Aragon (2-3 PAL Bay, 2-7 overall) set the tone early. The Dons forced a three-and-out from Menlo (1-3, 4-5) on the Knights’ opening drive of the game and then needed just four plays to go 67 yards for a 7-0 lead. Nane Pita had the big play, with a 43-yard run down to the Menlo 2-yard line, before Lautaimi punched it in.

It was the first of five straight touchdowns for the Dons. They covered 53 yards on four plays on their next drive. Lautaimi and Grant combined for 37 yards on the ground on the first two plays and Rene Alamoti Meafua capped it with a 14-yard run on a jet sweep right.

After having zero yards of offense through its first two drives as quarterback Henry Knoll went 0 for 6 passing to start the game, Menlo finally got running back Samson Axe involved in the game. He carried the ball six times in seven plays, picking up a pair of first downs along the way. But a fourth-down pass fell incomplete to turn the ball back over to Aragon.

Axe would go on to finish the game with 208 yards rushing on 23 carries and scored both the Knights’ touchdowns. Menlo, as a team, managed just 243 yards of offense for the game.

The Dons proceeded to embark on a 10-play, 69-yard drive, breaking off big chunks of yardage before Lautaimi bolted up the middle for a 10-yard score to give Aragon a 21-0 lead after one quarter.

Menlo finally got on the scoreboard on it initial drive of the second quarter, with Axe bolting up the middle for a 38-yard score on a fourth-and-five play, but Aragon responded with Alamoti Meafua’s second score of the night, a 24-yard charge on another sweep to the right, to give the Dons a 28-7 advantage. Lautaimi capped the half with a 44-yard scoring jaunt to put Aragon up 35-7 at halftime.

“Missing [Lautaimi to injury earlier in the season] really hurt,” Grant said. “But him coming back and watching him run is amazing. And it opens up things for me.”

Aragon continued its ground and pound in the second half. The Dons received the kick to start the third quarter and needed just five plays to cover 47 yards, overcoming a block in the back penalty. Grant showed his speed and vision on the drive as he popped a 37-yard scoring run for a 42-7 lead.

The teams then exchanged turnovers — with Axe scooping up an Aragon fumble and returning it 21 yards for the Knights last score of the night — before the Dons scored two more third-quarter touchdowns. Lautaimi busted off a 63-yard and 20-yard touchdowns to finish the scoring for the night.

“Our motto this week was just fight,” Grant said. “That’s what we’ve been doing the last two weeks.”