Hillsdale claims 5th straight win over rival Aragon in ‘Battle of the Fleas’

Johnson Field was indeed as packed as it’s ever been, and those in attendance witnessed Hillsdale (6-4) make history with a 14-6 victory over archrival Aragon. It is the fifth straight win for the Fighting Knights in the “Battle of the Fleas,” matching the all-time record streak dating back to 1969-73.

The winning streak over the Dons (3-7) is the longest in Hillsdale head coach Mike Parodi’s 14 years with the program. It was one of the reasons Parodi was visibly emotional as he gathered his team for its postgame meeting in the west end zone.

“That happens all the time,” Parodi said of his tearful show of emotion. “More than anything, it’s been a crazy year. We’re had a lot of injuries. We’ve had a lot of kids get hurt and stuff. So, for these kids to battle through everything they’ve been through, dealing with me week in and week out, it’s just cool. It’s really cool.”

Hillsdale’s defense stepped up to shut out Aragon in the second half. Special teams also loomed large, as the Knights blocked two field goal attempts, one by junior Elliot Regan on a 41-yard attempt early in the second quarter, then another by junior Tripp McCann on a 33-yard attempt early in the fourth.

But it was Aragon’s missed point-after try in the waning seconds of the first half that loomed largest of all.

Hillsdale jumped out to a 7-0 lead with 3:28 to go in the half on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Erick Waugh — filling in at quarterback for injured senior Liam Smith — to senior receiver Jackson Sierra. But the Dons fired right back, marching 75 yards on 10 plays to score with 21 seconds to go before the half on a 5-yard touchdown run by Lloyd Walter. The ensuing PAT went wayward, however, when a high snap prevented Aragon from even attempting a kick. The failed attempt sent Hillsdale into halftime with a 7-6 lead.

“That’s huge,” Parodi said. “Ties are cool but being up by 1 is really cool. … When you’re winning, you’re winning. That feels great.”

Then Hillsdale’s defense went to work. The Knights held Aragon to 223 total yards in the game, including just 79 yards in the second half.

McCann’s play at linebacker was inspired, though the junior’s highlight moment came on special teams, when he punctuated Hillsdale’s second score with 4:37 remaining in regulation with a crushing hit on the ensuing kickoff return.

“He’s just a ball of fury,” Parodi said. “He plays so hard, he plays with so much passion, which I love, and he’s just non-stop energy. They kept running at him, and he kept taking it on. They got him a few times, but he got them a few times.”

Aragon had its moments early, including its first possession of the night. It was an epic 20-play possession that started with 9:17 remaining on the first-quarter clock and spanned into the first play of the second quarter. The Dons converted once on third down and three times on fourth down to prolong the drive.

But it was two plays that weren’t that would haunt the Dons, who had two touchdowns called back for holding penalties — a would-be 38-yard pass from Sean Hickey to Walter, and another on a 14-yard run by Walter.

“It’s hard to get going when penalties are calling back great plays,” Aragon senior running back Jared Walsh said. “It’s just playing against us the whole time. There’s nothing much we can do.”

In comparison, Hillsdale would go on to benefit from a short field for its first score. Taking over at their own 47, the Knights sprung two big pass plays. A 26-yard strike from Waugh to Drew Rollolazo moved the ball into the red zone. The Dons pushed back, though, when Ty Faaumu and Amaziah Tanielu got to Waugh for a sack.

But the Knights then went to the trickeration page of the playbook, and scored when Sierra, the receiver, looked to be running off the field, only to anchor himself all alone near the sideline as the ball was snapped. The senior sprinted unmarked downfield for a 25-yard touchdown catch.

“I just ran to where it was open and no one covered me, and no one was around,” Sierra said. “I honestly thought there was someone right behind me, but I guess not.”

In the second half, Hillsdale turned Regan loose out of the backfield. The junior didn’t take offensive reps in the first half, instead focusing on defense. He went on to rack up 52 yards on five carries in the second half, including gains of 24, 9 and 5 on Hillsdale’s final scoring drive.

“He’s been our running back throughout the year, but he’s been playing so much defense, we’ve been trying to keep guys fresh,” Parodi said. “We knew in the fourth quarter, he had only been going one way, so we knew it was a nice little changeup there to get someone fresh legs in there. … So, he kind of gave us that speed, juke and a little bit of physicality.”

The Knights ultimately scored on a 7-yard pass from Waugh to senior Caden Wellwood in the west end zone.

The neutral site may have played a role in the Dons’ cold finish, as several players were noticeably chilly during a timeout late in the first half.

“I think all of us were just planning on having a home game,” said Walsh, who transferred to Aragon from San Mateo after his freshman year. He was the only Dons player to have any game experience at Johnson Field prior to Friday night.

“We have so much comfort playing at home,” he said, “and to have it at a neutral site, it was a little difficult.”

Hillsdale’s victory was the lowest scoring game of the past five rivalry games. Last year, the Knights won 49-42; in the 2020 season, they won 17-13; in 2019, they won 42-7; and in 2018, they won 14-13.