Aptos began its Central Coast Section postseason run Friday night as one of the lowest seeded teams entering the Division III field.
In other words, it’s all about survival and advancing from here on out.
Senior running back Damian Suchil had a total of three touchdowns, including a spectacular 33-yard touchdown reception that helped the No. 7 Mariners stun No. 2 Willow Glen, 47-35, in the opening round of the playoffs.
“I saw the ball up, I couldn’t quite get the one hand to hang on to it. I looked around and I saw it still in the air. I had to go get it,” Suchil said.
In the fourth quarter and leading just by six points, senior quarterback Ryan Solorio tossed a prayer to teammate Alex Sandoval at an attempt to convert for a first down.
But the junior receiver couldn’t hang on for the catch, and tipped the ball to Willow Glen’s Kevin Posada, who wasn’t able to hold on for the interception, resulting in another tipped ball that landed into the hands of Suchil for the score.
Suchil said each big play they made throughout the night delivered a huge blow to the gut the Rams didn’t want to take.
“But we just kept giving it to them. That definitely helped,” he said.
The Mariners (6-5), who placed fourth in the Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division with a 2-4 record, advanced to the semifinals for the first time in two years. They play No. 3 Palo Alto (6-5) on Nov. 22 or 23 at a place and time yet to be determined.
Willow Glen junior quarterback Aiden Akery had three passing touchdowns and one rushing TD, keeping his team within reach for most of the game.
“[Akery’s] a real gamer,” Aptos coach Zach Hewett said. “He’s the heart and soul of their team. Between scrambling and throwing the ball, he was every bit as advertised. [Willow Glen’s] real solid. They don’t make a lot of mistakes.”
However, the Mariners forced Akery to make some key mistakes as the game went on. He tossed three interceptions that all went in the direction of Casey MacConnell—giving him eight picks on the season.
“It feels really good. We work so hard,” MacConnell said about beating Willow Glen. “I actually missed this whole week of practice because I’ve been sick, but I watched him film and studied up for this game.”
One of those interceptions resulted in an 81-yard rushing touchdown by junior Michael Slaughter that gave Aptos a commanding 28-7 lead with a little more than five minutes remaining in the first half.
MacConnell also had one rushing touchdown in the first half. But his second interception of the night helped stall a promising drive for the Rams deep in Aptos’ territory.
“I think we kind of turned the momentum there because they scored, but then the [penalty] flag brought them back,” MacConnell said. “I knew we had to make a play and I made it happen.”
The special teams unit also made a big play in the opening stanza when Felix Valencia blocked a punt. Aptos capitalized with Suchil’s second rushing touchdown of the evening.
The Mariners did get caught slipping after allowing sophomore Ben Mudgett to slip past the special teams unit for a 95-yard kickoff return into the end zone.
Akery then added one more score on a 12-yard quarterback keeper that chipped away the deficit down to 35-22 going into halftime.
“They had a lot of big plays that just put them right back in,” said Suchil, who also plays defensive back. “They had the kickoff return that brought them back. They had a great first play on the streak, I just couldn’t get there. It happens. A lot of big plays they took and they just kept driving down the field. Some big throws that we got to get to that ball.”
The Rams got to within six points following Akery’s touchdown pass to Chris Amann in the third quarter. A crucial facemask penalty called on Aptos kept the scoring drive alive.
“They packed their lucky horseshoe,” Hewett said. “A couple of those deep passes that they had, they hucked it up and our guy didn’t make as good of a play on it as they could have, and their guy did. They just kind of out rebounded us,”
With the momentum already swaying in their direction, the Rams came up big on defense with a fumble recovery. It was a golden opportunity for them to take the lead for the first time since the first quarter.
It was no dice, though. The Mariners scored 12 unanswered points to close it out. DeSean Gomez—who missed significant time due to an injury—capped off the scoring with a 35-yard rushing touchdown for Aptos, which extended its season for at least one more week.
“We’ve got a lot of speed, but DeSean’s kind of speed is a whole other thing,” Hewett said. “Getting him back in the lineup, it gives us explosive ability out of that fullback position that we’ve been hurting for at times.”
Next up, Aptos takes on Palo Alto. The Vikings—ranked No. 19 in MaxPreps’ CCS rankings—beat No. 6 Half Moon Bay, 33-24, in their quarterfinals game Friday night. The Mariners are ranked No. 23 on the list.
“Steve Zenk from Salinas really put it best. Coaching gets you to the playoffs, and then once you’re there, the kids do the rest,” Hewett said. “If these guys want to keep playing together, and we think that they do, then they’re going to find a way.”
