By Steve Breazeale and Alan Gibby, Zone57
When the game clock read zero on Sept. 23, the Dana Hills High School football team was finally ready to celebrate. But they weren’t the only ones excited about the team’s first win in over a year.
The students in attendance for the Dolphins triumphant 46-13 victory over visiting Los Amigos were eager to join in the celebration. Hundreds of them flooded the field to celebrate with the Dolphins, who picked up their first win since the 2014 season.
The game was never in doubt, as the Dolphins offense settled into a groove early and did not let up. The defense did its part and Dana Hills, which lost a tough game against Santa Monica one week ago, would not be denied.
Junior quarterback Corey Cisowski tied a school record with six touchdown passes to lead the Dolphins. Cisowski completed 15 of 27 passes for 357 yards and no interceptions.
Cisowski and a large group of Dolphins players had never seen the varsity team pick up a win until Friday night.
“Ever since January and February we’ve been dreaming of this … It was a long time coming,” Cisowski said. “This win wasn’t just for us, the players. It’s for the coaches, the school and the whole Dana Point community.”
Senior receiver Ryder Lynch had a spectacular game, catching six passes for 197 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Matt Sanford caught four passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns and junior Gavin Pappagalo reeled in four passes for 63 yards and a score.
“We were all just on the same page,” Cisowski said. “Our offense is all about tempo and once we get rolling, we have each other’s backs and there’s no stopping us once we get going.”
The night will certainly be one Cisowski remembers for a long time. Not only did he tie a school record in touchdown passes, but he accomplished the feat on a night when the Dolphins honored local first responders. Cisowski’s mother is a police officer.
The Dolphins finally ended a streak that dated back to Sept. 18, 2014, when the Dolphins earned a win by forfeit against Villa Park. Now that the Dolphins have ended one streak, they’re focused on something entirely different.
“Now we’re 1-0 and we got a new streak. Every week it’s going to be 1-0 from here on out. That’s the only streak we care about,” head coach Phil Skinner said. “I feel like we have a good future ahead of us and I feel like we’re taking the right steps to continue winning.”–Alan Gibby contributed to this report
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