One game, it was the Sobrato offense leading the way. Another game, it was the Sobrato defense. Some days, it was both.
In the end, the pieces fit together quite well in a 7-3 season that was the best since 2017.
But ask anyone in Bulldog Nation what stands out and the answer will be the Sept. 6 game against Live Oak. Beating the Acorns 20-14 in the El Toro Bowl gave Sobrato their first victory in the city rivalry since 2009.
Losses in 2010-14 were competitive and then Live Oak rolled to blowout wins of 65-0 in 2015 and 59-13 in 2016. The two teams did not meet again until 2022. That contest went to the Acorns as did the one in 2023, though Sobrato made inroads by leading much of the game before falling 35-27.
In 2024, the Bulldogs scaled the mountaintop.
“Having not won that game in 15 years, it’s a pretty big deal,” Sobrato coach Joel Rueda said. “It’s weighed heavily on our guys.”
Live Oak jumped on top 14-0 on two short-field first-quarter touchdowns. Brayden Hughes passed to Ryan Haskins for a touchdown to narrow the halftime deficit to 14-7. In the third quarter, Davian Refugio returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 14.
Midway through the final period with Live Oak driving to take the lead, Bulldog defensive back Parker Orr picked off a pass and returned the interception 85 yards to paydirt for the decisive score.
The defense was solid all day for Sobrato. Rayan Daneshvar led with 18 tackles and Jonathan Cruz had 14 tackles. Midway through the fourth quarter, Orr made the big play that will stand forever in the Bulldogs’ annals.
“He intercepted on a crossing route,” Rueda said. “Then he zig-zagged back and forth. It was like an 85-yard return for a touchdown.”
The remainder of the season could not match the drama and thrills of the El Toro Bowl but was quite successful. In the opener, Sobrato defeated North Salinas 21-6. After beating Live Oak, the Bulldogs won 7-6 at North Monterey County and beat Overfelt 27-22.
Sobrato fell 14-7 at Piedmont Hills and then opened Blossom Valley Athletic League, Santa Teresa – Valley Division league play with a 20-3 defeat to Willow Glen, a team that won the league and was unbeaten into the playoffs.
“We gotta pick the energy up,” said Hankins, after the loss to the Rams. “We gotta play harder.”
And they did, rebounding to win three of their last four games. They knocked off Westmont 27-21 on the road, fell 31-21 at Leland and then dismantled Prospect 47-14 and Gilroy 41-6.
For the season, Hughes led the offense with 88-of-147 passing for 1,742 yards and 15 touchdowns against just four interceptions. His yardage total was tops in the league.
Hankins pulled in 46 of those throws, accumulating 1,115 yards—most in the league. He averaged a spectacular 24.2 yards-per-catch and scored nine touchdowns. Orr caught 17 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns.
The Bulldogs were strong on the ground, with Orr racking up 393 yards on 40 carries, Luke Anderson packing the pigskin 48 times for 334 yards and three scores and Jacob Kimmer rushing 52 times for 322 yards and a touchdown.
The defense held nine of 10 opponents to 22 points or less and six scored just 14 or less. Daneshvar led the stop unit with 146 tackles and Cruz added 131 tackles.
Offensive highlights were many. Hughes threw for 213 yards against North Salinas, 12-of-17 for 225 yards and three touchdowns against Overfelt, and 9-of-11 passes for a superb total of 297 yards and three touchdowns versus Westmont.
He finished strong, completing 16-of-24 for 357 yards and three touchdowns against Prospect and 10-for-12 for 216 yards and two touchdowns in the Gilroy finale.
Hankins caught six passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns against Overfelt, 209 yards and a score on five catches against Westmont and threw a 51-yard scoring pass to Cruz against Leland. He also closed strongly, with 10 receptions for 243 yards and two touchdowns against Prospect and five for 152 and two scores in the win over Gilroy.
On the ground, Kimmer had 89 yards and a score versus Overfelt, 58 yards against Willow Glen and 68 against Westmont. Anderson ran for 87 yards and a score against North Salinas and 107 yards and a tally against Gilroy.
George Costa rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns against Prospect. Orr had 59 yards and a touchdown against Overfelt, 88 yards at Piedmont Hills, two touchdowns against Westmont and 107 yards versus Leland.
The defense was led all year by the junior Daneshvar and the senior Cruz, the pair finishing at the top of league tackle statistics. Daneshvar recorded 18 tackles against Willow Glen, 16 versus Overfelt and North Salinas, 15 against Piedmont Hills and Prospect and 14 against NMC, Westmont and Leland.
Cruz collected 14 tackles against North Salinas and 13 versus NMC, Westmont and Leland. Orr and Brady Lennon also racked up major tackle totals.
Although Sobrato barely missed reaching the playoffs, they put together a 7-3 record, the best in seven years. Add in the El Toro Bowl win over Live Oak and it was a season for the ages.
“It’s a tight-knit group,” Rueda said. “Great teammates and camaraderie. It translates to the field.”
