With week eight of the football season coming to an end, we shift our focus to the East Bay as the Amador Valley Dons, led by head coach Danny Jones, defeated the Dublin Gaels with a final score of 58-34.
Dominick Mazotti is a 6'4", 230lbs athlete for the Dons, who transferred in his junior year. The senior posted an unreal stat line against the Gaels, playing four different positions. At quarterback, the team captain completed four passes for 52 yards and one touchdown, in addition to 11 rushing attempts for 235 yards and five touchdowns. Mazotti also recorded one reception for 25 yards and one tackle on defense.
Pre-game, Jones was optimistic about the matchup. "We felt good going into the game' it was a league game so we knew we had to come into it focused and win the line of scrimmage battle," he said. "We really challenged our guys in practice the entire week." Thanks, in large part, to the play of Mazotti, the Dons racked up 465 total rushing yards in the game!
The Dons' powerful offense tallied 31 points in the first half, compared to the Gaels' 19 points. Although Amador Valley held the lead, Jones knew his team could perform better. "I got into them at half time," he said. "I felt like we weren't playing up to our potential in all three phases. We needed to play more inspired and bring more effort. Things were working for us so we just needed more energy."
It was clear that Jones got his message across as Mazotti scored a 34-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the second half. Maintaining the lead going into the 4th quarter, it was up to the defense to step up. "We got some turnovers in the second half that helped us and the defensive line did a great job at owning the line of scrimmage," said Jones.
When asked about Mazotti's leadership style, Jones said, "He is a very vocal leader and leads by example with his work ethic. He's a big weight room guy and gets the team behind him. You can tell once he steps on the field that all 10 guys play up to his speed as he sets the tone. He's got what it takes and loves football so much."
Mazotti is also a rising track star. He competes in the 400-meter dash and the high jump. He also boasts a 3.0 GPA and is already seeing Division I football scholarship offers come his way. Needless to say, we are excited to nominate him as the Player of the Week and can't wait to see how the season turns out for #7!
As the home school of the 49ers High School Player of the Week presented by U.S. Bank, Amador Valley High School will receive a $500 grant for their football program from the 49ers Foundation. As part of this award, Mazotti will receive two tickets to a 49ers home game where he will be recognized on the field during pre-game. At the end of the season, Mazotti will be invited to the SAP Performance Facility to watch a closed practice where 49ers head coach, Kyle Shanahan, will officially present him with his award.
Congratulations, Dominick!
