Branham quarterback William Augenstein (9) runs into the end zone untouched against Pioneer during the second quarter of their game at Branham High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SAN JOSE – There was a verve on the Branham sideline for most of the second half, an energy that seemed to build and accumulate for the last 24 minutes of the Bruins’ 28-0 win over Pioneer. With a minute to go, one player couldn’t help but exclaim “We’re gonna be champs!” to one of his teammates.
That enthusiasm was fully displayed once the clock hit zero and players spilled onto the field to celebrate with one another. Branham’s entire team, in front of a well-bundled home crowd on a chilly autumn night, rejoiced as BVAL Santa Teresa-Foothill champions.
“We’ve got a team full of amazing players,” quarterback William Augenstein said. “Being at this point right now……it’s a great feeling.”
Both Branham and Pioneer entered the game 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the league, making the game the league championship. Pioneer had won six of the last seven matchups and were reigning league champions, but Branham was the better team from the opening snap on Thursday night and dominated in every phase of play.
Augenstein ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 132 yards and another score. The Bruins as a team had 276 yards rushing. Anytime the Bruins needed a big play, his coach had a simple solution to complex-looking situations; having his quarterback make split-second reads in the option attack and passing game.
“Us coaches we sometimes overcomplicate the game of football,” Branham coach Stephen Johnson said. “What it comes down to sometimes is just giving your best player the ball and seeing what happens.”
After a scoreless first quarter filled with sky-high punts and hard hits, Augenstein drove the team downfield early in the second quarter and scored a five-yard touchdown on a keeper up the gut.
To Pioneer’s credit, the defense stayed firm for the majority of the quarter, as linemen like Kyle Louie and Jeremiah Esquivel did what they could to get pressure on Augenstein while also maintaining gap discipline.
It wasn’t until a minute left in the half that Branham scratched again, this time on a Mateo Poso run on the goal line for a touchdown with 00:47 left on the clock.
In the second half, Augenstein added another touchdown run with 1:14 left in the third quarter to put Branham up 21-7. And then after junior halfback Elias Antillion ran for most of his 80 yards in the fourth quarter, Augenstein finished the scoring with a four-yard shovel pass to Poso.
“Going into the game, we knew Pioneer’s defensive ends were going to be really aggressive,” Augenstein said. “So we were like, let’s try it out. And it paid off big time.”
Senior safety Zach Van Gelder provided one more highlight on the defensive side of the ball before the night was over. Branham held a Pioneer team averaging over 300 yards per game to 81 yards from scrimmage, and no defensive play was as emphatic as Van Gelder’s clean but crunching hit on a ball carrier late in the game.
“Coach said that if I know what was coming, then I should blitz it,” Van Gelder said. “And what happened is what happened, and he was out on the floor.”
To Pioneer’s credit, the team had several players out due to injuries or the flu and still played with effort for all 48 minutes. Coach Eric Perry said his team should be healthier and in better form once the playoffs roll around next week. Pioneer was already guaranteed a playoff spot as one of two automatic qualifiers in the league.
“We’ll learn from this and we’ll get better from it, and that’s all we can do,” Perry said. “We’re gonna get after it, and we’re hoping to get a couple guys back too.”
Branham, as the league champions, may host its next game. But for Augenstein, playing on the road or playing at home does not matter. He says the team will be prepared to play at any location.
“We’re just going to play football and do our jobs,” Augenstein said. “We’re going to prep for them like we always do, and then we’ll go out there and do our jobs.”
Originally published at Joseph Dycus