Last Friday night, the Calabasas Coyotes squeaked out a 9-6 victory on the road against the Oxnard Yellow Jackets. The Coyotes’ bleak offensive display marked their lowest point total in a win since 2015, when they defeated Rio Mesa 13-10.
This is the second year in a row the Coyotes have beaten Oxnard. Eleven months ago, former Coyotes QB and current San Jose State QB Alonzo Contreras threw for 286 yards with four touchdowns to lead CHS to a 33-21 victory. However, the 2024 Coyotes’ offense faced significant uncertainty due to a mass exodus of talent, including standouts like Alonzo Contreras, Aaron Butler, Arion Lang, Danye Brown, and Marmonte League First-Team players Caleb Yang and Adam Geukens. While Friday night’s performance might have heightened offensive concerns, solace was found in Calabasas’ outstanding ball security, which resulted in zero turnovers.
Midway through the first quarter, the Coyotes orchestrated a promising drive that left them with a 4th and goal inside the 5-yard line. However, a miscommunication between receiver Dezmyn Hardy and running back Kingston Celifie caused a perfectly thrown pass by Dom Hardy, quarterback, to ricochet to the turf. The red-zone gaffe was an early indicator of the Coyotes’ offensive struggles. Fortunately, junior linebacker Max Avshalomov responded with a tackle-for-loss to keep the game knotted at zero at the end of the 1st.
The momentum shifted immediately in the 2nd quarter, with the Yellow Jackets blocking junior Ben Chacham’s punt, taking over possession in Coyotes territory. From there, Oxnard drove quickly, and receiver Marcus Mendez found himself isolated in the endzone for the lone touchdown of the night. The Yellow Jackets were unable to make it 7-0 as their placeholder botched the snap. The stagnant offensive pace continued for both teams until quarterback Dom Hardy found senior Max Medawar for a 19-yard catch on 4th and 2. The conversion set up Ben Chacham with a short field goal, cutting Oxnard’s lead to 6-3 at halftime.
While the score remained 6-3 heading into the 4th quarter, it was 12 minutes to forget for the Coyotes. Multiple offensive drives were derailed by dropped passes and snaps, as well as a muffed punt that nearly resulted in the Yellow Jackets taking over inside the Calabasas 10-yard line.
Early in the 4th quarter, Dylan Hein delivered a huge hit to prevent a third-down conversion, reigniting the Calabasas offense. Sophomore Dom Hardy then connected with Kingston Celifie on a 24-yard pass across the middle, and just a few plays later, found his brother, Dezmyn Hardy, for a 28-yard gain. Despite letting another red-zone opportunity slip away, the Coyotes settled for a comfortable field goal by Ben Chacham to tie the game at 6-6.
Oxnard responded with a furious drive of their own, fueled by an early defensive pass interference and a strong run inside the Calabasas 40-yard line. The drive set up a very manageable go-ahead field goal attempt for the Yellow Jackets, but it was déjà vu as the placeholder fumbled the snap, preventing the kick from ever getting off the ground. The Coyotes responded quickly, marching into Oxnard territory with a little under thirty seconds remaining. After a costly sack pushed Calabasas out of field goal range, a questionable no-call on a deep pass to Dezmyn Hardy, followed by a devastating 4th down drop, effectively sent the game to overtime.
CIF overtime rules give both teams the chance to score from the opposing 25-yard line, just like the NCAA’s format installed in 1996. The Yellow Jackets began with the ball and converted an early first down before being stopped by the relentless Coyotes defense. Miraculously, Oxnard’s placeholder dropped a snap for the third time, sealing the Yellow Jackets’ fate. Junior Ben Chacham then confidently stepped up and drilled the game-winning 35-yard field goal, leading Calabasas to an improbable opening night victory.
The Coyotes offense totaled 289 yards, with quarterback Dom Hardy completing 26-37 passes for 234 yards. While Hardy’s stat line didn’t particularly jump off the page, his steady presence and timely plays throughout the game kept the Coyotes afloat in a stagnant contest.
“There were obviously nerves [for Dom] early in the game, but he shook them off and began to look like himself,” said offensive coordinator Phil Magbuana. “He’s going to be a star for us.”
Friday’s game also marked the first time he was the sole quarterback for Calabasas, following a series of games during his freshman year in which wide receivers Arion Lang and Adam Geukens had served as rotational replacements for the injured starter, Alonzo Contreras.
In addition to Dom’s resilient outing, sophomore Kingston Celifie impressed with 89 yards on 11 receptions. He finished with 112 total yards. Dom’s older brother, Dezmyn Hardy, also displayed moments of brilliance with six receptions for 54 yards, including the clutch 28-yard reception that helped CHS level the game late in the fourth quarter. On the defensive side, seniors Sam Kijner and Dylan Hein combined for 15 total tackles to suffocate the Oxnard offense. Special teams was the deciding factor, and Ben Chacham hit all 3 of his field goals in his first game since the departure of kicker Nathan Silva.
Calabasas continues its non-conference slate against the Castaic Coyotes, who dismantled Adelante High School 45-7. The two teams will meet on Friday at Keith Ritchie Field.
