In the long-awaited homecoming game, the Calabasas Coyotes ended their three-game losing streak with an explosive 51-34 victory against the Santa Barbara Dons. The win brought CHS back to .500 on the season, improving their record to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the league.
Calabasas got off to a hot start after Santa Barbara’s opening touchdown. Junior quarterback Dominik Hardy handed the ball off to senior Kayne Miller, who sprinted nearly half the field to even the score 7-7. With just 27 seconds left in the first quarter, Santa Barbara fumbled, and junior Kingston Ceflifie scooped it up and ran it in for a touchdown to give Calabasas a 14-7 lead.
“It felt good, especially after coming off the first game where I didn’t score,” said Miller, who rushed 131 yards and a touchdown.
“At half, we were just trying to keep the team’s energy up and keep the game going how we wanted it to. The biggest factor was the team I’m surrounded with,” said Miller.
Santa Barbara briefly tied the game in the second quarter, but Calabasas’ defense took control. Junior Obi Ofomata tipped a pass that was quickly intercepted and returned for a touchdown, pushing the Coyotes ahead 23-14. Minutes later, Miller recovered a Santa Barbara fumble and returned it nearly 60 yards for another touchdown, sending Calabasas into halftime with unstoppable momentum.
The energy in the crowd only grew stronger during the Homecoming halftime, where seniors performed a dance before the Masquerade-themed floats rolled across the track. Each truck, decorated in class colors and playing cards, carried the royal court for each grade. Freshman royals Micah Belzer and Ivy Baer, sophomores Bryce Somoza and Alexis Ligavetski, juniors Anna Stanley and Ethan Schwartz, and last but not least, the senior king and queen, Hayden Farley and Ryan Shekofte were all featured during halftime.
“It was very loud, very energetic, a good audience,” said senior student Bryson Prophete. “Everyone came out to support the home game. Even up near the baseball field, it was filled. The whole student section was packed.”
In the third quarter, Celifie delivered one of the night’s biggest highlights with an impressive kickoff return, boosting Calabasas’ lead 37-20. Santa Barbara then closed the gap, making it a ten-point game of 37-27 late in the quarter, but Dominik responded with a deep touchdown pass to Celifie early in the fourth to make it 43-27.
Moments later, Dezmyn Hardy made an exciting play and intercepted a pass, returning it to the 10-yard line. On the next play, his brother Dominik passed the ball to him for a touchdown.
The announcer immediately recognized and shouted,
“The Hardy Boy connection!” into the speakers.
That touchdown sealed Calabasas’ lead of 51-27. Despite Santa Barbara’s final touchdown, the Coyotes dominated the score with a 51-34 win.
Dominik Hardy finished the night with 222 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Kingston Celifie totaled 183 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Nate Castaneda led with 12 tackles, followed by Max Avshalomov with 11.
The victory marked a turning point for Calabasas, who reclaimed their rhythm just in time for the end of the season. The Coyotes will take the road to Rio Mesa this Friday for their next league matchup, looking to build on the energy they used to power through the homecoming game.
