Amador Valley High School’s football team lost in round one of the NCS playoffs against Liberty High School by a score of 35-21, ending an eventful season for the Dons. 

Despite senior quarterback Ryan Cannon having recovered from injuries, freshman Jackson Visconti and senior defensive end Brady Nassar continued their roles as quarterbacks on offense for different plays. 

After Liberty scored a quick touchdown in the first quarter, Amador answered back with a long drive that ended with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Nassar.

The teams traded scores once again when the Lions rushed for a touchdown and the Dons fired back with Visconti’s 32-yard passing touchdown to Nate Jetter (‘24).  

With the score even at 14, Liberty took command of the game in the second quarter with a 61-yard reception for a touchdown and another 22-yard passing touchdown with three seconds left in the half.

Liberty opened the second half by forcing a punt and later rushing in for a 12-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 35-14 lead entering the fourth quarter. Big plays for Liberty allowed them to drive the ball downfield and keep Amador’s defense off-balance. 

Regardless of the score differential, Amador was able to gain chunks of yards with running backs Jake Goldsworthy (‘24) and Miles Tucker (‘23) leading the rushing attack. Visconti completed several deep passes throughout the game and helped gain momentum to keep the Dons’ offense moving. 

Amador put Cannon in at quarterback for the final time during the fourth quarter. With the opportunity, he led a drive that ended in an 11-yard passing touchdown to senior wide receiver Aaron Greth in the final minutes of the game. 

Despite the loss, Amador made multiple big plays with powerful runs by Goldsworthy and Tucker. Long completions by Visconti opened up designed quarterback run plays for Nassar. Visconti found the ability to stay calm and make accurate throws while staying in the pocket. 

“Liberty’s very explosive on offense and they had a lot of big plays. But we kept fighting and bringing the ball down. I was proud of the way we fought through adversity,” said head coach Danny Jones.

Throughout the year, injuries affected Amador’s quarterback lineup of Ryan Cannon, Drew Souza (‘24), and Jack Duncan (‘25). However, the team continued to move forward and their level of focus accounted for the success they had this season. 

“(Visconti) had been on the team for one week and was ready to go which was very impressive, (and) Cannon played through a shoulder injury most of the year… We had a lot of adversity throughout the year and I think we fought really hard. There’s a lot to look positively on after the season so I’m really proud,” said Nassar.