- After winning an OT thriller against Vacaville in 2025, Atwater falls to the Bulldogs at home to open 2026.
- The Bulldogs rushed for five total touchdowns by five different players.
The Atwater Falcons opened their 2026 football season by hosting the Vacaville Bulldogs on Friday night in Atwater. While hosting the Bulldogs, the game held special significance for the school as the school honored its senior athletes who have dedicated years to the program. However, once the festivities were through, the anticipation of a new season charged the stadium with an excitement only the return of Friday Night Lights can bring.
Atwater received the opening kickoff, but their first drive ended with a punt. Vacaville took over just beyond midfield and quickly moved down the field. Their opening drive finished with a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Josiah Julio that gave them a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs continued to control the ball as the first quarter went on. Atwater put together a drive into Vacaville territory, but the Bulldogs’ defense stopped the Falcons on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs for the Falcons. Once the Bulldogs regained possession, Vacaville put together another long drive, moving all the way to the Atwater 2-yard line before the quarter ended.
Vacaville finished what they started early in the second quarter after a penalty pushed them back a few yards. The Bulldogs scored after Aidan Gillard managed a 7-yard rushing touchdown, and Braden Watkins added the extra point to make it 14-0. The Bulldogs had all the momentum at this point, as Atwater could not figure out how to slow the Bulldog rushing attack.
However, Atwater didn’t let the game get away from them. Down, but not out, the Falcons answered with a long drive of their own, eventually reaching the red zone. Atwater quarterback Tyler Curtis finished the drive with a 9-yard rushing touchdown, putting the Falcons on the board and cutting Vacaville’s lead to 14-7 with 3:32 left in the half.
Vacaville had another chance to score before halftime and moved deep into Atwater territory. The Falcons’ defense managed to stop the Bulldogs near the end zone, keeping the score at 14-7 going into the break. The Bulldogs had control of the game by halftime, but by cutting the lead in half, the Falcons gave themselves a chance heading into the second half.
Vacaville received the football after halftime and immediately put together another scoring drive. Zaylon Aldarondo broke away for a 20-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Bulldogs’ lead to 21-7. The balanced rushing attack from multiple Bulldog runners kept Atwater guessing all night. Ten different Bulldog players rushed the ball at least once. Vacaville handed the ball off 35 times, rushing for 200 yards, but not a single runner topped 50 yards.
As the half continued, the Bulldogs controlled possession and put pressure on Atwater’s defense. Later in the third quarter, Gabriel Ingraham broke loose for Vacaville, scoring on a 19-yard rushing touchdown while handing the Bulldogs their largest lead of the night.
Vacaville’s defense continued to make things difficult for the Falcons, and the Bulldogs found another big play early in the fourth quarter. Brody Rogers blocked an Atwater punt, giving Vacaville the ball just outside the end zone. Malakai Couther took advantage of the opportunity, scoring on an 8-yard rushing touchdown to push the lead to 35-7.
Atwater continued to battle late in the game, putting together its longest drive of the fourth quarter. With less than a minute remaining, Atwater completed a pass to Brayden Bettis for a touchdown and added the extra point to make it 35-14. Vacaville took the following kickoff and ran out the remaining 39 seconds to finish the game.
After the game, Vacaville senior quarterback Malakai Couther credited the offensive line and running backs for helping the Bulldogs’ offense find success. “I just wanted to score,” Couther said. “It’s my first varsity start. I wanted to get in the end zone and get my team a win.” Couther said there were also things he wanted to improve, including some missed throws and getting Vacaville’s outside receivers more involved in the passing game. The win brings some slight redemption for Vacaville who lost a thrilling home-opener against Atwater last year by one point, 65-64.
Atwater, meanwhile, struggled to find an identity on offense in this game. The Falcons were only able to manage one significant scoring drive before the game got out of reach. Things get no easier for the Falcons next week (9/4) when they travel to Hughson to face the 1-0 Huskies. Vacaville, on the other hand, will return home next week to face the West Park Panthers.
- Photos by Grace Gallegos. ↩︎
