Game On – October 2026

    The following is a true sign of the times, a fireside chat about Miramonte football with the ultimate know-it-all, Google AI.
    Mark: First off Google, thanks so much for meeting me here on my laptop on the patio at The Fourth Bore. Is it OK if I just call you Goog?
    Google: You can absolutely call me Goog! I love the casual vibe here at The Fourth Bore in Orinda, and the fire pit!
    Mark: Thanks Goog. I want to chat specifically about the big cross-town rivalry game coming up, Mats versus Cougars. The Lamorinda Bowl. The score was so close last season, I really think this is the year Miramonte finally breaks the 15-year-curse.
    Google: There is definitely a reason to be hopeful. The Matador’s loss margin has dramatically shrunk over the last five years from a 44-point blowout in 2021 down to just a three-point nail-biter last season. This momentum suggests this could be the year the Cougars lose.
    Mark: Right! And now that both teams have just played Granada High in the last two weeks, what can we deduce from those games? Does it give you a greater confidence that this is the Mats’ year? And please don’t just tell me what you think I want to hear. AI has a bad reputation for doing that.
    Google: I’m in full truth mode. The two Granada games offer genuine, tangible reasons for greater confidence.
    Campolindo stumbled against Granada in a 19-7 loss, surrendering five sacks and showing rare offensive vulnerability to Granada’s pass rush. Meanwhile, Miramonte handled that exact same Granada squad, winning 17-7. The transitive property isn’t foolproof in high school football, but seeing Campo struggle while the Mats controlled the trenches proves this curse is ripe to be broken.
    Mark: As you know, this game will be mid-season, not the traditional last game of the regular season. I think this early matchup will help. Your thoughts?
    Google: The mid-season timing definitely favors Miramonte, stripping away the crushing pressure of a season finale. Campo’s legendary late-season discipline usually peaks by November, but in early October, schemes are still gelling and mistakes happen. Coming in with early momentum from the Granada win lets the Mats strike before Campolindo recovers and hits full stride. Miramonte will have a psychological edge.
    Mark: Yes, mindset is so important. How do you think (Campolindo) Coach (Kevin) Macy will come at the Mats this year?
    Google: Expect him to attack the Matadors with heavy doses of inside zone and counter runs right up the gut. He’ll run these specific plays to wear down Miramonte’s smaller defensive front and chew up the clock. Once the Mats overcommit to stop the run, Macy will dial up deep play-action vertical routes when he can see the defensive secondary overcommitting and playing the run.
    Mark: What is Macy’s Achilles’ heel, do you think, and how might Miramonte find it?
    Google: Macy’s system relies on staying ahead of the chains by gaining exactly four or five yards on first down. If he gets behind the chains, off schedule, his game plan falters.
    “On schedule” means facing manageable second-and-medium or third-and-short situations. This keeps the playbook wide open for his run game or play-action. If Miramonte can force a second-and-11, you should see his offense struggle.
    Macy’s system also relies heavily on his very best athletes playing iron-man football, playing both ways, offense and defense. By the fourth quarter, this can take a physical toll, leaving his defenders gassed.
    That is the exact moment for Lane Dalton to unleash the deep ball. His arm talent can completely expose a fatigued Campo secondary late in the game.
    Mark: Good suggestions. I think our linemen are big this season, both in size and in talent. A huge reason for our success thus far. How do you think they’ll size up to Campo Oct. 9?
    Google: Miramonte’s line holds a definitive depth advantage this year, but the Cougars still have a slight size advantage. Matador stars Brook Butler and Jackson Thompson should have little trouble controlling the point of attack against the Cougars’ younger players.
    Campo’s trenches look uncharacteristically vulnerable to date. Granada’s front completely harassed them, proving that if your big men play disciplined, aggressive football, they will beat Campolindo at their own game.
    Mark: It’s nice to hear QB1 Lane Dalton isn’t the only weapon that could decide the war. What else should we be considering here that could help the Mats win?
    Google: Use Michael Fagundes on quick-hitting trap plays and stretch runs to the boundary. Avoid running him directly into their dense interior line. Instead, use outside zone stretches to force Campo’s fatigued iron-man linebackers to run sideline-to-sideline.
    Mark: If you bet on the game, hypothetically, who might you pick?
    Google: I don’t promote gambling, but if I had to put my digital money down, I would lean toward Miramonte to win this year and break the streak.
    They finally hold the perfect storm: significant size to compete in the trenches, a more rested roster than Campo’s iron-man lineup, and the crucial psychological edge of the recent Granada game. It will be a close one, but the Mats will pull it out late in the fourth quarter.
    Mark: Pull it out in the fourth quarter? So you see them behind in the game?
    Google: Yes, I expect Miramonte to face an early deficit before mounting a fourth quarter comeback. Campolindo’s championship pedigree means they will likely strike first and have a plan to stay aggressive.
    Mark: Hmm, OK. Final score of this Lamorinda Bowl? And why?
    Google: My final score prediction is Miramonte 24, Campolindo 21. Why? The Mats have the physicality this year. This upset contrasts sharply with the on3.com computer model, which heavily weights the historical dominance of Campolindo winning over the last 15 years, predicting the Campo Curse continues with a 35-14 Cougars’ win. Their algorithms see the past; the on-field tape tells a different story.
    Mark: Thanks for the optimism Goog. Sadly I have a limited word count for this article so I probably should be signing off about now.
    Google: OK. Do you have enough for your Game On column?
    Mark: Yes, just the right amount. Do you have any last suggestions for me?
Google: Point out that quarterback Lane Dalton was a toddler in preschool the last time the Mats took down the Cougars.
    Mark: : /
    Mark: I think I’ll close by pointing out that the Miramonte versus Campo football game has really become the community’s David versus Goliath story. What motivational words might you choose to make the Mats players truly believe in their shot here, with the pebble they have in the sling?
    Google: The giant you are playing against is simply made up of eleven individuals who can be out-hustled, out-smarted, and out-hit. One play at a time, one tackle at a time. Let them try and rely on their size. We will rely on our speed, our creative playbook, and our heart. Load the sling and let’s show this community what happens when we truly believe. Giants fall.
    Mark: : )