SAN JOSE — Zackary Papedis almost forgot something pretty important when rushing Christopher punter Elijah Coleman in the third quarter of Willow Glen‘s game against Christopher on Friday.

“I ran over, and then it was all one feeling, really,” Willow Glen’s two-way player recounted. “It was a rush. I blocked it, and to be honest, I completely forgot the ball was live. And then I scooped it, scored.”

Willow Glen sure was happy Papedis kept his wits about him in the heat of the moment. His punt block and 1-yard touchdown return changed the course of the Rams’ 21-20 win over visiting Christopher, flipping momentum to the home team when the Cougars were in firm control with a 20-7 lead late in the third quarter.

After Papedis’ game-altering play, Willow Glen trailed 20-14. After a successful onside kick, the Rams went down and scored again to take their first lead.

From there, Willow Glen’s defense made the one-point margin stand up. And in the middle of it all was Papedis, who plays defensive line and fullback for the Rams in addition to special teams.

Willow Glen needed every last bit of it to hang on for an improbable, program-defining win.

Willow Glen’s Zackary Papedis (4) celebrates with his teamates after scoring a touchdown against Christopher during the second half at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group) 

“I gotta go get my ticker checked in a little bit, man,” Rams coach Oscar Caballero told his team after the game. “But hey, this is the beauty of the sport.”

For most of Friday night’s contest, Willow Glen (2-2) didn’t look the part of the likely winner. Entering its third nonleague game against a team from the Blossom Valley Athletic League’s top division, the Rams fell down 12-0 after Aiden Swann ran a tipped pass back 69 yards for a pick-six, and Dylan Robinson found Logan DaSilva for a 5-yard TD pass in the second quarter.

Willow Glen began to claw back when Chris Amann finished up a 74-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 12-7.

But Christopher padded its lead in the third quarter, as Robinson hit Kordell Crocker with a perfectly thrown deep ball over the middle for a 67-yard TD to push the Cougars’ advantage back to two scores.

Christopher’s Dylan Robinson (5) passes the ball during the first half against Willow Glen at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group) 

Christopher forced a punt on its next defensive possession and seemed poised to take further control of the game. But after Willow Glen forced a three-and-out, Papedis had other ideas.

The Rams were glad he did.

“That block down there, get a little six points off that, that was amazing,” said Willow Glen quarterback Aiden Akery. “That threw us back in the game. Special teams are a huge part of it. Everybody thinks it’s boring, but that’s exactly what kept us in that game.”

After Papedis’ play made Willow Glen believe, Gavin Holmes’ onside kick opened the door to  make winning the game a reality. Holmes’ bouncing strike hopped right over Christopher’s first line of kickoff coverage and into the waiting arms of Amann at the Cougars’ 42-yard line.

“We definitely got tested in all three phases,” Christopher coach Mike Pirnik said. “We learned a lot about our special teams.”

Then, it was Akery’s turn to run through the open door. After completing two intermediate passes and running 15 yards for a first down himself, Akery scrambled on a pass play from the 6 and then slalomed through multiple defenders, finally finding an opening at the goal line and putting the Rams on top for the first time all game.

“Knowing we’re down, I know I can’t just sit back and watch us lose again,” said Akery, who completed 13 of 21 passes for 103 yards and ran for 86 more on 19 carries. “Looking back at last year, they thought I was the guy to go to. We needed a first down, they’d send me running. Clear out the space to send me one on one with the linebacker, they expect me to win it.

Willow Glen’s Aiden Akery (12) runs the ball during the second half against Christopher at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group) 

“So I went into the season and the game, second half we were down, I knew I had to do it again. Whether my knee’s hurting, shoulder, ribs, anything I got to go through to put my body on the line, and it pays off.”

The fun wasn’t over. Christopher mounted a stirring comeback that featured a pair of drives into Willow Glen territory. The second was ignited when Zachary Souza blocked Akery’s punt with just over two minutes to play, setting the Cougars up at the Rams’ 46.

Robinson, a sophomore, navigated Christopher down to the 38 before falling on a bad snap to set up fourth-and-10 at the 46. He then completed a 13-yard pass to Ryan Holt, but the conversion was called back after a holding penalty was assessed.

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Then on fourth-and-20, Robinson completed a 34-yard pass to Kordell Crocker, but that play was negated due to an ineligible man downfield.

Finally, with 44 seconds to play on fourth down from the minus-38, the third time was the charm for Willow Glen. With Akery on the field playing defense for the first time all season, the Rams’ broke up Robinson’s third straight pass attempt, and the celebration was on in San Jose.

Willow Glen’s Adam Castellanos (6) celebrates with his team after defeating Christopher 21-20 at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group) 

“The thrill of the crowd and just the whole community out here to see us beat an A-league team and send a message to the whole league, that’s one of the best feelings ever,” Papedis said.

Christopher was the champion in the Mt. Hamilton Division, BVAL’s top league, last season. Willow Glen won the Santa Teresa-Valley, the third tier in the BVAL pyramid.

It’s safe to say that after losing to A-league teams Lincoln-San Jose and Branham to start this year, Willow Glen’s belief in itself has now been fully restored.

“We’re ready for any team,” Papedis said. “We’ve just gotta prove it. And I think tonight, we did.”

Willow Glen’s Aiden Akery (12) celebrates with Willow Glen’s JJ Gallis (58) after scoring a touchdown during the second half against Christopher at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group) 
Willow Glen’s Zackary Papedis (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Christopher during the second half at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group) 
Christopher’s Kordell Crocker (1) fails to catch a pass during the second half against Willow Glen at Willow Glen High School in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Thien-An Truong for Bay Area News Group) 

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