At least they got there.

I am sure the bus ride home from Southern California on Saturday morning for the Amador Valley football team following their 18-14 loss the night before to Frontier High from Bakersfield was an interesting one.

The Dons were right there with a chance to claim the CIF D-III AA title but ended up just short of capping their sensational season with the state title.

At least they got there.

The moods and mannerisms on the bus had to be all over the place. I’ve been on those bus rides before — some celebratory, others not so much.

The lucky ones were those that got some sleep on the bus. Their minds were clear while their bodies that went through a 15-game season began to heal.

Some just sat and stared at the sparse scenery that I-5 offers, likely listening to music. Others were in conversation with their friends, either trying to move past the disappointment of the loss or pushing off thinking about it.

Lots of emotions, thoughts or questions with no answers available. I was one of those who would stare out the window without talking.

What goes through your mind at this point?

You replay the entire game in your head, trying to find what you could have done differently that could have perhaps turned the tables for your team.

If you have never been an athlete, it’s a place you can’t understand. Athletes, especially the high-level ones, reach deep inside and grow from the answers they reach for. It may seem extreme, but if you have walked in those shoes, you know.

This is one of the most underrated things about what sports bring to kids from 10 years old to through college. You face adversity head on, and win or lose, you confront it and become a stronger — and better — person.

Athletes have different ways of processing a big loss and they may differ, but they all arrive at the same place: handling a moment these athletes will remember for the rest of their lives.

At least they got there.

They will take what they learned and use it in life moving forward. Whether it is work, school, whatever; it will help in their growth in a way many will never know.

When their bus pulled into the Amador Valley parking lot on Saturday, undoubtedly greeted by a throng of parents, friends and members of the Pleasanton community, I hope they had one and only one thought — an overwhelming sense of pride!

This group of boys galvanized an entire community. There were no Foothill or Amador groups; it was all about Pleasanton. Falcons were joining arms to root on their crosstown rivals.

My wife, who is not a sports fan believe it or not, was cheering the last two weeks watching the NorCal final, then the state game.

There were three viewing parties going on in Pleasanton on Friday night with the attendees at all three living the emotions with the players.

And although none of us got the ideal ending we had hoped for, what we got was even better: our sense of pride and community.

At least they got there and that is something that can never be taken away from them. Only two teams in the entire state of California in their division can lay claim to making the state finals.

For the players to be able to bring everyone together gives them the exclusive right to stand tall and carry yourself having done something you can remember every single day and someday share the story with your own kids.

It may sting for a while — and it should — but it is also something that will put a smile on your face for the rest of your lives.

A job and a season well done! Thank you for taking us all along for the ride.

Amador boys’ soccer

The Dons’ varsity team started off the season with a bang, winning a pair of 2-0 games over American and Freedom on Dec. 2-3.

Ramsay Hanna and Ryan Bell scored both the goals in each game. Coleson Franklin, Joseph D’Onofrio, Lucas Cimas and Atishay Sati all played well.

On Dec. 7, the Dons fell 5-0 to Clayton Valley.

The JV team beat American 6-0, led by a hat-trick from Ekansh Samanta. Diego Tempero, Leo Wiedemeyer and Joseph Prunty also contributed to the scoring. The following day, they secured a 3-0 victory against Freedom, with goals from Samanta, Tempero and Muhriz Munir. Samanta was named Player of the Match.

The Dons fell short in their weekend match against Clayton Valley Charter, losing 1-0. Munir was recognized for his outstanding performance.

Amador Valley freshmen kicked off their beating Dublin 3-1.

Trailing 1-0 at the half, the Dons got goals from Rolando Tovar (the first goal) and Kingston Smith (knocking in the next two).

Ethan Hernandez, Ewan Kinnear, Harry Brown, Jesus Hernandez and Sawyer Willis played well.

This past week, the varsity Dons tied 1-1 against Liberty and then fell 5-0 to Vintage on Dec. 14.

Bell found the net against Liberty, assisted by D’Onofrio.

The JV team battled to a 0-0 draw against Liberty, then beat Vintage 3-1. Munir, Guillermo Galvan and Jesus Desiderio Hernandez scored the goals.

The freshman team got a late goal by Rolando Tovar to beat Freedom.

Editor’s note: Dennis Miller is a contributing sports writer for Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. To contact him about his Pleasanton Preps column, email acesmag@aol.com.