Underdog No More, a Deaf Football Team Takes California by Storm

California School for the Deaf Riverside football team defies odds in first championship game

California School for the Deaf in Riverside had its greatest season

The football team of the California School for the Deaf Riverside (CSDR) was founded 68 years ago, but they’ve never reached a championship game. Until this year.

CSDR is the only deaf high school in their division and one of only two high schools for the deaf in the entire state of California. Every player on the Cubs is deaf, and so is their coach, Keith Adams. The Cubs had a 12-0 winning streak, having an average winning margin of nearly 50 points. The historic season came to an end with the team’s first-ever championship game recently.

The championship game should have been held at the Cub’s home field, but tickets sold out within 45 minutes. So, the game was moved to a bigger school nearby with big bleachers to accommodate the huge fan base.

One of the wide receivers Enos Zornova said they use American Sign Language to their advantage, “During the game, we’re able to throw outplays, exact plays. Hearing teams don’t understand what our plays are, what’s being shared on the field.”

Unfortunately, the Cubs suffered some injuries during the game, and it ended up being a blowout. After the final whistle, the Cubs players were on their knees crying uncontrollably. “They’ve taught us a lesson. And that means the expectation is going to be greater for next year,” Defensive coordinator Kaveh Angoorani said.

After the game, CSDR elementary, middle, and high school students came over to congratulate the players on their season.

All year long, as wins piled up, they’d been chasing the goal of a championship. To have a concrete title that would stand forever — to make the deaf community proud.

“We were that close,” coach Keith Adams said.

The fact that CSDR made it so deep into the football playoffs — were no Cubs had gone before — created the short turnaround.

Adams’ son Trevin said most of the schools for the deaf around the country reached out to CSDR to offer their support. The season might’ve ended in disappointment, but the overall body of work served as inspiration. The Cubs lost a battle, but they won a war.

“Hearing families with deaf family members were able to see our example, and that was probably the coolest thing, being able to really be a representative for the deaf community,” Trevin said. “I definitely feel like we have changed the perspective of realizing, like, ‘Deaf can do it.’”

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