Saturday CIF State Football Finals

Santa Margarita completes dominant playoff run with big win vs De La Salle to win its first CIF Open Division state title on Saturday at Saddleback College. The Eagles (11-3) just got better and better and better in every playoff game. It also capped a day in which two other undefeated teams had their seasons end in the CIF D1-A and CIF D2-A state finals although an unbeaten team (Sonora) was the one to get the win in D2-A.

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(Thanks to associate editor Harold Abend for the recap on the game between Sonora and Rio Hondo Prep.)

Whether it was Trent Mosley making play after play, a defense getting negative plays after negative plays and other players fulfilling their roles, in the end the Santa Margarita High football team was just as impressive on Saturday night as any of the recent teams from Mater Dei of Santa Ana or St. John Bosco of Bellflower that have combined to win the last eight CIF Open Division state championships.

The Eagles, with first-year head coach Carson Palmer calling the shots, rolled to a 47-13 win at Saddleback College against De La Salle of Concord. While the team had three losses earlier in the season, it really started putting together all the offensive pieces with the defense it showed all season in a 21-9 win to begin the CIF Southern Section D1 playoffs over previously unbeaten and No. 1 in the state at the time Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth. A 31-6 win over Orange Lutheran after it upset St. John Bosco of Bellflower followed and then came a 42-7 win in the CIFSS D1 final at the Rose Bowl against Corona Centennial after it beat Mater Dei in the semifinals.

Santa Margarita wasn’t able to play for a CIF state title back in 1997 when Palmer led them to a perfect season and a CIF Southern Section title because the state regionals and state finals weren’t happening in the 1990s. The Eagles (11-3) won their first CIF state title in D1 in 2011 under former head coach Harry Welch. They will officially be named State Team of the Year on Monday and will join an all-time list that stretches back to 1890.

“You can’t expect anything in this game,” said Palmer (the former Heisman Trophy winner on the same night this year’s winner was announced) when asked if the big win vs Centennial made his team a big favorite vs De La Salle. “It is just one day, one week and I thought our senior leaders did a good job of leading that all season.”

Mosley, one of those senior leaders, had another monster game to go with the one he had of 292 yards receiving vs Centennial. The USC recruit had 11 catches for 183 yards and two TDs, scored once on a run and returned a pair of punts for 21 yards.

“He’s the best player in the nation,” yelled Palmer as Mosley was getting ready to hold the CIF state title trophy.

The Spartans came into the game unbeaten at 12-0, but leave with one loss in the final game for a second straight year. They also were at No. 5 in the State TOP 50 rankings. Plus, it’s now been seven straight losses in CIF state finals for De La Salle since it won six of seven in the Open Division between 2009 and 2015.

“We were able to churn it right at them, but you can’t do that when you’re behind like we were,” head coach Justin Alumbaugh said. “That is a great defense and you can’t let them pin their ears back on passing downs. That’s a recipe for disaster. I just wish we played better in the first half.”

De La Salle got the ball first to start the game and after a first down had to punt. The Eagles went straight to work on passes in the flat to Mosley and after two penalties on the Spartans helped they scored on a 7-yard run by Mosley.

The Spartans drove for a field goal attempt on their second series, but the kick was blocked by Simote Katoanga. Santa Margarita then scored again on a 70-yard drive with Mosley catching a pass from Trace Johnson and dipping and dashing for a 34-yard touchdown.

After the Eagles extended their lead to 19-0 on a 20-yard TD pass from Johnson to junior tight end Luke Gazzaniga, De La Salle got on the board in the second quarter after recovering a fumble. They drove 38 yards in six plays with Jaden Jefferson scoring the first of his two touchdowns on a 4-yard run.

The Eagles put the game essentially out of reach by halftime with a 35-7 lead by scoring on a 80-yard drive in 3:22 and then a 37-yard drive after a short punt. The first of those scores was on a 18-yard run by Jaion “Deuce” Smith and a forward lateral pass of 6 yards to Mosley.

“We watched all their films and they were tight in the loss to (Bishop) Gorman but that was Gorman and that was a good team,” Alumbaugh said. “We were seeing the progression each week for sure and it was impressive.”

Jefferson, who was a focus of the Eagles’ defense all night, only had 31 yards on 11 carries but scored on a 7-yard run in the third quarter to account for De La Salle’s second touchdown. Gazzaniga had a second TD catch on a pass from Johnson early in the fourth quarter from two yards out and it looked like 41-13 was going to be the final score, but with 1:36 left it was senior Siua Holani who put the icing on the cake with a 47-yard pick six.

Johnson, a quarterback who played last season in Florida and who has signed with Tulane, had one of his best games for the Eagles. He completed 17 of 20 passes for 247 yards and four TDs. Leki Holani was Santa Margarita’s leading tackler with 10 and he was credited with two sacks.

The Palmer era began at Santa Margarita almost one year ago to the day when he decided to become the head coach and perhaps complicate his life. Does he look back now and think about the successful way it has turned out?

“I don’t necessarily think that way,” he said. “I made a commitment to the kids here, my kids go here and I know everybody in the building. I’ve got a great environment to be working in with great people. It’s just been a unique experience that would be hard to replicate.”

In the other games played at Saddleback College:

DIVISION 1-A

Central East (Fresno) 42, Pacifica (Oxnard) 28

All season long, the mantra at Central East has been to get back to this game and instead of tasting defeat (which came in a loss in the final minute to Edison of Huntington Beach) it was to get back and win.

“That’s been the mission,” said head coach Kyle Biggs. “That’s been what we’ve been shooting for.”

“Most definitely redemption has been on our minds,” said leading offensive and defensive player Brandon Smith. “But the biggest thing is actually winning it.”

With the win, the Bengals (14-1 with the only loss in the second game to Grant of Sacramento) earned their second CIF state title. The first was won in a perfect 15-0 season in 2019 in D1-AA with a win vs Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth. They also ended with a 14-1 record and should move up from a No. 14 spot in the most recent State TOP 50 rankings.

Pacifica, which lost in last year’s CIF D2-AA state final to Grant, wanted to get back to a state final as well this year and get a win. That didn’t happen so the loss to Central East will end the Tritons’ season at 15-1 and prevents them from tying the state record by going 16-0.

“That’s the best team we’ve played by far,” said Pacifica head coach Mike Moon, who is now 1-2 in CIF state finals with a win in 2019 in D2-A. “And the team we played last week (Granite Hills of El Cajon) was the second best.”

Moon said earlier in the interview that third downs were the key.

“Defensively, we’ve just got to win on third downs,” he said. “We weren’t winning on third downs on offense, either. They were.”

Fourth down conversions also were big for the Bengals. The biggest one of those for Central East came with 3:50 left as it was clinging to a 35-28 lead and faced 3rd and 6 from its own 47-yard line. Instead of a safe running play, Bengals’ QB Jelani Dippel threw it deep and junior E.J. Morgan made a diving catch at the Pacifica 22-yard line for a 31-yard gain. That set it up for Smith to score on a 15-yard run with 2:55 left and pushed the lead back to 42-28.

The Tritons still could have scored and then perhaps go for an onside kick to tie the score, but with less than a minute left Jontae Della snagged an interception in the end zone seal the win.

Della wasn’t the only defensive player who came through for Central East, which usually is running up and down field scoring touchdowns but on this night needed the defense to match the stops that the Pacifica defense was managing.

Pacifica was forced to punt after third down sacks on back to back drives in the second half. After the first of those sacks, Central East drove for a touchdown on a 4-yard run by Smith that broke a 14-14 tie. Then after the second of those sacks, the Bengals went on a 90-yard, seven play drive that gave them a two-score lead. That touchdown came on a 38-yard pass completion from Dippel to sophomore standout Kevin Cooks, who broke a tackle at the 10-yard and ran into the center of the end zone.

It didn’t take long for the Tritons to answer that score on a 4-yard run by Isaiah Phelps after a 74-yard pass play from junior QB Taylor Lee to junior WR Alijah Royster. Lee and Royster also hooked up later in the game on a 12-yard TD pass that made it a 35-28 score, which set up the final sequence of plays in the last five minutes.

“The defense was phenomenal the past two weeks,” Biggs said. “But our offense also shot ourselves in the foot too many times. The defense got the stops at the biggest moments.”

Dippel and Lee entered the game at No. 1 and No. 3 in the state for reported TD passes at 56 and 53 for the season. They will end at No. 1 and No. 2. Dippel ended 18 of 31 for 293 yards and two TDs to give him 58 for the season. Lee connected on 21 of 31 passes for 317 yards and two scores that gave him 55 for the season.

For Central East, Smith (signed with Arizona) had 27 carries for 144 yards and three TDs. Phelps (a junior linebacker with 23 listed D1 offers) had 23 carries for 128 yards and two TDs for Pacifica. He also had 10 tackles and one sack on defense.

DIVISION 2-A

Sonora 35, Rio Hondo Prep (Arcadia) 10

As mentioned two days ago, this matchup was shaping up to be “one of the greatest we’ve seen or could find among two small schools in state history.”

Sonora came into the game as the defending CIF Division 4-A champions after a 52-34 victory over St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy of Downey last season, and also currently possessing a 14-0 record and a state-leading 21-game win streak. Plus, with almost everyone returning, not only where the Wildcats recently ranked No. 48 overall in the Cal-Hi Sports State TOP 50, but they also have held down the No. 1 small school spot in the state since the start of the season.

Rio Hondo, a school with only 85 boys enrolled and 46 that are on the varsity football roster, just missed winning its first state title last season with an overtime 42-41 loss to Vanden of Fairfield in the CIF Division 3-A state championship. Also, with a 15-0 record coming into the game, with a win the Kares were poised to join only nine other schools prior to this season to go 16-0.

The matchup had all the makings of a great CIF 2-A Bowl Game championship final, but the Wildcats used a powerful and punishing running game, and a stingy defense against the run to post a decisive and dominating victory. The only touchdown the Wildcats gave up came against subs with 53 seconds remaining.

“I feel like if you can run the football and you can defend the run you’re going to win a lot of games,” said Sonora head coach Kirk Clifton. “And that goes at any level. Ask any professional or college coach. If you can run the ball and stop the runs you’re going to win a lot of games.”

Right from the opening kick-off that’s exactly would Sonora did, good old-fashioned, but not dirty smash mouth football.

After deferring the kick-off, the Wildcats’ defense and offense gave an indication of things to come. On the very first defensive play, 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior defensive back and running back Cash Byington, who is the team’s second-leading tackler and leading runner, gave an indication of what his day would be by coming across the line of scrimmage and dropping Rio Hondo running back Elias Har for a 4-yard loss. That led to the three-and-out and the Kares had to punt.

Sonora got the ball at its own 30 and went on an 11-play 70-yard drive, all runs that included two fourth down conversions. The second fourth conversion came on fourth-and-two at the Rio Hondo 20 when 6-foot-1, 225-pound Brody Spear took a reverse and rumbled 12 yards. On the next play, Byington took a toss from Wildcats’ 6-foot-4, 210-pound quarterback Eli Ingalls and went eight yards for the game’s game first touchdown.

Rio Hondo tried to answer back but after marching 61 yards the Sonora defense held and the Kares were forced to attempt and then converted a 27-yard field to make it 7-3 near the end of the first quarter, but that would by the last time they wild score for nearly 36 minutes.

Speer broke lose for a 67-yard TD run in which he broke through the line and outran the secondary to make it 14-3 Sonara at the half.

The next three Sonora touchdowns came on runs by 6-foot-1, 220-pound fullback Tommy Sutton. He had two 1-yard plunges in the third quarter to make it 28-3 heading to the fourth, and his final TD run came on a 10-yard blast up the middle with just under four minutes remaining.

Speer led Sonora (15-0) with 118 yards rushing and the one touchdown. Byington had the one TD and 93 yards rushing, Sutton had the three TD’s and 41 yards on the ground, and Ingalls, who actually completed one of two passes for 10 yards, had 68 yards rushing.

The Kares (15-1) rushed for 115 yards but they passed for 184 yards and the one TD by senior quarterback Yanick Diaz, but despite giving up some long completions, the only one that broke through was the 46-yarder at the end to Har for the Kares’ lone touchdown.

The bottom line is the quality of opponents played by Sonora that led up to the championship game better prepared the Wildcats for their return to the big stage.

“Absolutely it did. We played some really good teams,” replied Clifton about the Wildcats’ strength schedule being a factor. “We always play Oakdale but we added Turlock and getting bumped up in the playoffs was a huge factor. And today we beat a really good football team.”

Rio Hondo Prep head coach Mark Carson, however, noticed all of the blowouts that the Wildcats had leading up to the state title game since they did not get moved up in the Sac-Joaquin Section due to that section not doing competitive equity while his team played up in D5 in the Southern Section.

“We fought hard, but truth be told we were banged up after the D5 playoffs and weren’t able to write down every score after every game like they did,” Carson said. “All the credit to Sonora, though. They are a great team and deserve to be state champions.”

The legacy will look to continue at a school that for a second straight year has brought the bacon home to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the small town of Sonora.

In games played Friday at Fullerton Union School District Stadium:

DIVISION 3-A

Kennedy (Delano) 42, McClymonds (Oakland) 25

Jace Demacabalin came up with one of the best outings of the weekend in leading the Thunderbirds to their first-ever state title. Kern County’s all-time leading rusher based on career yards rushed for 127 yards and four TDs but also helped limit the Warriors with four sacks on defense. Demacabalin capped his career with 2,640 yards rushing on the seasn and 7,159 yards for his career. He’ll also be at 97 career TDs after a final mark of 37 for this season. Kennedy (13-3) proved too hard to stap by the Warriors, who were unable to add to their total of four state titles. An early turnover contributed to Mack being behind 21-7 at halftime. The Warriors (11-3) came out strong at halftime. Prince Staten had a 61-yard TD run off of a fake punt in the third quarter for their second score of the third quarter, but they were still down by nine and Kennedy’s Wing-T offense kept scoring and whittling down the clock. McClymonds head coach Michael Peters told the Bay Area News Group afterward that “I’m done” when asked if he’d be back coaching next season.

DIVISION 5-A

Calaveras (San Andreas) 42, Bishop Union 21

A couple hours after Sonora won a CIF state title, the Red Hawks (13-2) made it 2-for-2 for the second straight year in state title games for schools located in California’s Mother Lode. They also captured their school’s first state title. It’s not a sweep for Tuolumne County like last year with Sonora and Summerville since Calaveras is in Calaveras County. Ryan Clifton rushed for a TD for the Red Hawks’ first score. QB Cohen Curran then hit on a touchdown pass to sophomore Quincy Dyson. Curran, a two-way standout, then set up another score with an interception on defense. The Broncos, a winner in last week’s regionals against South Gate, ended the season at 12-4 in their second CIF state title game appearance.

DIVISION 7-AA

Redding Christian 16, Woodbridge (Irvine) 0

Both teams were looking for the first CIF state titles, but the Lions prevailed and not only that but put the finishing touches on a 15-0 season. They will go down as one of just two teams in California that ended this season with a perfect record. The other is Sonora in D2-A. Woodbridge (7-9) came into the game with seven wins in its last eight games, but had two turnovers in the first half that led to a 16-0 lead at halftime for Redding Christian. Neither team scored in the second half.

In games played Saturday at Buena Park HS:

DIVISION 4-A

El Cerrito 35, Beckman (Irvine) 12

The Gauchos went to their passing game to post a decisive victory in Orange County not far from Beckman’s home campus. Sophomore QB Dejean Compton Jr. threw for four TDs, according to the Bay Area News Group, and totaled 265 yards. Senior receiver Gary Youngblood, a key player who stuck around after the program was hit with sanctions last season and was not allowed to participate in the postseason, caught three of those TD passes and was reported with 112 receiving yards. El Cerrito (13-2) won its first CIF state title. Beckman (12-4) had an 11-game win streak snapped. Both of the Patriots’ TDs were scored by leading player Mkhi Czaykowski — one on a run and one on a pass reception.

DIVISION 6-A

Winters 28, Morse (San Diego) 7

On a night when the Warriors captured their first CIF state title, senior QB Lane Brown also continued to make history of his own. He wasn’t reported with more than 2,000 yards rushing entering the game when we checked his numbers earlier this week, but they were apparently updated after that and it was switched to 2,118 yards. With those totals, already would have become just the fourth QB we believe in state history to pass for more than 2,000 yards and rush for more than 2,000 yards in the same season. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Brown with 154 yards rushing and three TDs in the win vs the Tigers and he had one TD pass. He had 2,205 yards passing entering the night. Winters (14-1) lost its only game this season by just one point to Gridley. Morse, which ended 10-5, punched in its only touchdown of the game on a 4-yard run by Superior Garrar in the third quarter but was not able to come back any further.

DIVISION 7-A

Balboa (San Francisco) 42, South El Monte 8

This had the unfortunate after-effect of a fight at the end that caused the CIF not to stage an awards ceremony. There also was an incident in the parking lot afterward. On the field, the Bucs did what they were expected to do and that’s rout a CIF Southern Section D14 champion for the second straight season and in the same division instead of being moved up to a higher division. Balboa’s two straight state titles also now gives the school three overall. South El Monte was only behind 14-0 at halftime, but the Bucs (12-2) gradually moved further out in front in the third quarter. Senior Mekai Smith also capped a sensational season. He scored on two pass receptions, blocked a punt and had scoring runs of 63 and 10 yards. He ends the season with 53 touchdowns. He’ll go into the state record book tied for 15th in the most touchdowns in a season category. If one doesn’t count the CIF Central Section in the north like we do, 53 would be behind only the 55 for Andrew Brown of Ripon Christian in 2013 and tied with Onterrio Smith of Grant of Sacramento in 1998. South El Monte (11-5) scored the final points of the game and avoided the shutout on a 12-yard TD reception by Bobby Rojas.

Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle.