Santa Margarita State Team of Year 2025

While the Mater Dei-St. John Bosco era of dominance in California has ended at nine years, the Trinity League that those two teams play in has just produced a different parochial school to rule at the top of the state for another season. And the way that Santa Margarita played on both sides of the ball in recent weeks was every bit as dominant as the top teams at MD and Bosco during the past nine years. The Eagles have now been officially added as the State Team of the Year for 2025 on an all-time list that shows every No. 1 team in the state since 1891.

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There have been teams with two losses in a season that have been considered as the State Team of the Year in California high school football in a history that goes back more than 140 years, but there’s never been one with three losses. Until now.

That fact, however, also just reiterates the manner in which this year’s team at Santa Margarita High in Rancho Santa Margarita was able to get to an extremely high level of play later in the season under first-year head coach Carson Palmer. The Eagles certainly showed that in last Saturday’s 47-13 win against De La Salle of Concord in the CIF Open Division state championship held at Saddleback College. And that came two weeks after a 41-7 win over Centennial of Corona in the CIF Southern Section D1 final held at the Rose Bowl.

Santa Margarita has now been added to the list of State Teams of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports, which in recent years has just been simply adding the CIF Open Division champion. For most years before 2006, however, it was based on the final state rankings for each season and then for years such as in the 1960s, 1950s and further back it is based on research of scores conducted by the late Nelson Tennis, founder of Cal-Hi Sports, who selected Cordova of Rancho Cordova in 1975 as his first State Team of the Year.

The last No. 1 team in California with two losses was St. John Bosco of Bellflower in 2016, which had regular season losses to Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas and Mater Dei of Santa Ana. In the CIFSS D1 final that year, the Braves avenged their loss to the Monarchs and then beat De La Salle in the CIF Open Division state final. The Spartans had two losses to higher ranked national opponents in 2009 while winning the CIF Open title over Crenshaw of Los Angeles, but a closer comparison to what Santa Margarita just accomplished might be two-loss Edison of Huntington Beach in 1979. The Chargers had a one-point loss to El Modena of Orange and a four-point loss to Newport Harbor of Newport Beach early that season, but in the CIFSS major division playoffs they beat Redlands, 55-0, in the final after dominating Fontana, 34-14, in the semifinals.

That kind of dominance on both sides of the ball began to come into focus for Santa Margarita in the team’s first CIFSS D1 playoff game against a Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth squad that was 10-0 and was No. 1 in both the State TOP 50 and L.A. Times TOP 20. The Eagles won, 21-9.

Schedule strength was a major part of the team’s ability to improve and it explains the three losses as well. The first one came in a highly anticipated first game at home, 7-3, to Mission Viejo, which was the first game for Palmer as the school’s new head coach after the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL QB accepted the job last December. Mission Viejo was another CIFSS D1 team that had a 53-14 win two weeks later against Folsom (which won the CIF D1-AA state title on Friday). There also was a loss to Bishop Gorman, 14-0, before the start of the Trinity League schedule. Then in the league after a 7-6 win over Mater Dei (the State Team of the Year for the previous two seasons), there was a 27-14 loss to St. John Bosco (which was No. 1 in the nation at the time). Santa Margarita did not play Bosco again and avenge that loss, but did play Orange Lutheran in the CIFSS D1 semis after the Lancers had upset the Braves and beat them, 31-6.

“The schedule we played was so unique,” Palmer said not long after the final win vs De La Salle. “Week after week it was tough, then came Gorman, then the Trinity League. Sierra Canyon was tough. It’s tough to beat good teams twice, but our guys didn’t flinch once all season.”

The Eagles not only didn’t flinch, but they began to get unstoppable on offense. That became apparent when USC-bound standout Trent Mosley returned to the wide receiver (and Wildcat running back) position after he missed five games with a foot injury.

“Mosley returned for the Mater Dei game and immediately put doubt in the opposition as to how they would stop him, if they could,” said Santa Margarita sports information director Chuck Nan, who also confirmed on Monday that the 47-13 win vs De La Salle is the largest margin of defeat that the longtime storied program has ever suffered since the first season of legendary head coach Bob Ladoucuer in 1979. “We were able to squeeze out that win which was pivotal going forward. Although the next week versus St. John Bosco was a misstep, after that the team approached each game with confidence and the run started and never ended until the unexpected was achieved.”

This is Santa Margarita’s first-ever State Team of the Year honor in football. Its highest ranked team at the end of a season previously has been for 1997, which is when Palmer the player led the Eagles to a 14-0 record and CIFSS Division V title. He had 419 yards passing in a famous 55-42 win in the final game that season against Tustin (which also was 13-0 entering). In those days in which there was no state or regional games and the CIFSS had divisions not based on competitive equity, Santa Margarita ended No. 4 in the state overall behind De La Salle at 12-0 (in year six of its 151-game winning streak), Long Beach Poly (the CIFSS major division champ) at 14-0 and Mater Dei (runner-up to Long Beach Poly) at 13-1. De La Salle began playing Mater Dei and/or Long Beach Poly the following season in 1998.

This latest major title in football for Santa Margarita also is the latest accomplishment in a string of them in many other sports. Named as the 2024-25 State School of Year for what it did in all sports combined, the Eagles already have two CIF state titles this school year since girls golf repeated its title a few weeks ago. The boys basketball team also is currently ranked No. 1 in Orange County.

Athletic Director Jim Hartigan was offered congratulations just before the game ended last Saturday and just like the former football coach that he is was quick to remind us that while the last game might have been easier than expected the entire season was not.

“We didn’t even have Jonah Smith the whole season,” said Hartigan about a UCLA-bound wide receiver who was out with an injury. “He was supposed to be on the other side of Trent.”

Hartigan then went out toward the middle of the field, shared a hug with the first-year head coach, and like the rest of Santa Margarita’s players, coaches and support personnel began to really appreciate a nearly perfect last month of the season.

CAL-HI SPORTS STATE
TEAMS OF THE YEAR
ALL-TIME HONOR ROLL

(Last 120 years listed, but it goes back further than that to 1891 in our files, as compiled from 1891 to 2003 by the late Nelson Tennis)
(*Forfeits not included; **Spring season 2021 due to worldwide pandemic in fall 2020)

2025 — Rancho SM Santa Margarita (11-3)
2024 — Santa Ana Mater Dei (13-0)
2023 — Santa Ana Mater Dei (13-1)
2022 — Bellflower St. John Bosco (13-1)
2021 — Santa Ana Mater Dei (12-0)
2020 — Santa Ana Mater Dei (5-0)**
2019 — Bellflower St. John Bosco (13-1)
2018 — Santa Ana Mater Dei (14-1)*
2017 — Santa Ana Mater Dei (15-0)
2016 — Bellflower St. John Bosco (13-2)
2015 — Concord De La Salle (13-1)
2014 — Concord De La Salle (15-0)
2013 — Bellflower St. John Bosco (16-0)
2012 — Concord De La Salle (15-0)
2011 — Concord De La Salle (13-1)
2010 — Concord De La Salle (14-0)
2009 — Concord De La Salle (13-2)
2008 — Corona Centennial (15-0)
2007 — Concord De La Salle (13-0)
2006 — Westlake Village Oaks Christian (15-0)
2005 — Ventura St. Bonaventure (14-0)
2004 — Mission Viejo (14-0)
2003 — Concord De La Salle (13-0)
2002 — Concord De La Salle (13-0)
2001 — Concord De La Salle (12-0)
2000 — Concord De La Salle (13-0)
1999 — Concord De La Salle (12-0)
1998 — Concord De La Salle (12-0)
1997 — Concord De La Salle (12-0)
1996 — Concord De La Salle (12-0)
1995 — Concord De La Salle (13-0)
1994 — Concord De La Salle (13-0)
1993 — Rialto Eisenhower (14-0)
1992 — Concord De La Salle (13-0)
1991 — Santa Ana Mater Dei (13-1)
1990 — Merced (14-0)
1989 — Fontana (14-0)
1988 — Carson (12-1)
1987 — Fontana (14-0)
1986 — El Toro (14-0)
1985 — Vista (13-0)
1984 — Riverside Poly (13-1)
1983 — Mountain View St. Francis (13-0)
1982 — Anaheim Servite (11-1)
1981 — San Jose Bellarmine (12-0)
1980 — Wilmington Banning (12-0)
1979 — Huntington Beach Edison (12-2)
1978 — Visalia Mt. Whitney (13-0)
1977 — Rancho Cordova (12-0)
1976 — Wilmington Banning (12-1)
1975 — Rancho Cordova (11-0)
1974 — Vista (13-0)
1973 — Hacienda Heights Los Altos (12-1)
1972 — Santa Fe Springs St. Paul (13-0)
1971 — Carson (12-0)
1970 — La Puente Bishop Amat (12-1)
1969 — Pasadena Blair (13-0)
1968 — Alameda (9-0)
1967 — Anaheim (12-1)
1966 — Pico Rivera El Rancho (13-0)
1965 — San Jose Bellarmine (9-0)
1964 — Stockton Stagg (10-0)
1963 — Los Angeles Loyola (12-0)
1962 — Los Angeles Loyola (12-0)
1961 — Monterey (8-0)
1960 — Redwood City Sequoia (9-0)
1959 — Long Beach Poly (11-0)
1958 — Long Beach Poly (11-0-1)
1957 — Berkeley (8-0)
1956 — Downey (12-0-1)
1955 — San Diego (11-0-1)
1954 — Vallejo (9-0)
1953 — Santa Monica (10-0-1)
1952 — Santa Monica (11-0-1)
1951 — Pomona (12-0)
1950 — Compton (11-1)
1949 — Compton (10-1)
1948 — Long Beach St. Anthony (11-1-1)
1947 — L.A. Washington (8-0)
1946 — Alhambra Keppel (8-0)
1945 — Santa Ana (11-1)
1944 — Alhambra Keppel (8-0)
1943 — Redondo Beach Redondo (6-0)
1942 — La Verne Bonita (11-0)
1941 — Piedmont (9-0)
1940 — Piedmont (8-0)
1939 — Alhambra (10-0)
1938 — Stockton (8-0)
1937 — L.A. Manual Arts (8-0)
1936 — L.A. Manual Arts (8-0-1)
1935 — Long Beach Poly (9-0)
1934 — Piedmont (8-0)
1933 — S.F. Galileo (8-2-1)
1932 — Inglewood (10-2)
1931 — Santa Ana (13-0)
1930 — Berkeley (11-0-1)
1929 — Berkeley (11-0-1)
1928 — Lodi (9-0)
1927 — Bakersfield (12-0)
1926 — San Mateo (9-1-1)
1925 — Los Angeles (10-0)
1924 — Berkeley (11-0)
1923 — Bakersfield (10-0-1)
1922 — Bakersfield (10-0-1)
1921 — Bakersfield (9-0-1)
1920 — Bakersfield (9-1)
1919 — Long Beach Poly (12-0)
1918 — L.A. Manual Arts (9-0)
1917 — L.A. Manual Arts (11-1)
1916 — San Diego (12-0)
1915 — Pasadena (7-1)
1914 — Pomona Rugby (12-0)
1913 — Pomona Rugby (11-0)
1912 — Berkeley Rugby (7-2-1)
1911 — Los Angeles Rugby (9-0)
1910 — Alameda (5-0)
1909 — Los Angeles Poly Rugby (8-0-2)
1908 — Belmont Academy (8-0-1)
1907 — Los Angeles (5-1)
1906 — Belmont Academy (5-0)
1905 — Berkeley (5-1-3)
1904 — Belmont Academy (1-0-1)
1903 — Belmont Academy (5-1)
1902 — Belmont Academy (4-0-2)
1901 — Belmont Academy (3-2)
1900 — San Francisco Lowell (5-1-2)

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: