Santa Margarita obliterates De La Salle to win CIF Open Division State Championship
The Santa Margarita Eagles win the CIF Open Division State Championship over the De La Salle Spartans in blowout fashion. Former NFL quarterback Carson Palmer, in his first year as head coach, leads Santa Margarita to a 47-13 win over the Spartans on the biggest stage in high school football.
The Santa Margarita football team with the CIF Open Division State Championship trophy Nick Adamson | Lariat
This was Santa Margarita’s second State title win, winning the CIF D1 State Championship back in 2011.
The Eagles came into this game ranked fifth in the country with a 10-3 record, while the undefeated Spartans were 15th.
But these rankings did not do justice to how much better the Eagles were compared to the Spartans.
Santa Margarita jumped out to an early 19-0 lead over De La Salle, applying pressure straight out of the gate.
Eagles quarterback and Tulane commit Trace Johnson was on fire, throwing for four touchdowns, 247 yards and completing a total of 17 out of 20 pass attempts.
Three-star Tulane commit Trace Johnson winding up a completion Nick Adamson | Lariat
This lead ballooned to a whopping 35-7 lead for the Eagles at halftime.
Eagles USC-bound receiver Trent Mosley was the star of the show, scoring a total of three touchdowns, two receiving and one rushing.
“I just wanted to play for my teammates,” says Mosley to Justin Lee, a reporter for JPWest media. “They give it there all for me, so I do the same. They help me out, and I couldn’t be where im at without them. Im motivated by the love for the game.”
Four-star USC commit Trent Mosley cutting through the defense into the endzone Nick Adamson | Lariat
There was no question as to whether or not Mosley was the MVP for this game, leading his team through the air and the trenches.
Santa Margarita’s defense might as well have been a brick wall, holding De La Salle’s offense to a meager 70 yards in the first half, recording three sacks and a pick-six.
I wanted to know what head coach Carson Palmer thought was more important when he’s coaching his defense. Attitude or technique?
“Attitude. If you’ve got the right attitude, you can overcome poor technique.” Says Coach Palmer, “If you have poor technique and attitude, it’s tough. If you have poor technique and a good attitude, you can overcome anything.”
His team didn’t have to overcome much this game, though, compared to the rest of the season, as Santa Margarita played in the best high school league in the nation. Competing against teams like Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
De La Salle’s shining star, three-star UNC commit Jaden Jefferson, would score both of the Spartans’ touchdowns.
When it was all said and done, the Spartans had around a minute on the clock with the ball. Moving the ball just for pride at this point, Spartan’s senior quarterback Brayden Knight committed the last mistake of his high school football career.
Eagles defensive back Siua Holani jumped in front of a pass from Knight, intercepting it and running it back 40 yards for a pick-six. Capping the game off with the final touchdown of the California high school football season.
Siua Holani running with the ball after he intercepted Brayden Knight’s pass Nick Adamson | Lariat
This outstanding 47-13 win for Santa Margarita sets a high bar for Carson Palmer and his next season as the head coach. With star talent like Trent Mosley and Trace Johnson leaving for College, it’ll be interesting to see who will step up in their place.
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