The state title was the second in school history for the Eagles, who also won the Division I crown in 2011.
For the second straight game, USC-bound
Trent Mosley was the difference maker. The
senior scored three touchdowns — two receiving and one rushing — as Santa Margarita (11-3) raced to a 19-0 lead and eventual 35-7 halftime advantage.
Trent Mosley will go down in Santa Margarita history after heroic performances in both the section and state final. (PHOTO: Rene Morales)
Mosley
had 11 catches for 183 yards and two TD receptions while adding a seven-yard scoring run in the first half. Santa
Margarita quarterback
Trace Johnson, a Tulane commit, was 17 of 20 for 247 yards and four touchdowns.
Mosley's championship game heroics piggy-backed on a stellar Southern
Section Division 1 final performance against
Centennial (Corona, Calif.). In the 42-7 victory Nov. 28,
Mosley showed out with with 299 yards receiving on 10 catches and four
scores, two on the ground in addition to TD catches of 80 and 91 yards.
While Saturday's final was the first time in nearly a decade that neither
St. John Bosco (Bellflower) or
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) weren't involved, Santa Margarita made sure a
Trinity League team grabbed the state's top prize for a ninth-straight
season.
Santa Margarita head coach Carson Palmer embraces quarterback Trace Johnson after Saturday's championship game triumph. (PHOTO: Rene Morales)
De La Salle, high school football's
most storied program, lost its eighth straight state title bid and fell
to 8-10 all-time in CIF championship games. The Spartans (12-1) were
playing in a record 12th Open Division final in the 17-year history of
the current format.
And while the Santa
Margarita offense was firing on all cylinders, the defense
played complementary football. De La Salle was held to 70 yards of
offense in the first half while the Eagles came up with three sacks, five tackles for a loss and a pick-six.
Both of De La Salle's scores — touchdown runs by
Jaden Jefferson — came off Santa Margarita turnovers and a short field for the Spartans.
Mosley, who was injured for nearly half the season, finished the year with 828 yards and six TD catches.
Santa
Margarita started the season with a 7-6 loss to
Mission Viejo, but ended on a six-game win streak that included three three victories over MaxPreps Top
25 teams en route to the title. The Eagles beat five teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 during the season, losing only to Mission Viejo, No. 4
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) and No. 19 St. John Bosco.
Santa Margarita players celebrate a title well-earned after three playoff wins over nationally-ranked opponents. (PHOTO: Rene Morales)
