MaxPreps Playoff Pulse continues live quad box coverage Friday of four California semifinal games

Zack Poff will provide live look-ins from No. 5 Mater Dei vs. No. 4 Centennial, No. 19 Orange Lutheran vs. No. 7 Santa Margarita, No. 15 De La Salle vs. Pittsburg and Folsom vs. Monterey Trail.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Thomas Frey

By Thomas Frey

Nov 18, 2025, 11:00am

Orange Lutheran delivered one of the biggest postseason upsets of the year Friday night, edging national powerhouse St. John Bosco 20–19 in a dramatic CIF Southern Section playoff battle.

The Lancers flipped the game in the fourth quarter with a momentum-swinging pick-six that put them ahead 20–13, capping a defensive performance that frustrated a Bosco offense loaded with playmakers. St. John Bosco answered in the final minute with a 13-yard touchdown strike to pull within one, but a missed extra point left the Braves still trailing and ultimately proved to be the difference.

Orange Lutheran shocks national power St. John Bosco with 20–19 thriller in CIF Southern Section playoffs 5,732 views 3:38

MaxPreps Playoff Pulse returns to the California Southern Section Division 1 bracket this week as No. 4 Centennial (Corona) takes on No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and No. 19 Orange Lutheran (Orange) plays No. 7 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita).

The special quad box show will also feature two games in Northern California as No. 15 De La Salle (Concord) takes on Pittsburg and Monterey Trail (Elk Grove) heads to Folsom.

Fans familiar with NFL RedZone get the concept as MaxPreps National Football Editor Zack Poff will bounce between games for live look-ins, highlights and instant reactions as six of the top 100 teams in the country battle for a spot in their respective section final.

MaxPreps Playoff Pulse goes on-air at 6:45 p.m. on the NFHS Network.

How to watch
Date/location: Friday, Nov. 21
Kickoff: 6:45 p.m. PT
Streaming: NFHS Network
Host: Zack Poff

(Graphic: Ryan Escobar)

St. John Bosco (Bellflower) was the top seed and the No. 4 team in the nation before losing 20-19 to Orange Lutheran. The Lancers will now take on Santa Margarita, which knocked off previously undefeated Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) 21-9. The Eagles have defeated all three teams remaining in the bracket.

In the other semifinal No. 4 Centennial hosts No. 5 Mater Dei. The Huskies have already beaten Mater Dei this season by a score of 43-36. Since then the Monarchs have beaten No. 6 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.), Orange Lutheran and St. John Bosco, the No. 1 team in the nation at the time.

The winners of the two semifinals will meet in the championship at the Rose Bowl.

In the North Coast Section Open Division final, No. 15 De La Salle takes on Pittsburg. The Spartans have won 32 straight Northern Coast Section titles and take on the No. 2 seed Pirates. If De La Salle wins, it will likely represent Northern California in the Open Division championship against the winner of the Southern Section Division 1 bracket.

Another contender for a state berth is Folsom, ranked No. 46 in our expanded top 100. The Bulldogs take on Monterey Trail in the Division 1 Sac-Joaquin Section semifinals.

Folsom has won four straight section championships. Monterey Trail last reached a section final in 2019 after defeating Folsom in the semifinals 35-23 on the road.

The Bulldogs are led by five-star BYU commit Ryder Lyons. The senior quarterback has nearly 11,000 total yards and 158 touchdowns in three years as a starter.

Players to watch

Orange Lutheran: QB Reagan Toki (6-1, 185), RB Sean Morris Jr. (5-10, 215), WR Nico Bland (6-2, 190), DE Cory Panapa (6-1, 235), DE Marcus Fakatou (6-7, 285)

Santa Margarita: WR Trent Mosley (5-10, 175), QB Trace Johnson (6-2, 180), WR Ryan Clark (5-9, 150), DT Isaia Vandermade (6-4, 270), CB Ca'ron Williams (6-0, 170)

Centennial: QB Dominick Catalano (5-10, 185), RB Malaki Davis (6-0, 205), WR Ty Plinski (6-3, 190), DB Jaden Walk-Green (6-0, 190), LB Jonathan McKinley II (6-2, 230)

Mater Dei: WR Chris Henry Jr. (6-5, 210), WR Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (6-2, 185), TE Mark Bowman (6-5, 230), LB Shaun Scott (6-3, 235), DB C.J. Lavender Jr. (5-11, 175)

De La Salle: QB Brayden Knight (6-3, 195), RB/DB Duece Jones-Drew (5-8, 180), WR/DB Jaden Jefferson (5-9, 170), LB Landon Miller (6-2, 210), TE/LB Landon Cook (6-5, 215)

Pittsburg: QB Carlos Torres (6-0, 205), RB Jari Alexander (5-10, 170), WR R,J. Mosley Jr. (6-4, 180), LB Japheth Tofaeono (6-1, 225), DL Ha'angana Tau (6-2, 260)

Folsom: QB Ryder Lyons (6-3, 225), WR Jameson Powell (5-11, 175), WR Rob Larson (6-3, 195), LB E.J. Coleman (6-1, 205), CB Jason Hill Jr. (6-1, 175)

Monterey Trail: QB Kaden Love (5-11, 185), RB Odie Jefferson (5-11, 175), WR Jimmy Jackson (5-9, 175), LB Subhan Barakzai (5-11, 205), DB Brent Minnifield Jr. (6-2, 180)

MaxPreps Playoff Pulse continues live quad box coverage Friday of four California semifinal games

Zack Poff will provide live look-ins from No. 5 Mater Dei vs. No. 4 Centennial, No. 19 Orange Lutheran vs. No. 7 Santa Margarita, No. 15 De La Salle vs. Pittsburg and Folsom vs. Monterey Trail.

Related Content