2021 EAGLES

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9 Eagles Commit
Congratulations to OL Kilian O'Connor (USC), TE Sam Caspino (Southern Methodist), DL Hero Kanu (Ohio State), WR Jalen Jones (Princeton), DB Christian Laliberte (Benedictine), OL Damian Cabada (Arizona Christian), DL Ryan Zolnick (Fordham), OL Joe Becerra (Santa Barbara CC) and WR Nick Gallegos (Culver-Stockton College) from the class of 2022 who have committed to play football at the next level.
All College Athletes

Santa Margarita Eagles Football3 Eagles to play in the OC All-Star Game
WR Jalen Jones, OL Joe Becerra, and TE Sam Caspino were chosen to play for the South Team in the annual Orange County All-Star Game. The game annually features the top 72 graduated football players in Orange County.
All-Star Eagles

Santa Margarita Eagles Football 4 Eagles named All-CIF Division 1
WR Jalen Jones, OL Kilian O'Connor, DB Blake Wilson, and DL Hero Kanu were named All-CIF Division 1. This is only the 2nd time in school history that we have had 4+ Eagles on the All-CIF Division 1 team.
All-CIF Eagles

Santa Margarita Eagles Football 4 Eagles named All-State. 7 total nominated
DL Hero Kanu was named 1st Team All-State by MaxPreps and Cal-Hi. OL Kilian O'Connor was named 2nd Team All-State by Cal-Hi. DB/PK Blake Wilson earned 3rd Team Multi-purpose on the All-State Junior Team. QB Jaxon Potter was named 3rd Team Offense on the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Junior team. LB Jacob Bower, WR Niko Lopez and DL LeVar Talley were also nominated for All-State by Cal-Hi.
All-State Eagles

Santa Margarita Eagles Football 5 Eagles named All-County
DL Hero Kanu, and OL Kilian O'Connor were named OC Register 1st team All-County. DB Blake Wilson and Punter Romen Christensen earned 2nd team honors. WR Niko Lopez earned 3rd team honors. Hero Kanu was also named to the LA Times’ 2021 fall All-Star high school football team.
All-County Eagles

Santa Margarita Eagles Football 12 Eagles named All-Trinity League. Christensen earns MVP Punting honors
Romen Christensen was named the Trinity League Co-Punter of the Year. OL Kilian O'Connor, WR Jalen Jones, WR Niko Lopez, DB Donovan Comestro, DB Blake Wilson, and DL Hero Kanu were named first team All-Trinity League. OL Joe Becerra, OL Jalani Liva, QB Jaxon Potter, LB Romen Christensen, LB Jake Bower, and DL LeVar Talley were named 2nd team All-Trinity League.
All-League Eagles

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Servite 34 - Eagles 3
Facing the 7th ranked team in the Nation, the Eagles kept the game close 13-3 with 8 minutes left in the game. Unfortunately the Friars defense tightened intercepting the Eagles 3x in the final 8 minutes. QB Jaxon Potter was 16/39 for 166 yards. RB Jake Foye rushed 15 times for 72 yards. WR Bain Eiseman caught 4 passes for 66 yards. Defensively DB Blake Wilson had 12 tackles (4 solo, 8 asst), 1 INT, and 1 Forced Fumble. Romen Christensen had 7 tackles (2 solo, 5 asst) and average 40 yards a punt. Senior LB Gage Grant returned from an early season injury to accumulate 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 asst) and was a part of several big plays that were missed by bad referee calls.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Eagles 35 - Orange Lutheran 28
Fog rolled in after halftime but that didn't stop the Eagles from ending the regular season with a win to finish ranked #6 in Division 1. QB Jaxon Potter was 35/55 for 462 yards and 3 TDs. 3 Receivers had over 100 yards in receiving. WR Jalen Jones caught 12 passes for 135 yards and 1 TD. TE Niko Lopez caught 10 passes for 134 yards and 1 TD. WR Ty Benefield caught 3 passes for 101 yards and set up the game winning score on a 67 yard reception. RB Jake Foye rushed 18 times for 137 yards and 1 TD. Defensively DL Hero Kanu had 5 tackles (4 solo, 1 asst) with 4 Tackles for Loss, 1 Sack and one forced fumble. LB Jacob Bower had 5 tackles (4 solo, 1 asst). LB Noah Sulick had 5 tackles (3 solo, 2 asst) 2 Tackles for Loss and 1 Interception.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football St. John Bosco 41 - Eagles 16
Facing the #5 ranked team in the Nation, the Eagles went in to half down 21-3. WR Bain Eiseman caught 5 passes for 86 yards and 1 TD. WR Ty Benefield caught a 3 yard TD pass. RB Jake Foye rushed 16 times for 53 yards. QB Jaxon Potter was 16/30 for 132 yards and 2 TDs. Defensively Blake Wilson had 10 tackles (7 solo, 3 asst). DB Donovan Comestro had 6 tackles (4 solo, 2 asst) and 1 Interception. DL Hero Kanu had 5 tackles (2 solo, 3 asst), 2 hurries and 1 sack.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Mater Dei 56 - Eagles 3
Facing the #1 ranked team in the Nation, the Eagles started the game by recovering an onside kick and driving down to the 15 yard line. Kicker Jonathan Teasley kicked a 32 yard field goal for the only Eagle score of the game. Defensively Levar Talley had 3 sacks and 5 tackles (4 solo, 1 asst) and 4 tackles for a loss. DB Benjamin Durham racked up 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 asst). Both Blake Wilson and Noah Sulick had 6 tackles each (3 solo, 3 asst). Donovan Comestro had 5 solo tackles. Hero Kanu had 3 solo tackles and 1 sack.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Servite 48 - Eagles 21
Facing the 8th ranked team in the Nation, the Eagles went in to half down 21-14. The Friars came out firing and pulled away in the second half. QB Jaxon Potter was 22/46 for 252 yards and 1 TD. RB Justin Rivera rushed 4 times for 73 yards and an explosive 63 yard TD. WR Jalen Jones caught 5 passes for 56 yards. TE Niko Lopez caught 3 passes for 32 yards and 1 TD. Defensively DB Donovan Comestro had 14 tackles (6 solo, 8 asst) and also pulled down 1 Interception. LB Jacob Bower had 10 tackles (1 solo, 9 asst). DB Isreal Solomon had 8 tackles (6 solo, 2 asst) and 1 Interception.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Hero Kanu named to the CalHi "State Stat Stars of the Week"
Hero enjoyed the most dominating game of his prep career in the 38-13 win at JSerra Catholic. With his mother in attendance, just arrived from Germany and watching her son play in person for the first time, the senior defensive tackle had a career-high 2 1/2 sacks, two tackles (both for loss), a blocked PAT and two quarterback hurries.
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Santa Margarita Eagles Football Eagles 38 - JSerra 13
The Eagles start strong building a 21-0 Halftime lead on the Lions. The Defense was the key to victory with 4 interceptions, 1 pick six, 1 forced fumble and 6 sacks. LB Jacob Bower had 9 tackles (5 solo, 4 asst), 2 sacks and 1 interception. DB Israel Solomon added 7 tackles (2 solo, 5 asst) and 1 interception. DL Hero Kanu racked up 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 asst), 2.5 sacks and blocked a PAT kick. DB Romen Christensen had 4 solo tackles and returned an interception for a TD. DB Blake Wilson had 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 asst), 1 interception, was 4/4 on PATs and kicked a 19 yard FG. Offensively QB Jaxon Potter was 22/36 for 387 yards, 3 TDs, and rushed for 1 TD. WR Nick Gallegos pulled down 6 catches for 74 yards. WR Ian Grogan caught 3 passes for 56 yards and 1 TD. WR Ty Benefield caught 1 pass for 10 yards and 1 TD.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Jacob Bower named CalHi SoCal Defensive “Player of the Week.”
Facing a previous state No. 7 Los Alamitos and its 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, the offense produced the points but Bower was part of the defense that powered the Eagles to a 42-21 homecoming win to remember. Bower, a 6-foot, 184-pound linebacker, was all over Nelson and intercepted the all-everything quarterback twice. He also scooped up a Nelson fumble, as well, and returned it for a 27-yard touchdown. In addition, Bower hit the shower with a registered nine tackles (one for loss).
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Santa Margarita Eagles Football Eagles 42 - Los Al 21
Down 0-14 at halftime, the Eagles exploded in the 2nd half to beat the #7 team in the state. LB Jacob Bower spearheaded the defense with 9 tackles (3 solo, 6 asst) 2 Interceptions, 1 Forced Fumble and 1 Fumble Recovery for a TD. DT Hero Kanu had 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 asst) and 2 sacks. DB Blake Wilson had 8 tackles (2 solo, 6 asst) and 1 Interception. DL Ryan Zolnick added 7 tackles (2 solo, 5 asset) and 1 Sack. Offensively QB Jaxon Potter was 23/34 for 280 yards and 4 TDs. WR Jalen Jones caught 4 passes for 100 yards and 2 TDs. TE Niko Lopez added 11 catches for 96 yards and 2 TDs. RB Taurian Nash rushed 6 times for 54 yards and 1 TD. RB Jake Foye rushed 10 times for 68 yards.
Game Summary - Watch the Game

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Eagles 31 - Nolan Catholic 13
The Eagles defeated Nolan Catholic (Fort Worth, Texas) 31-13 on Saturday in the “Trinity League Football Showcase” hosted by St. John Bosco. QB Jaxon Potter was 29/43 for 311 yards and 3TDs. Potter also ran for 1 TD. TE Niko Lopez caught 7 passes for 74 yards and 1 TD. WR Nick Gallegos caught 6 passes for 47 yards. WR Jalen Jones caught 4 passes for 90 yards and caught a dazzling 1 handed 48 yard Touchdown. TE Sam Caspino caught 2 passes for 30 yards and 1 TD. On defense, DB Blake Wilson had 6 tackles (2 solo, 4 asst). Blake also was 4/4 on PATs and booted a 42 yard field goal. He barely missed a 51 yard field goal that bounced off of the right upright. DL Ryan Zolnick had 6 tackles (1 solo, 5 asst). DB Donovan Comestro had 6 tackles (1 solo, 5 asst). DB Israel Solomon had 5 tackles (1 solo, 4 asset) and .5 sacks. LB Noah Sulick had 4 tackles (1 solo, 3 asst) and 1.5 sacks. DL Hero Kanu had 4 (3 solo, 1 asst) tackles and 1 sack.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Eagles 39 - St. Augustine 10
Senior RB Justin Rivera rushed 3 times for 68 yards and 1 TD. QB Jaxon Potter was 23/34 for 270 yards and 2TDs. TE Niko Lopez caught 9 passes for 89 yards and 1 TD. Defensively DB Romen Christensen made 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 asst). DB Blake Wilson made 7 tackles (2 solo, 5 asst). LB Jacob Bower also made 7 tackles (2 solo, 5 asst). DL Hero Kanu made 6 tackles (3 solo, 3 asst) with 3 TFL and .5 sack. DE Ryan Zolnick made 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 asst) and also made 1.5 sacks and 3 hurries.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football Norco 40 - Eagles 22
The Eagles led at half but lost a tough battle to the #13 team in the state. QB Jaxon Potter was 19/39 for 247 yards and 2TDs. WR Nick Gallegos caught 5 passes for 94 yards. TE Niko Lopez caught 6 passes for 61 yards and 1 TD. K/DB Blake Wilson boomed a 46 yard field goal and Kicker Jonathan Teasley added two more 2 Field goals (41 and 31 yards). Defensively Donovan Comestro racked up 12 tackles (7 solo, 5 asst). DB Ben Durham also added 12 tackles (7 solo, 5 asst). LB Jacob Bower recovered a fumble.
Game Summary

Santa Margarita Eagles Football OCVarsity Student Section Week 0 Winner
After hibernating last school year, the Eagles Nest returned to the stands in a big way for the reopening of Saddleback College’s updated football stadium in Week 0. The Eagles Nest rocked the stands in blue and never stopped in the Eagles’ 38-14 victory of San Juan Hills and the Stampede. The loud and rowdy Eagle Nest also rocked social media and showed everyone why they were the best on Friday. “(Friday’s game) felt like it was straight out of a movie scene,” ASB Spirit Commissioner Milad Tajalli said. “Every single student there, regardless of grade, was on their feet cheering their hearts out. You can fill up a set of bleachers and tell students to cheer, but it would not even compare to the Nest. The Nest is more than students in the bleachers, it is a family and community.”
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Santa Margarita Eagles Football Eagles 38 - San Juan Hills 14
RB Jake Foye rushed 21 times for 181 yards and 1 TD. QB Jaxon Potter was 19/38 for 294 yards and 3TDs. TE Niko Lopez caught 9 passes for 96 yards and 1 TD. WR Nick Gallegos caught 6 passes for 106 yards. WR Jalen Jones caught 3 passes for 78 yards and 2 TDs. Defensively Romen Christensen made 9 tackles (3 solo, 6 asst). LB Gage Grant made 9 tackles (5 solo, 3 asst) with 2 Tackles for Loss. DB Blake Wilson made 2 interceptions. DB Donovan Comestro made 4 solo tackles and also added an interception.
Game Summary - Watch the Game

Santa Margarita Eagles Football 7 Eagles named to OC Register's Hot 150
#1O. Hero Kanu - DL, #22. Jaxon Potter - QB, #58. Jalen Jones - WR, #61. Kilian O’Connor - OL, #63. Niko Lopez - WR / TE, #85 Ryan Zolnick - DL / OLB, and #132. Gage Grant - LB were all mentioned in the article. The selections for the Hot 150 were based on input from coaches, video analysis, college interest, statistics and observations.
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Santa Margarita Eagles Football Hero Kanu ranked in MaxPreps Pre-Season top 10
Senior DL Hero Kanu was ranked #7 in the MaxPreps list of top 10 defensive tackles in the country entering 2021 season.
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Santa Margarita Eagles Football Eagles win the Battle of the Beach
The Battle at the Beach 7v7 Invitational is the ultimate in summer high school varsity passing league tournaments, featuring some of the finest high school football programs in Southern California. In a stacked field ripe with competition, Santa Margarita came away with the crown, beating Servite 25-19 in the final game of the championship playoff bracket. Santa Margarita knocked off Los Alamitos in the first round and took down Mater Dei in the second. Tight end Niko Lopez was a huge contributor for the Eagles as well as quarterbacks Gavin Shaigineik and Jaxon Potter.