Mission Viejo - Game Notes
SMCHS Eagles (0-0) vs Mission Viejo (0-0)
at Trabuco Hills HS (Mission Viejo, California)
Friday, August 22, 2025 - 7:00 p.m.
Original PDF
Head Coach Carson Palmer - The Process For Success
Thursday, December 12, the new era of Santa Margarita Catholic High School (SMCHS) football commenced. School president Andy Sulick announced that class of 1998 alum Carson Palmer was the football program’s new head coach. The most notable words from Sulick’s press release were “His football pedigree is unmatched. As an alum he understands the culture.” This resonated among the alumni, school, local community and fans. The buzz for the beginning of the season hasn’t been at this elevation since the Harry Welch championship era of the late 2010s.
After eight-months, Coach Carson Palmer’s rich and abundant experience at the high school, collegiate and professional levels is contributing to the growth and success of the SMCHS football program.
Those months witnessed Palmer building a product that not only emphasizes superior athletic performance but also academic success, character development and deeper Christian faith for its participants. This is achieved with an approach of solid work ethic, discipline and perseverance -- a return to the above-mentioned “Eagle Culture” that existed in the decade of the 1990s and into the 2000s.
In the late-1980s, SMCHS’s Vice President of Athletics, Jim Hartigan, was one of the school’s founding staff members. Over the span of his 40-year career working with high school athletes, his passion has been to build a cohesive team and a culture of grit, trust, perseverance and love. This was proven to inspire, grow and motivate athletes with a commitment to academic excellence and integrity.
Coincidently, Palmer was quarterback at the helm of Hartigan’s most triumphant clubs, in the late-1990s. Palmer forged his leadership ability and sharpened the talent he was blessed with in that period. Palmer is now the architect -- drawing key ingredients from the old, timeless recipe.
GRIT: Core Framework of Values and Road to Success
- Growth
- Resilience
- Integrity
- Team First
Palmer’s coaching style and preparation methods are comparable to many of the highly successful coaches he played for along the way. That list includes Pete Carroll, Norm Chow and Steve Sarkisian at USC and Hue Jackson at USC and with the Oakland Raiders and Bruce Arians with the Arizona Cardinals. All mentioned are considered are deeply respected, great football minds and effective teachers. Palmer will recycle both the high points and introduce own spins.
SMCHS All-Time Opening Games Record
Overall Season Opening Games: 26-9-1 (.736)
Home Opening Games: 24-10-1 (.700)
Road Opening Games: 25-11-0 (.694)
Current Composite Poll Rankings
Thursday, December 12, the new era of Santa Margarita Catholic High School (SMCHS) football commenced. School president Andy Sulick announced that class of 1998 alum Carson Palmer was the football program’s new head coach. The most notable words from Sulick’s press release were “His football pedigree is unmatched. As an alum he understands the culture.” This resonated among the alumni, school, local community and fans. The buzz for the beginning of the season hasn’t been at this elevation since the Harry Welch championship era of the late 2010s.
| Media Outlet | Coverage Area | Rank |
| Orange County Register / ocregister.com | Orange County | 3 |
| The Los Angeles Times / latimes.com | Los Angeles Metro | 7 |
| Orange County | 4 | |
| Cal-Hi Sports / calhisports.com | California | 5 |
| CIF-Southern Section | 5 | |
| HS Ratings / hsratings.com Formerly Cal Preps / calpreps.com |
Nation | 12 |
| California | 4 | |
| CIF-Southern Section | 4 | |
| MaxPreps.com (PlayOn! Sports / NFHS Network) | Nation - Composite | 25 |
| Nation - Computer | 16 | |
| California | 5 | |
| si.com / SBLive / scorebooklive.com Sports Illustrated High School |
Nation | 16 |
| Southwest Region | 5 | |
| California | 5 | |
| CIF-Southern Section | 5 | |
| Massey Ratings / On3.com | Nation | 24 |
| California - Composite | 5 | |
| California - Massy | 6 | |
| High School Football America (HSFA) / NFL Play Football highschoolfootballamerica.com |
Nation | 27 |
| California | 6 | |
| The Sporting News High School / sportingnews.com | Nation | Not ranked |
| California | Not released | |
| CIF-Southern Section | Not released | |
| ESPN SC Next / espn.com | Nation | Not ranked |
| USA Today High School Sports / usatodayhss.com | Nation | Not ranked |
| FloFootball / flofootball.com | Nation | Not ranked |
Analytical Information – Schedule Strength / Opponents
2025 National Schedule Strength Difficulty Ratings
| School (Location) | Schedule Mark | HSRatings |
| Orange Lutheran (Orange) | 73.1 | 1 |
| Santa Margarita Catholic | 72.1 | 2 |
| JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) | 69.2 | 3 |
| Servite (Anaheim) | 66.3 | 4 |
| Mater Dei (Santa Ana) | 63.4 | 5 |
| St. John Bosco (Bellflower) | 60.6 | 6 |
| Centennial (Corona) | 49.8 | 7 |
| Mission Viejo | 49.4 | 8 |
| IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) | 48.8 | 9 |
| First Academy (Orlando, Florida) | 43.6 | 10 |
| St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) | 47.7 | 11 |
| Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) | 43.1 | 12 |
| American Heritage (Plantation, Florida) | 42.4 | 13 |
| San Clemente | 41.7 | 15 |
2025 California Schedule Strength Difficulty Ratings
| School (Location) | Schedule Mark | HSRatings |
| Orange Lutheran (Orange) | 73.1 | 1 |
| Santa Margarita Catholic | 72.1 | 2 |
| JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) | 69.2 | 3 |
| Servite (Anaheim) | 66.3 | 4 |
| Mater Dei (Santa Ana) | 63.4 | 5 |
| St. John Bosco (Bellflower) | 60.6 | 6 |
| Centennial (Corona) | 49.8 | 7 |
| Mission Viejo | 49.4 | 8 |
| Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) | 43.1 | 9 |
| San Clemente | 41.7 | 10 |
2025 Trinity League Schedule Strength Difficulty Ratings
| School (Location) | Schedule Mark | HSRatings |
| Orange Lutheran (Orange) | 73.1 | 1 |
| Santa Margarita Catholic | 72.1 | 2 |
| JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) | 69.2 | 3 |
| Servite (Anaheim) | 66.3 | 4 |
| Mater Dei (Santa Ana) | 63.4 | 5 |
| St. John Bosco (Bellflower) | 60.6 | 6 |
MaxPreps.com: Top 10 Toughest High School Football Schedules for 2025
Ranked No. 16 in the Preseason MaxPreps Top 25, Santa Margarita Catholic heads into the 2025 high school football season with the toughest schedule in the country. In Carson Palmer's first season as head coach, nine of 10 opponents are included in our expanded Top 100 rankings. The Eagles have five games against nationally-ranked opponents -- No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower), No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), No. 12 Centennial (Corona) and No. 14 Mission Viejo. The composite 2025 Santa Margarita Catholic opponent records in 2024 was 108-34 -- 76.1 winning percentage.
- Santa Margarita Catholic
- Mater Dei
- St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland)
- American Heritage (Plantation, Florida)
- Orange Lutheran
- St. John Bosco
- St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
- St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia)
- Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Florida)
- East St. Louis (Illinois)
On3.com: Ranking the Toughest Leagues in the Nation for 2025
- CIF-Southern Section - Trinity League (California)
- Greater Miami Athletic Conference (Florida)
- University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 6A / District 11 (Texas)
- Philadelphia Catholic League - Red Division (Pennsylvania)
- North Jersey Super Conference - United Red Division (New Jersey)
PLAYER NOTES, HIGHLIGHTS & STATS
Dash Fifita #0
LB | SR | 5-10 / 195
- ESPN / SC Next Class of 2026 No. 57 Inside Linebacker Prospect
- 2025 The Sporting News No. 1 Linebacker in California
- Ranked No. 11 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 Preseason All-Southland First-Team - Defense by the Los Angeles Times
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 1 linebacker in Orange County
- 2025 The Sporting News Preseason First-Team All-State Team - Defense
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2024 PrepRedzone.com All-Southern California Junior Team - Defense
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports Second-Team All-State Junior Team - Defense
- 2024 All-CIF-Southern Section Team
- 2024 The Sporting News California All-State High School Football Team: Second-Team - Defense
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee - Defense
- 2024 SBLive / scorebooklive.com / si.com All-CIF Southern Section First-Team - Defense
- 2024 All-Orange County First-Team - Defense (Orange County Register)
- 2024 Trinity League Co-Most Valuable Player - Defense
- Has committed to play at Arizona where his brother Noah is the starting quarterback for the Wildcats and an alum of Servite. Also had an offer from Utah
JAION “DUCE” SMITH #1
RB | SO | 6-0 / 190
- Ranked No. 87 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- Has received Division 1 offers from Morgan State, Sacramento State, San Diego State, Syracuse, Maryland, Arkansas and Texas State
- 2024 All-Trinity League Second-Team - Offense
DOUGLAS (TRACE) JOHNSON III #2
QB | SR | 6-2 / 180
- ESPN / SC Next Class of 2026 No. 74 Pocket Passer Quarterback Prospect
- Ranked No. 28 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 The Sporting News as the No. 10 quarterback in the state
- Named by PrepRedzone.com as the No. 3 senior quarterback in Orange County for Class of 2026
- Selected Third-Team All-Southern California - Quarterback by si.com / SBLive / scorebooklive
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 5 top quarterback in Orange County
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- Named by On3.com as the No. 2 high school transfer that will make a big impact nationally this fall (07/01/25)
- Transfer from Buchholz High Scholl in Gainesville, Florida
| Season | Career Record as Starter: 23-5 | Touchdowns | |||||
| G | Com | Att | Com % | Yards | Passing | Rushing | |
| 2024 - Junior | 14 | 225 | 356 | 63.2 | 3,522 | 29 | 2 |
| 2023 - Sophomore | 14 | 192 | 318 | 60.4 | 2,844 | 35 | 0 |
| Career | 28 | 417 | 674 | 61.9 | 6,366 | 64 | 2 |
- Was the 2024 Florida Class 6A Offensive Player of the Year nominee (of 3)
- 2024: Led school to Florida 6A semifinal / Overall team record -- 10-4
- 2023: Led school to Florida 6A semifinal / Overall team record -- 13-1
- 2023: 4S District 3 Champions -- Lost by 1-point to eventual state champion Lakeland
- 2023: Led school to first unbeaten regular season since 2001
- Has committed to play at Tulane. Also received Division 1 offers from Arkansas State, Central Michigan, Troy, West Virginia, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Southern Mississippi and Wake Forest
- Notable 2024 Performances
| Opponent | Statistics of Note |
| Manatee | 453 yards passing |
| Osceola | 439 yards passing / 5 touchdown passes |
FLETCH PALMER #3
QB | SO | 6-1 / 170
- MaxPreps.com Freshman Highlights - December 12, 2024 - https://www.maxpreps.com/video/watch/carson-palmer-s-son-fletch-palmer-freshman-qb-2024-highlights/?v=146f8264-efa1-47f0-9111-c2ae7eb60fa2
TRENT MOSLEY #4
WR | SR. | 5'11 / 170
- 2025 MaxPreps.com Preseason All-America selection: Second-Team - Athlete
- 2025 The Sporting News No. 2 Wide Receiver in California
- 2025 si.com / SBLive / scorebooklive All-CIF Southern Section Preseason Team - Athlete
- 2025 PrepRedzone.com All-Southern California Preseason Team – Receiver
- 2025 PrepRedzone.com No. 3 Receiver to Watch in Southern California
- ESPN / SC Next Class of 2026 No. 34 Wide Receiver Prospect
- Ranked No. 3 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 si.com / SBLive / scorebooklive No. 6 Wide Receiver to Watch
- 2025 Orange County Register as the No. 1 receiver in Orange County -- Second-consecutive year
- 2025 The Sporting News Preseason First-Team All-State Team - Offense
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports, for class of 2026, as the No. 15 Hot 100 prospect in California (06/26/25)
- Committed to further his career at USC. Had nearly 20 Division 1 offers from top-tier schools including: Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Michigan State, Texas A&M, USC, San Diego State, Stanford, Texas and Notre Dame
- 2024 PrepRedzone.com All-Southern California Junior Team - Offense
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports: Second-Team All-State Elite Team
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports First-Team All-State Junior Team - Multi-Purpose
- 2024 All-CIF-Southern Section Team
- 2024 The Sporting News California All-State High School Football Team: First-Team – All-Purpose
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee - Offense
- 2024 SBLive / scorebooklive.com / si.com All-CIF Southern Section First-Team - Offense
- 2024 All-Orange County First-Team - Offense (Orange County Register)
- 2024 All-Trinity League First-Team - Offense
- Was the featured guest on “Friday Night Live” on Thursday, November 14 -- Prep sports show hosted by Los Angeles Times prep guru Eric Sondheimer on “X”
- Continued his assault on the SMCHS Record Book. Has now caught all least one pass in 28-consecutive games. That is every career game played except his first in 2022. The school record is 29 by Brain Finneran in 1993
- Now has 169 career pass receptions. The school record is 178 by Brian Finneran. No doubt he would have broken that mark this season but missed four games due to injury
- Los Angeles Times’ Southland Top Performers for the Week at Orange Lutheran
- Praised by Steve Fryer of the Orange County Register for putting self development and team before personal
- Named to the MaxPreps.com Preseason Junior All-America First-Team - Wide Receiver
- Ranked No. 2 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2024 -- “Mosley emerged last season as arguably the top offensive weapon in the County”
- Subject of online feature on Cal-Hi Sports (calhisports.com) “Trent Mosley: Man On The Move” by Chuck Nan -- Published: October 3, 2024 / Link: https://www.calhisports.com/2024/10/03/trent-mosley-man-on-the-move/
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports to the 2024 Preseason All-State Team - First-Team Multi-Purpose (WR / KR / RB / Wild / DB)
- Named by Cal-Hi Sports as the “Most Versatile Player on the Field” in 2024
- Selected by SBLive/scorebooklive.com as the No. 2 junior (Class of 2026) wide receiver in the California for 2024
- Selected by SBLive/scorebooklive.com as the No. 2 wide receiver in the CIF-Southern Section for 2024
- Selected to the Preseason All CIF-Southern Section team by SBLive/scorebooklive.com -- “Unguardable”
- Ranked at the No. 1 wide receiver in Orange County by the Orange County Register for 2024
- Rated the No. 2 junior class wide receiver in the California for 2024
- Rated the No. 2 wide receiver in the CIF-Southern Section for 2024
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports to the 2024 All-Orange County Preseason Team: First-Team - Multi-Purpose
- 2023 SBLive/scorebooklive.com / si.com All-State - Wide Receiver
- 2023 Cal-Hi Sports “State Sophomore Player of the Year”
- 2023 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee - Defense
- 2023 All-CIF-Southern Section Team
- 2023 Trinity League Co-Most Valuable Player
- 2023 SMCHS Team Most Valuable Player
- 2023 MaxPreps.com All-State Second-Team - Offense
- 2023 MaxPreps.com Sophomore All-America First-Team - Offense
- 2023 All-Orange County First-Team - Offense (Orange County Register)
- 2023 PrepRedzone.com All-Southern California Sophomore Team - Offense
- 2023 SBLive/scorebooklive.com All-Southern Section Team
- Ranked No. 30 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2023
- Named one of the top players on the team by the Orange County Register for Fall 2023
- Named the No. 6 wide receiver / tight end in Orange County for the 2023 season by journalist Dan Albano
- Selected as an Underclass All-American by Lemming Prep Football Report (Tom Lemming) for 2023 season
- 2023 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Second-Team - Multi-Purpose
- 2022 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Frosh Watch List
- 2022 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee - Offense
- 2022 All-Trinity League Second-Team - Offense
LOGAN HIROU #5
DB | JR | 6-1 / 187
- Ranked No. 37 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 The Sporting News Honorable Mention - Defensive Back in California
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 4 defensive back in Orange County
- 2025 Third-Team All-Southern California – Quarterback by si.com / SBLive / scorebooklive
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- Has committed to play at UCLA. Also received Division 1 offers from Arizona, California, Colorado State, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Sacramento State, San Diego State, Utah, Tulane, Nevada-Las Vegas, Washington State and Yale
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee - Defense
- 2024 All-Trinity League First-Team - Defense
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports to the 2024 All-Orange County Preseason Team: Second-Team - Defense
GRANT MOSLEY #6
WR | SO | 6-0 / 185
- 2025 PrepRedzone.com No. 3 Sophomore Receiver to Watch in Southern California
- Cal-Hi Sports: California Freshman Football Players to Watch – 2024 Season -- Older brother Emmett V had a tremendous season as a freshman at Stanford coming off a knee injury and older brother Trent is one of the state’s top Class of 2026 prospects as a versatile receiver here at SMCHS
- Became the third Mosley brother to play for the Eagles program. Captured his first varsity reception -- 32 yards -- against Mission Viejo
JAYDEN CROWDER #7
DB | SR | 5-11 / 165
- Ranked No. 45 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 The Sporting News No. 25 Defensive Back in California for 2025
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 6 defensive back in Orange County
- 2025 Third-Team All-Southern California – Defensive Back by si.com / SBLive / scorebooklive
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports Third-Team All-State Junior Team - Defense
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee - Defense
- 2024 All-Orange County Third-Team - Defense (Orange County Register)
- Commitment to California (UC Berkeley). Also had offers from Miami (Florida), Duke, Washington, Colorado, Tennessee, Texas A&M, SMU, North Carolina, Penn State, San Diego State, Michigan State and UCLA
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports to the 2024 All-Orange County Preseason Team: Third-Team - Defense
IVRICK CARRIGAN #8
LB | JR | 6-0 / 213
- Named by PrepRedzone.com as the No. 6 senior linebacker in Orange County for Class of 2026
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- All-Sunset League First-Team - Defense
LUKE GAZZANIGA #9
TE | JR | 6-4 / 225
- Collected his second pass reception of the season which was also his first-ever touchdown scored at the prep level -- in a rout of Inglewood in the CIF-SS Division 1 First Round game
SIMOTE KATOANGA #11
DE | SR | 6-5 / 250
- ESPN / SC Next Class of 2026 No. 12 Defensive End Prospect
- Ranked No. 16 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 The Sporting News No. 12 Defensive Lineman in California
- 2025 No. 3 Defensive Lineman to Watch by si.com / SBLive / scorebooklive
- 2025 Preseason All-Southland First-Team - Defense by the Los Angeles Times
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 5 lineman in Orange County
- Named by USA Today High School Sports / usatodayhss.com as the top-rated defensive lineman recruit in California for the Class of 2026
- 2025 The Sporting News Preseason Third-Team All-State Team - Defense
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports, for class of 2026, as the No. 17 Hot 100 prospect in California (06/26/25)
- 2024 Orange County Register All-County Second-Team - Defense
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports Second-Team All-State Junior Team - Defense
- 2024 First-Team All-Trinity League - Defense
- Committed to play at USC after having received 30 Division 1 offers -- Arizona, Arizona State, California, Clemson, Georgia, Kansas, Miami (Florida), Michigan State, Florida State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Sacramento State, San Diego State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Nevada - Las Vegas, South Florida, Utah, Washington, Washington State, Western Michigan, Wisconsin, Central Michigan and Marshall
JOSHUA “SIUA” HOLANI #14
DB | SR | 5-10 / 175
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2024 All-Trinity League Second-Team - Defense
CA’RON WILLIAMS #21
DB | SO | 5-11 / 155
- 2025 MaxPreps.com Preseason All-America Sophomore selection: Second-Team - Defense (Defensive Back)
- Ranked No. 80 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 10 defensive back in Orange County
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2024 MaxPreps.com Freshman All-America Team: Second-Team - Defense
- Has received Division 1 offers from Arizona State, Texas A&M, Coastal Carolina, Southern Methodist (SMU), Toledo, Missouri, USC, Washington, San Diego State, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Idaho and California
JASON PEREZ #40
DL | SR | 6-1 / 230
- 2023 All-Trinity Honorable Mention - Defense
- Registered five tackles in first career varsity game versus national-ranked Centennial (Corona) in 2023
ALEKI “LEKI” HOLANI #44
LB | SR | 6-0 / 218
- ESPN / SC Next Class of 2026 No. 61 Inside Linebacker Prospect
- 2025 The Sporting News No. 9 Linebacker in California
- Ranked No. 47 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 6 linebacker in Orange County
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports Third-Team All-State Junior Team - Defense
- 2024 All-CIF-Southern Section Team
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee - Defense
- 2024 All-Trinity League First-Team - Defense
ISAIA VANDERMADE #53
OL/DL | JR | 6-4 / 280
- Ranked No. 83 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 The Sporting News Honorable Mention - Defensive Lineman in California
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2025 PrepRedzone.com Top Offensive Linemen to Watch in Southern California
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports First-Team All-State Sophomore Team - Offense
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Nominee
- 2024 All-Bay Area News Group - Honorable Mention - Defensive Line
- 2024 San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro Team - Honorable Mention
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Central Coast Section Team - Second-Team
- 2024 West Catholic Athletic League - Sophomore Player of the Year
- 2024 All-West Catholic Athletic League - First-Team
- 2024 Preseason All-Bay Area News Group - Defensive Line
TONGA UHILA #58
DL | JR | 5-10 / 260
- Finished with the best game of his young career with one interception and one sack versus Liberty (Bakersfield) in 2024
NINIVA NICHOLSON #77
OL | SR | 6-4 / 275
- 2025 The Sporting News No. 4 Offensive Lineman in California
- ESPN / SC Next Class of 2026 No. 79 Offensive Guard Prospect
- Ranked No. 17 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 6 lineman in Orange County
- 2025 The Sporting News Preseason First-Team All-State Team - Offense
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2025 PrepRedzone.com Top Offensive Linemen to Watch in Southern California
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports, for class of 2026, as the No. 74 Hot 100 prospect in California (06/26/25)
- 2024 First-Team All-Trinity League - Offense
- 2024 Orange County Register All-County Second-Team - Offense
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports First-Team All-State Junior Team - Offense
MANOAH FAUPUSA #78
OL/DL | SR | 6-4 / 360
- Ranked No. 17 by Orange County Register of Hot 150 Top Impact Players for Fall 2025
- 2025 Orange County Register No. 7 lineman in Orange County
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Team
- 2025 The Sporting News Honorable Mention - Defensive Lineman in California
- Selected by Cal-Hi Sports, for class of 2026, as the No. 50 Hot 100 prospect in California (06/26/25)
- 2025 Cal-Hi Sports Preseason All-Orange County Second-Team - Defense
- 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Second-Team All-Metro Team
- 2024 West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) Defensive Lineman of the Year
- 2024 First-Team All-WCAL -- Notched 20 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 5 hurries
- 2024 Cal-Hi Sports Third-Team All-State Junior Team - Defense
- Has committed to play at Arizona after also receiving Division 1 offers from North Carolina, Oklahoma State, California, Colorado, Miami (Florida), Sacramento State, San Jose State, Texas, UCLA, Nevada - Las Vegas, USC and Washington
THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT: MISSION VIEJO
SMCHS Season Game No. 1 / Non League Game No. 1
Game Day / Date: Friday, August 22, 2025 / 7:00 p.m.
Game Location: Trabuco Hills High School (Mission Viejo)
Tickets: www.gofan.co
Nickname: Diablos
Head Coach: Chad Johnson (8th season) -- Overall record: 64-16 (.800)
2024 Season: Overall Record: 10-1 / Alpha League: 3-0 (1st Place / Champions) / CIF-Southern Section Division 1 Playoffs: 0-1
Key Players to Watch:
- Davonte Curtis – Running Back – Senior
- Jayden Hill – Defensive End – Senior
- Jeron Jones – Cornerback – Senior
- Kane Nolte – Defensive Tackle – Senior
- Luke Fahey – Quarterback – Senior
- Vance Spafford – Wide Receiver – Senior
Bright Lights:
This game has spotlights shining all over the stadium. Alum, Heisman Trophy Award winner and 14-year NFL quarterback Carson Palmer makes his debut as SMCHS’s head coach. The opponents, Mission Viejo, are ranked No. 14 in the MaxPreps.com national rankings. SMCHS is close behind at No. 16. Both schools have talented players that can impact the direction and outcome of the game. The Diablos boast Miami-committed wide receiver Vance Stafford and Ohio State-committed quarterback Luke Fahey, recognized as one of the best quarterbacks in Orange County and CIF-Southern Section.
All-Time Series:
Season |
Score |
Location |
Notes |
2024 |
MV 35, SMCHS 7 |
Diablo Stadium |
Nonleague |
2019 |
MV 21, SMCHS 10 |
Trabuco Hills |
Nonleague |
2018 |
MV 30, SMCHS 20 |
Diablo Stadium |
Nonleague - Later reversed to forfeit win for SMCHS |
2017 |
MV 28, SMCHS 23 |
Trabuco Hills |
Nonleague |
2016 |
MV 48, SMCHS 21 |
Diablo Stadium |
Nonleague |
2011 |
SMCHS 21, MV 20 |
Diablo Stadium |
CIF-SS Pac-5 Semifinal |
2010 |
MV 31, SMCHS 28 |
Saddleback College |
CIF-SS Pac-5 Quarterfinal |
2006 |
SMCHS 25, MV 24 |
Saddleback College |
CIF-SS Pac-5 Quarterfinal |
NEXT WEEK’S OPPONENT: CENTENNIAL (CORONA)
SMCHS Season Game No. 2 / Non League Game No. 2
Game Day / Date / Time: Thursday, August 28, 2025 / 7:00 p.m.
Game Location: Trabuco Hills High School (Mission Viejo)
Tickets: www.gofan.co
Nickname: Huskies
Head Coach: Matt Logan (29th season) -- 295-64-0 (.822)
2025 Season: 0-0
This Week: vs. Servite (Anaheim)
2024 Season: Overall: 9-3 / Big West-Upper League: 5-0 (1st Place / Champions) / CIF-Southern Section - Division 1 Playoffs: 1-1
All-Time Series: Series – SMCHS leads 2-1
-- 1989: SMCHS 42, Centennial 7 (Saddleback College) - Nonleague
-- 2023: Centennial 34, SMCHS 21 (Saddleback College) - Nonleague
-- 2024: SMCHS 34, Centennial 15 (Corona) – Nonleague
SMCHS went on the road and upset mighty Centennial on a game televised throughout all Southern California. The Huskies return to Orange County looking for revenge. The game will be played on Thursday night, a short preparation week for the Eagles after their tough opener. The game has also been selected as “Senior Night” for the Class of 2026 Eagle’s players
Key Players to Watch:
- Boogie Williams – Defensive Back – Senior
- Braylin Drake – Running Back – Junior
- Dominick Catalano – Quarterback – Senior
- Hayden Zentner – Linebacker – Senior
- Jonathan McKinley II – Linebacker – Senior
- Keawe Browne – Athlete – Senior
- Tyler George – Wide Receiver – Senior
OTHER NOTES & NEWS
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: JACOB BOWER
From Walk-On to Potential Game-Changer: The Journey of Nebraska's Jacob Bower
SMCHS Alum Jacob Bower went from overlooked walk-on to scholarship linebacker at Nebraska
By: Michael Cavallo | si.com | August 12, 2025
In an era where college football is increasingly defined by transfer portal headlines and NIL deals, Jacob Bower’s story cuts through the noise with raw authenticity. A former walk-on who once paid his way just to be part of the Nebraska program, Bower has transformed himself into a scholarship linebacker and a symbol of everything the Huskers hope to build under head coach Matt Rhule. His journey, from scout team reps to spring standout, isn’t just a feel-good tale. It’s a blueprint for the kind of player development that still matters in Lincoln.
Bower’s rise from walk-on to scholarship linebacker is the kind of story that reminds fans why they love college football. At just 10 years old, Bower wasn’t chasing tackles; he was singing in a traveling church choir. But during a performance stop at Memorial Stadium, something shifted. Bower fell in love with Nebraska football, planting the seed for a journey that would one day bring him back.
After piling up 174 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks, and 4 interceptions over his final two seasons at SMCHS, Bower arrived in Lincoln in 2023 as a walk-on determined to earn his place with Huskers. After redshirting in his first season at Nebraska, Bower saw action in six games during the 2024 season, quietly beginning to carve out a role on special teams.
Bower’s relentless drive and breakout spring showing in 2025 didn’t go unnoticed. During a routine practice, Rhule halted the action to deliver a moment that would redefine Bower’s journey, awarding him a scholarship in front of the entire team.
Bower’s path to a Nebraska scholarship wasn’t paved with headlines or shortcuts. His story is a reminder that heart still matters.
Compiled by Chuck Nan
Statistics by Shane Mielke
