Eagles 42 - Centennial 7
PASADENA, CA., November 28, 2025 – WRITEUP COMING SOON
| Santa Margarita | 14 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 42 |
| Centennial | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
SM – T. Mosley 2 run (Wiegand kick)
SM – T. Mosley 80 pass from Johnson (Wiegand kick)
CEN – Lewis 14 run (Torres kick)
SM – L. Gazzaniga 33 pass from Johnson (Wiegand kick)
SM – Clark 26 pass from Johnson (Wiegand kick)
SM – T. Mosley 91 pass from Johnson (Wiegand kick)
SM – T. Mosley 1 run (Wiegand kick)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing:SM - Smith 12-52, Petero 8-24;
Passing: SM - Johnson 16-25-0-386;
Receiving: SM - Mosley 10-293, Gazzaniga 2-39, Clark 1-26;
Summary by Chuck Nan
Statistics by Shane Mielke
Trent Mosley puts on a show to help Santa Margarita win Division 1 championship
PASADENA, CA., November 28, 2025 – Looking comfortable and confident playing catch on Friday night at the Rose Bowl more than 90 minutes before the Southern Section Division 1 championship football game, Trent Mosley of Santa Margarita High, wearing a USC bandana, knew exactly what was about to happen to Corona Centennial. Given the green light to put on a show, Mosley got the ball on every Santa Margarita offensive play in the first quarter.
There were was a 65-yard reception on a short pass. There was a two-yard touchdown run out of wildcat formation. There was an 80-yard touchdown catch. By halftime, the USC-bound Mosley had nine catches for 201 yards. Santa Margarita registered a first-half knockout that Centennial could never recover from in a 42-7 victory before a crowd of close to 8,775.
“Jaw dropping,” is how Mosley’s brother, injured receiver Grant Mosley, described his brother’s performance.
He added a 91-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter and a one-yard touchdown run, giving him four touchdowns on the night and 10 catches for 292 yards.
“I felt great, my body felt great, my team played great,” Mosley said.
It wasn’t just Mosley inflicting punishment on the Huskies (11-2). Quarterback Trace Johnson had touchdown passes of 33 yards to Luke Gazzaniga and 26 yards to Ryan Clark in the first half for a 28-7 halftime lead. He finished 16-of-24 passing for 383 yards and four touchdowns. And don’t forget about Santa Margarita’s hard-hitting defense. Isaia Vandermade recorded three of his team’s six sacks on the night.
“We knew the team was special from the start and proved it tonight,” Mosley said of the 10-3 Eagles.
It was Santa Margarita’s first Division 1 championship since 2011.
Said first-year coach Carson Palmer: “To come out and just physically dominate … we just keep getting better and better. We’re playing real good right now and unfortunately have only one game left.”
Mosley broke the game open with his 91-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass at the outset of the third quarter after Santa Margarita’s defense stuffed Centennnial on fourth-and-one play from the Eagles’ seven-yard line. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock.
Palmer played twice at the Rose Bowl when he was the quarterback for USC while winning a Heisman Trophy. Walking on the field and leaving as the head coach of his high school alma mater and Division 1 champions left him trying to figure what he was feeling.
“It’s totally different but even more special and I don’t know why yet,” he said.
In his first season as a head coach, Palmer put together an all-star coaching staff of former NFL players, survived playing the toughest schedule in the Southland and had his team peaking at the right time with no drama and total focus.
Don’t be surprised if Palmer is suddenly mentioned for college or even NFL jobs, but he seems to love being a high school coach.
The Eagles’ offense struggled at times early in the season but has executed in the playoffs. The line protected Johnson when he needed the time, and Centennial had no answer for Mosley.
Mosley was injured in the team’s 7-6 opening loss to Mission Viejo and didn’t play in Santa Margarita’s 33-27 overtime win over Centennial during the regular season. The Eagles took their time letting Mosley recover, but he came back in an upset win over Mater Dei and has kept getting faster and more explosive each week.
Now the Eagles get a bye next week before they are expected to face Concord De La Salle in the CIF Open Division state championship bowl game on Dec. 13 at Saddleback College. Official pairings will be announced on Sunday.
By Eric Sondheimer
Friday, November 28, 2025
The Los Angeles Times
Santa Margarita football dominates Centennial to win Division 1 title
PASADENA, CA., November 28, 2025 – A long quest by Santa Margarita to rejuvenate its football program under one of its most revered former players arrived Friday at one of the most celebrated venues in the sport.
With the Eagles in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game for the first time since 2011, the night felt close to a victory for the Trinity League school even before kickoff against Centennial at the Rose Bowl.
But first-year coach Carson Palmer, a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL star, guided his alma mater further. A lot further.
Trent Mosley racked up 292 yards receiving and four touchdowns, and Isaia Vandermade recorded three sacks as Santa Margarita sprinted past top-ranked Centennial 42-7 to win its first section title since 2011.
In a stunning effort against the No. 1-ranked team in the nation by HSratings.com, Mosley had 10 receptions for 292 yards and scored four touchdowns as Santa Margarita (10-3) invoked a running clock against the Huskies (11-2) in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles, ranked fourth in the nation by HSratings, received four touchdown passes from quarterback Trace Johnson and six sacks from their defense before a crowd of 8,775.
Eagles linebacker Dash Fifita recorded 11 total tackles, including two for loss. Safety Siua Holani added eight tackles.
“We talked about it not needing to be close all week,” said Palmer, who received a celebratory drenching. “We wanted to dominate the game. We wanted to play with pride. We wanted to play with poise, and we wanted to be really physical. We were more physical tonight and it showed.”
“Truly a blessed season,” the coach added. “We kept getting better and better as the season has gone on. In these last four or five games we’ve played, we’re getting better everywhere. … We just continue work, continue to grind. The kids come into work every day excited, ready to work, ready to learn. Just a really special group.”
The brightest star was Mosley. The USC commit sizzled in the first half and opened the scoring in the third quarter with a 91-yard reception on a throwback screen.
Mosley gave Santa Margarita a 35-7 lead two plays after the Eagles’ defense held on a fourth-and-1 from its 7.
Mosley, a senior, added a 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter after an interception and long return corner Ca’ron Williams.
And that’s how the victory unfolded for Santa Margarita.
The Eagles’ defense made a big stop, and the offense took the baton.
“Our defense has given us energy all season and we’re very luck for that,” Mosley said. “They’ve had our backs at so many times, won us so many games.”
Santa Margarita defensive coordinator Steve Fifita praised the Eagles’ defensive line for its play against the Centennial’s run up the middle.
The unit of Vandermade, Manoah Faupusa, Simote Katoanga, Tonga Uhila and freshman Kingston Jimmerson helped hold the Huskies to 85 yards rushing.
“Their offense is built on, we said, attacking the heart (of the defense),” Fifita said of Centennial. “One of our things on every call is just to make sure we protected the heart of our defense, from the inside out. … The D-line did a great job.”
Santa Margarita’s defense set the tone by forcing a three-and-out on the opening possession of the first quarter. The Eagles capitalized with a swift scoring drive that started with a 65-yard reception by Mosley from the slot and ended with the senior’s 2-yard touchdown run.
After Santa Margarita’s defense made a fourth-down stop from its 10 on the next possession, Mosley broke another big play a few moments later.
Lined up at outside receiver, he caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Johnson as the Eagles opened a 14-0 lead.
Mosley touched the ball on every Santa Margarita offensive play in the first quarter and finished the period with 168 total yards (166 receiving on five catches).
Johnson closed the first half strong. The Tulane commit tossed a 33-yard touchdown to tight end Luke Gazzaniga coming out of a timeout with 3:06 left in the second quarter and added a 26-yard strike to sophomore Ryan Clark with 25 seconds remaining.
Johnson, who transferred from Florida, finished 16 of 24 for 383 yards.
Vandermade, a junior lineman, punctuated Santa Margarita’s 28-7 first half by recording his third sack.
Santa Margarita’s defense flashed its season-long dominance despite playing without injured cornerback Jayden Crowder (foot).
Santa Margarita announced Palmer, a Heisman Trophy winner with USC, as its coach on Dec. 12, less than a month after the Eagles’ season ended with a 31-29 loss against St. John Bosco in the Division 1 quarterfinals.
The coaching news came after an alleged sexual assault case in the Santa Margarita football program surfaced in late October.
In hiring Palmer, Santa Margarita highlighted his impressive football credentials along with his commitment to developing academic and character success.
By February, the football expectations continued to grow as three high-profile linemen arrived at the school.
In its run to the CIF finals, Santa Margarita beat Centennial 33-27 in overtime in late August, defeated Mater Dei for the first time since 2013 and knocked off previously undefeated Sierra Canyon.
The Eagles also helped create an unexpected pairing at the Rose Bowl. Friday marked the first time since 2011 that neither Mater Dei or St. John Bosco reached the Division 1 final.
“This means a lot because the last three years we haven’t been very good,” said Mosley, a four-year player at Santa Margarita. “But coming out this year and showing what we can do and proving what we can do, it just feels great to do it with these guys and with the team. The flip around the program is pretty cool to see.”
“Going into my freshman year, I chose here because I didn’t want to join a powerhouse,” he added. “I wanted to build something, be part of something and beat them.”
The journey isn’t over for Santa Margarita. On Sunday, the Eagles are expected to be announced as the Southern California opponent for De La Salle in the CIF State Open Division final on Dec. 12 at Saddleback College.
By Dan Albano
Friday, November 28, 2025
The Orange County Register
Fryer: Trent Mosley does it all for Santa Margarita, and with a smile
PASADENA, CA., November 28, 2025 – TJ Houshmandzadeh played 11 seasons as a receiver in the NFL.
He knows what it takes to be an elite football player. And Houshmandzadeh, now Santa Margarita’s receivers coach, said Eagles senior Trent Mosley has what it takes.
“Everyone knows he’s going to get the ball the majority of the time,” Houshmandzadeh said. “And you still can’t stop him.”
Mosley was unstoppable Friday night.
He had 10 receptions for 292 yards. Mosley caught two touchdown passes and ran for two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 42-7 win over Corona Centennial in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game at the Rose Bowl.
Houshmandzadeh compared Mosley to Amon-Ra St. Brown, the former Mater Dei receiver who went on to star at USC (where Mosley is committed) and has been outstanding for the Detroit Lions.
“Trent’s Amon-Ra St. Brown without the scowl on his face,” Houshmandzadeh said. “Amon-Ra looks like he’s going to kill you. Trent’s going to smile and kill you.”
Mosley scored the game’s first touchdown by taking a direct-snap for a 2-yard run. He scored the second touchdown on a Trace Johnson pass he caught at the Eagles’ 43 and he turned it into an 80-yard scoring play.
He had 201 receiving yards on nine catches in the first half.
In the third quarter he took a screen pass and, with the help of a fine block by Ninava Nicholson, sprinted up the left sideline for a 91-yard touchdown. Mosley scored on a 1-yard run with 38 seconds left in the third quarter.
Mosley missed five games during the regular season because of a foot injury. He still went into Friday’s game as the Eagles’ leading receiver, with 37 receptions for 355 yards.
Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer said Mosley brings out the best in his teammates.
“Guys understand how dangerous he is,” Palmer said. “You naturally play a little harder around him because you know at any moment he can go the distance.”
Mosley was asked to look at himself objectively, as if he was in the stands watching Trent Mosley play.
“I would like to say he gives his all,” Mosley said of his self-assessment. “He’s dynamic and he’s exciting to watch. You’re going to get everything out of him.”
Houshmandzadeh expects Mosley to have the same level of success in college football and beyond.
“He breaks a ton of tackles,” Houshmandzadeh said. “He’s fast. He has heart.
“He just had it. And he will do the same thing at the next level.”
NOTES
- It was the most one-sided game in a CIF-SS top-division final since Eisenhower beat Mater Dei 56-3 in the Division 1 championship game in 1993. …
- Santa Margarita defensive coordinator Steve Fifita was the Eagles’ interim coach last season when the school dismissed Anthony Rouzier as head coach. He applied for the head coaching position, but it went to Carson Palmer, who was wise to retain Fifita on the staff as the defensive coach. Also on the coaching staff is offensive coordinator Lenny Vandermade, who played at Mater Dei and USC, Houshmandzadeh as receivers coach, and former Ocean View and Notre Dame player Todd Norman as strength coach. …
- Fifita talked about the team’s defense after the 31-6 semifinals win over Orange Lutheran. “It’s a very selfless group,” Fifita said. “They’re genuinely happy when someone else is successful, and that’s how our whole team is.”…
- Attendance for the game was 8,775. …
- The Santa Margarita offensive line had another great night. The fivesome: Adam Iloilo, Raymond Jacobs, Aaron Klatt, Chris Kraninger and Ninava Nicholson. …
- The last time either Mater Dei or St. John Bosco did not win the Division 1 championship was 2011. The winner that season was Centennial. …
- Santa Margarita played without Jayden Crowder, a senior cornerback who committed to USC. Crowder was in a walking boot Friday, having suffered an injury in the team’s win last week over Orange Lutheran in the semifinals. Crowder was Santa Margarita’s eighth-leading tackler going into this week. …
- Centennial coach Matt Logan was 10-1 in CIF-SS championship football championship games going into Friday. …
- Friday’s game was the fourth CIF-SS football championship game to be played at the Rose Bowl. The Division 1 final was at the stadium in 2022 and twice in the 1930s. …
- Palmer during his playing days at USC threw for 856 yards and nine touchdowns at the Rose Bowl over three Pac-12 conference games against UCLA. USC was 2-1 in those games.
By Steve Fryer
Friday, November 28, 2025
The Orange County Register
