Eagles 47 - De La Salle 13
MISSION VIEJO, CA., December 13, 2025 – WRITEUP COMING SOON
| Santa Margarita | 19 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 55 |
| De La Salle | 0 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
SM – T. Mosley 7 run (Wiegand kick)
SM – T. Mosley 34 pass from Johnson (Kick failed)
SM – L. Gazzaniga 20 pass from Johnson (Kick failed)
DLS – Jefferson 4 run (Uribarri kick good)
SM – Smith 16 run (Clark pass from Johnson)
SM – T. Mosley 6 pass from Johnson (Mosley run)
DLS – Jefferson 7 run (Kick blocked)
SM – L. Gazzaniga 2 pass from Johnson (Run failed)
SM – S. Holani 43 interception return (Pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Petero 12-90, Smith 11-61;
Passing: SM - Johnson 17-20-0-247;
Receiving: SM T. Mosley 11-183, Gazzaniga 3-32, Brahm 2-19;
Summary by Chuck Nan
Statistics by Shane Mielke
Fryer: Carson Palmer noticed how Santa Margarita QB stood tall at the end
MISSION VIEJO, CA., December 13, 2025 – Santa Margarita football coach Carson Palmer was asked who was the most improved Eagles player from the start of the season to the end of the season, which was a 47-13 win over De La Salle in the CIF State Open Division championship game at Saddleback College.
“Oooh, that’s a good question,” Palmer said.
It was suggested that senior quarterback Trace Johnson, who moved from Florida to play at Santa Margarita his senior year, had been the most improved player.
“Yeah, yeah,” Palmer said. “He got more and more comfortable. He’s running a very challenging system to run.”
Palmer thought it over some more.
“He is the most improved player. As the games got bigger he played bigger.”
Johnson’s numbers were fine in the first half of the season. But there were overthrows here, maybe a release that was too late there.
In the second half of the season, Johnson appeared more sure of himself. He set up quicker, put more zip on the ball.
Johnson made an under-pressure throw off his back foot to Eagles receiver Trent Mosley for a 27-yard gain late in the third quarter Saturday. The ball was placed perfectly for Mosley to make the catch. It was a throw he might not have been able to make in September.
Johnson, who signed with Tulane, had two of his better games in the CIF Southern Section and CIF State championship games. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 386 yards and four touchdowns in the 42-7 win over Corona Centennial in the CIF-SS Division 1 final. On Saturday he completed 17 of 20 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns.
Palmer, a Heisman Trophy winner and star NFL quarterback, said it took time for Johnson to digest the Santa Margarita playbook
“When you’re learning a new system and just getting going, there’s a lot of thinking,” Palmer said. “And maybe you’re a split second late reactions-wise. And as you get more and more reps you get more comfortable and you react faster and think less.
“And even more important than that, the better the teams we played and the crazier the conditions were, he got better.”
NOTES
- On the Spectrum 1 telecast of the De La Salle-Santa Margarita game Saturday night was Chris Rix, who was a Santa Margarita quarterback in the late 1990s. He also was a very good baseball player. Rix went on to be the starting quarterback at Florida State. …
- De La Salle has the most CIF State football championship game wins, with seven. The Spartans also have the most CIF State football finals losses, with 11. Since its last CIF State finals win in 2009, De La Salle is 0-9 in CIF State championship games. …
- De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said he was proud of his team’s effort Saturday night, and indicated that his team might have been overmatched. “There’s no weakness,” he said of Santa Margarita. “They’re similar to those great Mater Dei and St John Bosco teams we’ve seen in the past.” …
- In the first quarter Mosley accumulated 86 yards from 53 receiving yards, 12 rushing yards and a 21-yard punt return. De La Salle had 91 yards of offense in the first quarter. …
- For the game, Mosley had 216 yards. De La Salle finished with 180 yards of total offense. …
- Santa Margarita scored touchdowns the four times they reached the red zone in the first half on the way to building a 35-7 lead. The Eagles did not punt in the first half. De La Salle punted four times in the first half. Santa Margarita’s first punt came late in the fourth quarter. …
- Santa Margarita tight end Luke Gazzaniga missed much of the season because of an ankle fracture. He returned to action for the playoffs. He had a 39-yard touchdown reception in Santa Margarita’s 42-7 win over Centennial in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game and touchdown catches of 20 yards and 2 yards Saturday against De La Salle. …
- The Eagles’ leading rusher Saturday was freshman Adrian Petero, who ran for 89 yards on 11 carries. …
- Santa Margarita president Andy Sulick, who played a big part in hiring Palmer, said after the game that he spent a moment talking to Palmer’s father Bill Palmer: “I said to him ‘The thing I love about your son is he’s a leader of men, and he’s a servant leader.’ And I think that’s the key to Carson’s success.”
By Steve Fryer
Saturday, December 13, 2025
The Orange County Register
Santa Margarita wins Open Division state football title for first-year coach Carson Palmer
MISSION VIEJO, CA., December 13, 2025 – Former Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer guided his alma mater, Santa Margarita, to a state championship in his first season as head coach.
The Eagles dominated De La Salle 47-13 in the CIF Open Division final, powered by USC-bound receiver Trent Mosley’s 11 catches for 183 yards.
Palmer assembled an all-star coaching staff despite minimal experience, building a suffocating defense that neutralized every regional opponent.
In a high school football season full of surprises, the biggest was a Heisman Trophy winner guiding his alma mater to a state championship in California’s toughest division in his rookie season of coaching.
Who had Carson Palmer and Santa Margarita on their bingo card toppling Sierra Canyon, Orange Lutheran, Corona Centennial and Corcord De La Salle in a four-game postseason stretch that left the Eagles as Southern Section Division 1 and CIF Open Division state champions?
The final piece of the puzzle was solved with Santa Margarita’s 47-13 win over De La Salle on Saturday night at Saddleback College, the ninth consecutive season a Southern California team won California’s highest bowl game.
It’s been fruitless to think anyone was beating Santa Margarita (11-3) over the last month with a healthy Trent Mosley. Two weeks ago he dazzled Corona Centennial in the Division 1 final with 10 catches for 292 yards. On Saturday, even though De La Salle knew what he could do, Mosley still was unstoppable. In the first half, when Santa Margarita opened a 35-7 halftime lead, Mosley had eight catches for 134 yards and touchdowns from 34 and six yards and also ran seven yards for another touchdown. He finished with 11 receptions for 183 yards.
With his underrated speed, upper-body strength and skills to play multiple positions, Mosley has been the best player in California for weeks. Santa Margarita has been getting him the ball much more in the postseason, and opponents have had no answers for defending him.
“Mosley is incredible,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said of the USC commit. “He does some special things on the football field.”
Said Mosley: “It feels great. We’ve worked hard. I wanted to come out and do my best. It’s sad to go but a what a great way to end it.”
How Santa Margarita rose to the top with Palmer at the helm is an equally compelling tale. Palmer was hired with little coaching experience but his decision-making, judgment and connections from the NFL world became clear with the all-star coaching staff he put together, none more important than retaining defensive coordinator Steve Fifita, last season’s interim coach. With nine returning defensive starters and three defensive line transfers, the Eagles had no weaknesses on a defense that repeatedly neutralized the best offensive players game after game.
“It’s been an unreal year from start to finish,” Palmer said. “I could not be more proud of these guys, could not be more proud of our coaching staff and support system.”
Quarterbacks were pressured by a line that had Isaia Vandermade recording nine sacks in the postseason. The linebackers, led by Dash Fifita and Leki Holani, were able to move freely and make tackles with blockers preoccupied by the line. The secondary, led by sophomore star Ca’ron Williams, had the freedom to be aggressive knowing quarterbacks wouldn’t have much time to release the ball. Siua Holani closed the scoring with an interception return with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter.
De La Salle (12-1) thought it would have a chance to end Northern California’s losing streak. Santa Margarita had not seen the Spartans’ veer-option attack. Steve Fifita even had dreams about the veer watching so much film to prepare his players. But the Eagles were ready for quarterback option plays and power runs up the middle. And De La Salle didn’t help matters by committing four personal fouls in the first four minutes. The only touchdowns for De La Salle came on short runs by Jaden Jefferson after recovering Santa Margarita fumbles.
The reason Santa Margarita became so dominant over the last month was the improvement in the offense. Quarterback Trace Johnson became comfortable and injured players came back, including tight end Luke Gazzaniga, who had touchdown receptions from 20 and two yards Saturday. Johnson ended his brief stay at Santa Margarita after transferring from Florida by completing 17 of 20 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns.
By Eric Sondheimer
Saturday, December 13, 2025
The Los Angeles Times
Santa Margarita football rolls De La Salle to win state Open Division title
MISSION VIEJO, CA., December 13, 2025 – Santa Margarita’s football program completed the final stage of a radical transformation Saturday at a destination many believed wasn’t possible before the season.
The Eagles played for the CIF State Open Division championship one season removed from a 5-7 finish.
Along the improbable run, the Eagles held their season-ending awards banquet, planned during the season, on Dec. 6.
They have much more to celebrate.
Before a large showing by its faithful, Santa Margarita followed Trent Mosley, its defense and first-year coach Carson Palmer one more time for a 47-13 victory against previously undefeated De La Salle at Saddleback College.
Santa Margarita (11-3) won its first state title since 2011 in Division 1. The Eagles were on the undercard of that championship weekend headlined by De La Salle’s victory in the Open Division final.
But with its impressive victory against De La Salle (12-1), Santa Margarita punctuated its rise as a tight-knit, national title contender with playmakers on both sides of the ball.
“It’s love. That was really the main recipe,” Santa Margarita offensive tackle Niniva Nicholson said. “A lot of us transferred, came from different schools, but we all bonded together and we loved each other. If you love each other, you’re going to hold each other accountable. We love our culture. Our coaches love us.”
“The head guy, Carson Palmer, he’s a great guy,” the senior added about the Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback. “Coach brings love and brings people together.”
Safety Logan Hirou, a four-year player at Santa Margarita, agreed.
“It’s pretty crazy to see how the program has changed,” the UCLA signee said. “Carson Palmer is a big impact on it. Just the way he carries himself. It really went on to the team, and all the players recognized that and used that as a goal for playing good.”
The Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the nation by HSratings.com and No. 4 by High School Football America, led 19-0 after the first quarter and 35-7 at intermission.
The fast start put De La Salle on its heels. Santa Margarita’s defense then negated a comeback by holding the Spartans’ veer attack to 78 yards rushing on 35 carries.
“I would put my guys against any others in the nation, any day, any week,” Mosley said. “I think we’re national champs.”
Mosley, who signed with USC earlier this month, picked up where he left off against Centennial in the CIF-SS Division 1 final on Nov. 28.
The senior finished with 11 receptions for 183 yards, and scored three touchdowns.
Against Centennial at the Rose Bowl, Mosley had 10 catches for 293 yards in a 42-7 win.
“He’s an expectational player and we knew it coming in,” De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh said of Mosley. “USC is getting a really good player.”
Mosley scored just 58 seconds into Santa Margarita’s first possession on a 7-yard run from the Wildcat with eight minutes left in the first quarter.
After Santa Margarita defensive lineman Simote Katoanga — another USC signee — blocked a field goal on the ensuing possession, Mosley caught a 34-yard touchdown from Trace Johnson just 59 seconds later.
With its quick-strike offense warmed up, Santa Margarita employed a trick play for its third score in as many possessions in the first quarter.
Nicholson lined up at wide receiver and raised his arms on the snap before Johnson found tight end Luke Gazzaniga open over the middle for a 20-yard touchdown with 42 seconds left in the first period.
“We call it the fake and bake for a reason,” said Nicholson, who signed with Arizona State. “My teammates were holding me accountable to be a Division 1 actor, and I believe I did that.”
Santa Margarita also showed its Trinity League toughness.
After Mosley caught a 6-yard touchdown from Johnson with 1:07 left in the opening half, he barreled through defenders for the 2-point conversion.
Linebacker Leki Holani then ended the first half with his second sack.
Santa Margarita’s players received a standing ovation from their fans, who filled the home grandstand, as they left for the locker room at halftime.
“Incredible support,” Palmer said. “Our school loves football. We’ve been down a little while and now we’re back. We’re so unique. We’re out there all by ourselves. There’s no other schools around us, so the community embraces us.”
“It’s been a really unique year (and will be) hard to replicate no doubt, especially when you lose so many seniors,” the coach added. “We had an incredible year. … Hard work pays off.”
Safety Siua Holani helped highlight the second half with a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth.
Johnson finished 17 of 20 for 247 yards and four TDs. The Tulane signee threw a 2-yard TD to Gazzaniga early in the fourth quarter.
Leki Holani led Santa Margarita in tackles with 10 while linebacker Vai Manutai and safety Logan Hirou added nine and eight, respectively.
In many ways, the Eagles dominated with the speed and power displayed by Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in combining to capture the Open Division the past eight years.
Santa Margarita outgained De La Salle 377-180.
“You come out that Southern Section Division 1 bracket these days, you’re going to be that,” Alumbaugh said. “The way they played tonight, that was impressive.”
Santa Margarita advanced to the state final after outscoring its three opponents in the section playoffs by a combined 94-22.
The Eagles captured their first CIF-SS crown since 2011 and earned a share of their first Trinity League title since 2001.
And on Saturday, the transformation yielded a storybook ending.
“We didn’t know we were going to be here,” Palmer said. “It’s tough to get better at this stage of the year. You get tired and it’s a long season. You get to Week 13 and then 14. Our guys didn’t flinch. Our guys just came in, got coached hard, worked extremely hard and this what it feels like when you’re on top.”
By Dan Albano
Saturday, December 13, 2025
The Orange County Register
