Eagles 43 - Orange Lutheran 21
COSTA MESA, CA., October 30, 2026 – The Eagles use big plays on special teams and Mosley’s talents to defeat the Lancers; Improve to 10-0 for the first time since 1997
Santa Margarita blocked a season-high three kicks and Grant Mosley scored three touchdowns as the Eagles and coasted to a 43-21 win over the Orange Lutheran Lancers at Orange Coast College to seal an outright Trinity League title with a 5-0 record. It was their second consecutive league championship after going 4-1 and sharing the title with Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in 2024.
The Lancer’s opening drive ended after two plays when senior nose tackle Tonga Uhila forced and then recovered the first of his two fumbles on the night at the host’s 35-yard line. The Eagles needed only two plays of their own to score as Grant Van Raaphorst took a reverse and ran 34 yards to the Orange Lutheran one, and on the following play Adrian Petero (9 carries for 50 yards) scored his 16th touchdown of the season for an early 7-0 lead.
Orange Lutheran had more trouble on their second series. Senior linebacker Cruz Nunez, who had a team-high seven tackles, picked up a sack and stops by Jayden Jack and fellow freshman Aydan Steen forced a punt which was blocked by yet another freshman in edge player KJ Herndon then scooped up by Jack for a 12-yard score to make it 14-0 at the 7:16 mark of the opening quarter. Each of those freshmen phenoms registered five tackles and for Steen he picked up a sack which tied him with Kingston Jimmerson with a team-leading 8.0 on the season.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Eagles went on a 13-play drive that took 6:55 off the clock but it stalled on the Lancers’ 14 and Kai Koga’s 31-yard field goal attempt was no good. Orange Lutheran took over and using their RPO offence and benefitting from two personal foul penalties marched to the visitor’s 26, but on fourth down Jimmerson (five tackles) blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt, picked it up on the Eagle 40 and returned it to the Lancer 40. Five plays later Grant Mosley, operating out of a wildcat set, ran it in from the nine with 1:55 left in the half to increase the lead to 20-0.
Penalties pushed the Lancers inside their own ten where Uhila recovered another fumble at the Lancers’ five setting up Mosley to strike again as he hit paydirt this time from five yards out to increase the lead to 27-0 with 1:29 left in the half. The talented junior wideout added his third touchdown of the game on a 30-yard strike from Fletch Palmer to open the second half scoring to make it 34-7. Early in the fourth quarter Jimmerson blocked a punt which was returned 25 yards for a score by sophomore safety Kaleb Mendez – who also registered a sack – to make it 40-7. Senior kicker Kai Koga closed out the scoring with a 33-yard field goal – his first of the season.
The win was the Eagles’ 16th in a row and improved their record to 10-0 for the third time in their history, while the Lancers finished league play in 4th place at 5-5, 2-3. It marks the first time the Eagles have posted those perfect overall and league records since 1997, and the league title was their sixth overall.
The Eagles will open up the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs on Friday, November 13th when they host the San Clemente Tritons (8-1). The Eagles hold a 2-1 series edge with two of those matchups being quite memorable. Santa Margarita defeated the Tritons 27-13 at Angel Stadium to win the 2011 Division 1 title, while San Clemente ended the Eagles 28-game winning streak with a huge home upset in 1998. The Eagles finished the regular season 10-0 in 1990 and 1997.
| Santa Margarita | 14 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 43 |
| Orange Lutheran | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
SM – Petero 1 run (Koga kick)
SM – Jack 12 Blocked Punt Return (Koga kick)
SM – G. Mosley 9 run (kick blocked)
SM – G. Mosley 5 run (Koga kick)
OLU – Smith 5 pass from Flores (Mercure kick)
SM – G. Mosley 30 pass from F. Palmer (Koga kick)
SM – Mendez 25 Blocked Punt Return (kick blocked)
OLU – Ploog 32 pass from Flores (Mercure kick)
OLU – Brink 2 interception return (Mercure kick)
SM – Koga 33 FG
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Rushing: SM - Petero 9-50, Van Raaphorst 1-34; OLU - Flores 6-17;
Passing: SM - F. Palmer 8-11-1-76; OLU - Flores 12-19-0-138;
Receiving: SM - G. Mosley 3-54, Callis 3-12; OLU - Johnson 7-75;
Summary by Adrian Peters
Statistics by Shane Mielke
