st. john bosco

A look at the top 25 high school football teams in the Southland after the final week of the regular season:

Rk. School (record) result; Next game; last week’s ranking

1. SANTA MARGARITA (10-0) def. Orange Lutheran, 43-21; vs. San Clemente, Nov. 13; 1

2. SIERRA CANYON (10-0) def. Bishop Amat, 56-7; vs. Mission Viejo, Nov. 13; 2

3. MATER DEI (8-2) def. St. John Bosco, 36-35; vs. Corona Centennial at Santa Ana Stadium, Nov. 13; 5

4. CORONA CENTENNIAL (7-3) def. Murrieta Mesa, 62-0; vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium, Nov. 13; 4

5. ST. JOHN BOSCO (7-3) lost to Mater Dei, 36-35; vs. Orange Lutheran, Nov. 13; 3

6. ORANGE LUTHERAN (5-5) lost to Santa Margarita, 43-21; at St. John Bosco, Nov. 13; 7

7. MISSION VIEJO (8-1) def. San Juan Hills, 54-44; at Sierra Canyon, Nov. 13; 6

8. CHAPARRAL (6-4) def. Vista Murrieta, 49-14; vs. Orange, Friday; 18

9. SAN CLEMENTE (8-1) def. Huntington Beach Edison, 21-14; at Santa Margarita, Nov. 13; 10

10. BISHOP AMAT (8-2) lost to Sierra Canyon, 56-7; vs. Oxnard Pacifica, Friday; 8

11. SAN JUAN HILLS (8-2) lost to Mission Viejo, 54-44; vs. Tustin, Friday; 9

12. CREAN LUTHERAN (8-2) def. Villa Park, 49-21; vs. Rancho Cucamonga, Friday; 12

13. LA SERNA (9-1) def. Downey, 20-14; vs. Valencia, Friday; 13

14. INGLEWOOD (9-1) did not play; vs. Huntington Beach, Friday 14

15. SERVITE (4-6) def. JSerra, 38-35; no playoffs; 15

16. PALOS VERDES (9-1) def. Leuzinger, 45-0; vs. Gardena Serra, Friday; 16

17. CARSON (9-1) def. Mary Star of the Sea, 45-42; vs. Palisades, Nov. 13; 17

18. JSERRA (4-6) lost to Servite, 38-35; no playoffs; 11

19. CORONA DEL MAR (8-2) def. La Habra, 29-17; vs. Chaminade, Friday; 19

20. CHAMINADE (7-3) def. Loyola, 31-28; at Corona del Mar, Friday; 21

21. GARDENA SERRA (5-5) def. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 20-13; at Palos Verdes, Friday; 25

22. HUNTINGTON BEACH (10-0) def. Laguna Beach, 35-15; at Inglewood, Friday; 23

23. ORANGE (10-0) def. El Toro, 57-31; at Chaparral, Friday; 24

24. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (7-3) lost to Gardena Serra, 20-13; at Capistrano Valley, Friday; 20

25. TUSTIN (6-4) def. Capistrano Valley, 21-7; at San Juan Hills, Friday; NR

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Jacory Coleman, Baldwin Park: Rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns in win over South Hills.

• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Rushed for 305 yards and four touchdowns in win over Roosevelt.

• Kennie Leggett, Corona Centennial: Rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns in win over Murrieta Mesa.

• Tahj Stevens, Murrieta Valley: Rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns in win over Norco.

• Rick Matsuda, South Pasadena: Rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns in win over San Marino.

• Carson Vandermade, Mission Viejo: Rushed for 123 yards and three touchdowns in win over San Juan Hills.

• Chris Noubi, South Torrance: Rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns in win over Peninsula.

• Reyez Ortiz, Hillcrest: Rushed for 242 yards and six touchdowns in win over Valley View.

• AJ Monroe, St. Pius-St. Matthias: Rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Cathedral.

• Arman Papazyan, Glendale: Rushed for 349 yards and four touchdowns in win over Hoover.

PASSING

• Koa Malau’ulu, St. John Bosco: Passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Mater Dei.

• Paytyn Guess, Mater Dei: Completed 11 of 15 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns in win over St. John Bosco.

• Hudson Shaddow, El Dorado: Passed for 253 yards and four touchdowns in win over Irvine.

• Parker Armstrong, San Juan Hills: Passed for 345 yards and four touchdowns in loss to Mission Viejo.

• Ian Ditch, Mary Star: Passed for four touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns in loss to Carson.

• Deshawn Laporte, Quartz Hill: Passed for 305 yards and five touchdowns in win over Lancaster.

• Taylor Lee, Oxnard Pacifica: Passed for 398 and five touchdowns in win over Simi Valley.

RECEIVING

• Kayden Borden, Murrieta Valley: Caught six passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, plus returned kickoff 83 yards for touchdown vs. Norco.

• Blake Wong, Norco: Caught eight passes for 128 yards and one touchdown in loss to Murrieta Valley.

• Justin Karg, El Dorado: Caught eight passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns vs. Irvine.

• Tristan Brown, Mater Dei: Caught four passes for 104 yards and one touchdown vs. St. John Bosco.

• Anthony Jacobs Jr., Oxnard Pacifica: Caught six passes for 208 yards and four touchdowns vs. Simi Valley.

DEFENSE

• Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial: Returned his sixth career interception for a touchdown vs. Murrieta Mesa.

• Micah Cavalluzzi, El Modena: Had five tackles for losses vs. Irvine.

• Mario Nunez, Garfield: Had four solo tackles, plus interception, vs. Roosevelt.

• Kekoa Peko, St. John Bosco: Had two sacks vs. Mater Dei.

• Hudson Manning, Chaminade: Had two sacks in win over Loyola.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Keon’Dre Smith, Bellflower: Returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown and caught two touchdown passes in win over Gahr.

• Jeremiah Salvant, Tustin: Had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and interception in win over Capistrano Valley.

• Monica Flores-Segovia, Carson: Made 43-yard field goal vs. Mary Star.

• Jacob Riley, L.A. Hamilton: Returned two punts for touchdown in win over Fairfax.

A look at four of this week’s top football games in the Southland:

FRIDAY

Garfield (8-1) vs. Roosevelt (1-8) at East L.A. College, 7:30 p.m.

It’s rivalry week highlighted by the East L.A. Classic that annually draws the most fans for a regular-season game in Los Angeles. Garfield is heavily favored, led by running back Ceasar Reyes, who has gone past 2,000 yards rushing this season. Roosevelt was shut out last week by Bell, so the Rough Riders will need to improve fast. The pick: Garfield.

St. John Bosco (6-2) vs. Mater Dei (6-2) at Santa Ana Stadium, 7 p.m.

Second place in the Trinity League is on the line, along with a top-four seeding in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Both teams have rising running backs, with Maliq Allen for St. John Bosco and Asir Nembhard for Mater Dei. Let’s see which team can deny the big play. The pick: St. John Bosco.

San Juan Hills (8-1) at Mission Viejo (7-1), 7 p.m.

This is the Alpha League championship game. Mission Viejo’s powerful offensive line allows the Diablos the option to pass or run. San Juan Hills’ defense got a shutout over San Clemente last week. The pick: Mission Viejo.

Bishop Amat (8-1) at Sierra Canyon (9-0), 7 p.m.

Bishop Amat has already taken a big leap in the second season for coach Kory Minor. But beating Sierra Canyon on its home field will be tough. Sierra Canyon’s ability to run the ball with Jaxsen Stokes is key. The pick: Sierra Canyon.

A look at the top 25 high school football teams in the Southland after Week 8:

Rk. School (record) result; Next game; last week’s ranking

1. SANTA MARGARITA (8-0) def. St. John Bosco, 21-7; vs. JSerra, Friday; 1

2. SIERRA CANYON (8-0) def. Chaminade, 41-0; at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Friday; 3

3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (6-2) lost to Santa Margarita, 21-7; at Servite, Friday; 2

4. CORONA CENTENNIAL (5-3) def. Norco, 46-14; at Chaparral, Friday; 4

5. MATER DEI (6-2) def. Servite, 38-15; vs. Orange Lutheran, Friday; 5

6. MISSION VIEJO (6-1) vs. San Clemente, canceled; at Los Alamitos, Friday; 6

7. ORANGE LUTHERAN (5-3) def. JSerra, 48-13; at Servite, Friday; 7

8. SAN CLEMENTE (7-0) vs. Mission Viejo, canceled; at San Juan Hills, Friday; 8

9. JSERRA (4-4) lost to Orange Lutheran, 48-13; at Santa Margarita, Friday; 10

10. BISHOP AMAT (7-1) def. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 48-28; vs. Loyola, Friday; 12

11. SERVITE (3-5) lost to Mater Dei, 38-15; vs. Orange Lutheran, Friday; 11

12. LA SERNA (7-1) def. Cerritos, 57-7; vs. Mayfair, Friday; 13

13. CREAN LUTHERAN (5-2) def. La Habra, 35-28; at Corona del Mar, Friday; 14

14. INGLEWOOD (8-1) def. Redondo Union, 33-7; at Leuzinger, Friday; 15

15. PALOS VERDES (7-1) def. Mira Costa, 34-14; at Redondo Union, Friday; 16

16. CORONA DEL MAR (7-1) lost to Capistrano Valley, 21-17; vs. Crean Lutheran, Friday; 9

17. CARSON (7-1) def. Narbonne, 60-0; vs. San Pedro, Friday; 18

18. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (7-1) lost to Bishop Amat, 48-28; vs. Sierra Canyon, Friday; 17

19. CHAMINADE (5-3) lost to Sierra Canyon, 41-0; vs. Gardena Serra, Friday; 19

20. HUNTINGTON BEACH (8-0) def. Western, 34-14; vs. Troy, Thursday; 20

21. SAN JACINTO (8-0) def. Elsinore, 49-16; vs. Granite Hills, Friday; 21

22. GARDENA SERRA (4-4) def. Loyola, 26-0; at Chaminade, Friday; 22

23. ORANGE (8-0) def. Beckman, 51-14; vs. Irvine, Thursday; 23

24. SAN JUAN HILLS (7-1) def. Yorba Linda, 14-10; vs. San Clemente, Friday; 24

25. CAPISTRANO VALLEY (7-1) def. Corona del Mar, 21-17; vs. Villa Park, Friday; 25

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Vaughn Reinert, Torrance: Rushed for 223 yards and five touchdowns in defeat of West Torrance.

• Maleek Nolley, Cajon: Rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns in win over Beaumont.

• Coy Collins, Villa Park: Rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns in win over Tustin.

• Jacob Gallegos, San Dimas: Rushed for 204 yards and four touchdowns in defeat of Chino.

• Jason Brown, Muir: Rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns in win over Monrovia.

• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Rushed for 324 yards and seven touchdowns in win over South Gate.

• Cyrus Aviles, Fullerton: Rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns in win over Portola.

• Edward Rivera, Compton: Rushed for 246 yards and five touchdowns in defeat of Long Beach Cabrillo.

• Matix Frithsmith, Hart: Rushed for 163 yards and three touchdowns in win over Castaic.

• Luke Zapko, Oak Park: Had four rushing touchdowns in win over Buena.

• Nico Funez, Valencia: Rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns in win over Canyon Country Canyon.

• William Biddle, L.A. University: Rushed for 264 yards and scored five touchdowns in defeat of Fairfax.

PASSING

• Lincoln Jahn, Inglewood: Passed for four touchdowns in win over Redondo Union.

• Reagan Toki, Orange Lutheran: Completed 14 of 16 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown in win over JSerra

• Demarco Hernandez, Sierra Canyon: Passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns in defeat of Chaminade.

• Evan McCalister, Valencia: Passed for four touchdowns in win over Canyon Country Canyon.

RECEIVING

• Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes: Caught three touchdown passes for 184 yards and had interception in win over Mira Costa.

• Ben Hanna, Villa Park: Caught six passes for 130 yards and passed for a touchdown in defeat of Tustin.

• Luke Frith, San Juan Hills: Caught eight passes for 128 yards and one touchdown in win over Yorba Linda.

DEFENSE

• Rayshawn Brandon, Santa Margarita: Returned and interception 51 yards for touchdown in win over St. John Bosco.

• Jayden Harris, Charter Oak: Returned and interception 80 yards for touchdown in win over Glendora.

• Eric Wright, South East: Had eight solo tackles in loss to Roosevelt.

• King Berry, Lawndale: Had interception and ran for a game-winning touchdown in win vs. South Torrance.

• Derrick Coleman Jr., Gardena Serra: Made two interceptions, including a pick six, in shutout of Loyola.

• King Rich Johnson, Orange Lutheran: Returned interception 20 yards for touchdown in win over JSerra.

• Noah Carter, Dana Hills: Had two sacks in defeat of Laguna Beach.

• Simote Tupou, St. John Bosco: Had consecutive sacks in loss to Santa Margarita.

• Bailey Hill, Hart: Had two sacks in defeat of Castaic.

• Zayne Reed, Agoura: Had three sacks in his first game of the season in win over Camarillo.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial: Made a 43-yard field goal and took a high snap on a field goal for a 16-yard touchdown in win over Norco.

• Noah Guillen, Bishop Amat: Made a school-record 52-yard field goal in defeat of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

• Galileo Chen, Portola: Had a 97-yard kickoff return for touchdown in loss to Fullerton.

• Alejandro Carranza, King/Drew: Made two field goals in the first half during King/Drew’s win vs. Crenshaw.

“Touchdown Trent Mosley.”

It’s understandable that the P.A. announcer at St. John Bosco High on Friday night misspoke after seeing Mosley’s brother, Grant, catch a 49-yard touchdown pass for Santa Margarita and run like Trent in a showdown game between the No. 1 Eagles and No. 2 Braves.

“Pretty good,” Trent, USC’s star freshman receiver, said on the sideline when asked about Grant’s touchdown. “He’s healthy.”

As if unbeaten Santa Margarita (8-0) didn’t have enough weapons, the return of Grant Mosley after two seasons of dealing with a shoulder injury means it’s time for opponents to start feeling very uncomfortable.

“I’m back,” Grant announced afterward.

Santa Margarita won its 15th consecutive game in defeating St. John Bosco 21-7.

“He looked great,” coach Carson Palmer said.

“We knew when as he got healthier, he was going to be a threat,” St. john Bosco coach Jason Negro said. “He’s a dynamic player like his brother.”

Santa Margarita High sophomore Rayshawn Brandon returns an interception 51 yards for a touchdown Friday night against St. John Bosco.

(Craig Weston)

The touchdown pass happened during a trick play, in which quarterback Fletch Palmer handed the ball to Adrian Petero, who lateraled the ball back to Palmer, who threw a perfect spiral down the middle to Mosley. That play was Santa Margarita royalty at its best — a Mosley catching a touchdown pass from a Palmer, the son of the head coach.

It gave Santa Margarita a 21-7 lead in the third quarter.

“What a pass,” Carson Palmer said. “What execution. What protection.”

Santa Margarita came up with two interceptions in the first half leading to two touchdowns and a 14-7 halftime lead.

After St. John Bosco (6-2) had taken a 7-0 lead on a 28-yard touchdown catch by Kuika Moaalii, sophomore Rayshawn Brandon picked off a pass by quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, who was rolling to his left under pressure, and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown. Then Ca’ron Williams came up with another interception deep in Braves territory, leading to a one-yard touchdown run by Petero.

At the end of the half, Jaion Smith of Santa Margarita deflected a possible third-down touchdown pass in the end zone and Jake Martin followed by blocking a St. John Bosco field-goal attempt.

If anything was learned about Santa Margarita last season in its first year under Palmer, it’s that the Eagles have one of the best coaching staffs in the state and keep improving each week. By the end of the 2025 season, Santa Margarita was 35 points better than its closest opponent.

Could a similar situation be occurring now?

“I just feel we have the best staff in the nation,” Grant Mosley said. “So every week, we’re just developing. And we’re still not at our highest state. Once we get to the playoffs, that’s when we’ll be at our best.”

With Trinity League wins over St. John Bosco and Mater Dei, the Eagles have moved into the driver’s seat to win the league title.

Before the game, Carson Palmer was walking around the field feeling excited and confident.

“We’re ready,” he said.

He wasn’t kidding.

As for his brother getting initial credit for the touchdown, Grant said, “Oh well.”

“I’m still not even at my full state yet,” Grant said.

That’s scary coming from a brother with the Mosley genes.

Anyone have a helicopter available for Friday night?

This is the weekend when high school football fans and sportswriters across the Southland need air transportation or multiple screens on a computer or cellphone or at a sports bar to watch the many top games during Week 8.

It doesn’t get any better than No. 1-ranked Santa Margarita (7-0) playing at No. 2 St. John Bosco (6-1) in a Trinity League game that will feature big-boy football at its best. The NFHS Network will be streaming the game.

It’s not the only game you’ll want to see.

Let’s review the choices so you can use Google Maps or a TV remote control or just never let go of your phone on Friday night.

Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer, center, with offensive coordinator Lenny Vandermade, left.

(Craig Weston)

Santa Margarita at St. John Bosco, 7 p.m.

Last week, St. John Bosco avenged last year’s stunning Southern Section Division 1 first-round playoff loss to Orange Lutheran, a team it beat 48-0 in the regular season. This week, the Braves finally get to play Santa Margarita, the school that won the state Open Division championship because St. John Bosco was nowhere to be found. Santa Margarita has a 13-game winning streak since losing to the Braves last October.

This isn’t the same Santa Margarita team. Trent Mosley is now at USC, where he looks like a Heisman Trophy candidate when not injured. The Trojans are off this week, so look for Mosley to be on the sideline supporting brother Grant, an Eagles receiver. Santa Margarita’s strength is running the ball with undersized Adrian Petero (5 feet 5, 175 pounds) to set up the pass for quarterback Fletch Palmer, son of coach Carson Palmer.

St. John Bosco has become more of a running team with Maliq Allen, but quarterback Koa Malau’ulu remains a dangerous weapon with receivers DJ Tubbs and Kuika Moaalii. This game likely comes down to a chess match each play, testing defensive coordinators Steve Fifita (Santa Margarita) and Chris King (St. John Bosco). Both have great respect for each other. Turnovers, penalties and special teams must be watched closely. The pick: St. John Bosco.

Bishop Amat (6-1) at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (7-0), 7 p.m.

Spectrum 1 chose to televise this game, which will decide who gets to finish second in the Mission League behind Sierra Canyon. Notre Dame is a surprise being unbeaten at this point, but Tahj Skinner has proven to be one of the best athletes at quarterback, and the Knights are filled with fast players on both sides of the field from their successful track program. Bishop Amat must worry about Notre Dame’s speed, but Notre Dame must deal with the Lancers’ physicality. The pick: Bishop Amat.

Mission Viejo (6-1) at San Clemente (7-0), 7 p.m.

Home-field advantage matters in this annual rivalry game in the recently renamed Alpha League. Mission Viejo’s offensive line is elite. Receiver Jack Junker got to play running back last week and showed his big-play skills. San Clemente has its own versatile star in receiver/safety Jaxson Rex. In the end, it’s about which young quarterback can avoid mistakes, with Mission Viejo relying on sophomore Brett Burnor and San Clemente turning to junior Preston Beck. The pick: San Clemente.

King/Drew (4-3) at Crenshaw (5-2), 7 p.m.

King/Drew has been the upstart trying to win the Coliseum League with Crenshaw always standing in the way. Quarterback Gerald Torres has put together a strong season, passing for 1,363 yards and 13 touchdowns. Crenshaw struggled against Palisades’ passing attack this season, so the Cougars’ defense will be tested. Crenshaw has added more balance on offense with quarterback Ethan Grant. The pick: Crenshaw.

Hamilton (3-4) at Palisades (3-3), 7 p.m.

There should be more than 100 passes attempted in a game that will decide the Western League title. Have ice available afterward for the elbows of quarterbacks Robert Holohan III of Palisades and Thaddeus Breaux of Hamilton. The pick: Hamilton.