Yard

A look at the Los Angeles Times’ 24-player All-Star high school football team for the 2025 season:

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Luke Fahey, Mission Viejo, 6-0, 185, Sr. — The Ohio State commit had a sensational senior season, passing for 3,199 yards and 25 touchdowns with only three interceptions while completing 71% of his passes.

Running back: Jeremiah Watson, Murrieta Valley, 5-9, 180, Sr. — Injuries took a toll but he still finished with 1,429 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.

Running back: Darnell Miller, Santee, 6-0, 170, Sr. — Miller led the state in running with 3,296 yards and 40 touchdowns for the City Section Division III champions.

Receiver: Madden Williams, St. John Bosco, Sr. — The Texas A&M commit caught 41 passes for 804 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Trinity League co-champions.

Receiver: Trent Mosley, Santa Margarita, Sr. — The USC commit was one of the most versatile offensive weapons, whether catching passes, playing quarterback out of a wildcat formation or getting the ball on a handoff in leading the Eagles to the Southern Section Division 1 title and CIF Open Division title.

Receiver: Jack Junker, Mission Viejo, 5-10, 182, Jr. — With 14 touchdown receptions and averaging nearly 20 yards per catch, Junker rose up to become one of the top receivers from the class of 2027.

Lineman: Blake Graham, Leuzinger, 6-3, 300, Sr. — The Cal Poly commit cleared the way for more than 2,600 yards rushing for a team that won the Bay League title.

Lineman: Cooper Javorsky, San Juan Hills, 6-4, 285, Sr. — The UCLA commit and future center is a relentless worker who showed up every game to give his best and deliver big blocks.

Lineman: Luke Kingman, Murrieta Valley, 6-5, 315, Sr. — The Idaho State commit used his strength and size to lead one of the best rushing attacks in the Southland.

Lineman: Braiden McKenna, Los Alamitos, 6-2, 290, Sr. — It was the Griffins’ offensive line that was key to a Southern Section Division 2 title, and McKenna, playing center, was the leader, helping produce two 1,000-yard rushers.

Lineman: Kodi Greene, Mater Dei, 6-5, 320, Sr. — The Washington commit was a two-year standout, using his size and strength to be a reliable blocker.

Kicker: Kyle Donahue, San Juan Hills, 5-11, 165, Sr. — A trained soccer player turned out to be the most accurate kicker in the Southland, making 12 of 13 field-goal attempts and 44 of 45 PATs.

Defense

Defensive line: Richard Wesley, Sierra Canyon, 6-5, 260, Sr. — The Texas commit was named Mission League player of the year and finished with 8.5 sacks for the 10-1 Trailblazers.

Defensive line: Max Meier, Loyola, 6-5, 240, Sr. — The Stanford commit recorded 19 tackles for losses, including 11.5 sacks.

Defensive line: Khary Wilder, Gardena Serra, 6-4, 260, Sr. — The Ohio State commit faced repeated double teams and still finished with 20 tackles for losses, including 10 sacks.

Linebacker: Isaiah Phelps, Oxnard Pacifica, 6-1, 200, Jr. Phelps led Pacifica to a Southern Section Division 3 championship, averaging nearly 15 tackles a game with his quickness and instincts.

Linebacker: De’Andre Kirkpatrick, Crenshaw, 6-3, 200, Jr. — Kirkpatrick was a difference-maker to get Crenshaw to the City Section Open Division final, disrupting offenses while making himself as a top recruit.

Linebacker: Matthew Muasau, St. John Bosco, 6-1, 230, Sr. — The UCLA commit showed everyone what fundamentally sound tackling looks like, finishing with five sacks and 64 tackles.

Linebacker: Dash Fifita, Santa Margarita, 5-9, 195, Sr. — The Arizona commit filled the role perfectly of tackling machine on the best defense in the Southland for Division 1 champions.

Defensive back: CJ Lavender, Mater Dei, Sr. — The UCLA commit was a model of consistency, delivering big tackles and big plays every game a fiwhileishing with seven interceptions.

Defensive back: Pakipole Moala, Leuzinger, 6-0, 165, So. — Asked to cover each opponent’s top receiver, Moala showed he belonged, contributing three interceptions and 27 tackles in a breakout season.

Defensive back: Madden Riordan, Sierra Canyon, 5-11, 165, Sr. — The USC commit had four interceptions and prevented big plays with his intelligence, instincts and anticipation.

Defensive back: Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial, 5-11, 180, Jr. — With 10 interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns while also kicking, punting and returning punts and kickoffs, he was the most versatile player in the Southland.

Punter: Jacob Kreinbring, Loyola, 6-0, 195, Sr. — Averaged 41.2 yards a punt, with 18 inside the 20 and also made a 46-yard field goal.

SEATTLE — Short week, strange and bad trip.

The Rams were on the verge of enduring a quick turnaround, a distracting Puka Nacua controversy, and a flight delay but they could not hold onto the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold’s two-point conversion pass to tight end Eric Saubert sent the Rams to a 38-37 overtime defeat on Thursday night before 68,853 at Lumen Field.

After Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with Nacua for a 41-yard touchdown pass, Darnold’s four-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba pulled the Seahawks to within two points.

Darnold finished the Rams with the pass to Saubert.

The loss dropped the Rams record to 11-4, knocked them out of first place in the NFC West and put a major roadblock in their pursuit of home-field advantage for the playoffs.

The division race remains tight, with the Seahawks (12-3) now in first place and the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) still in the mix.

The Rams conclude the season with a Monday night game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta and a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Seahawks finish with road games at Carolina and San Francisco.

The 49ers play the Colts at Indianapolis and then home games against the Chicago Bears and the Seahawks.

Stafford completed 29 of 49 passes for 457 yards and three touchdowns. Nacua caught 12 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. Kam Curl, Josh Wallace and Kobie Turner forced turnovers for the Rams, but it wasn’t enough

The Rams, who clinched a playoff spot last Sunday with a victory over the Detroit Lions, played Thursday without injured star receiver Davante Adams.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes during the second half against the Seahawks on Thursday night.

(Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press)

Nacua, rookie Konata Mumpfield and Xavier Smith tried to make up the difference.

Nacua entered the game mired in controversy after making critical comments about referees and performing an antisemetic gesture during a livestream. The third-year receiver apologized in an Instagram post Thursday, and the Rams and NFL released statements denouncing the gesture.

“Coach has just echoed that he’s always in continuous support of me, disappointed in some of the actions that just distracted my teammates and that’s something that I know I’ll learn from,” said Nacua, who eclipsed 180 yards receiving for the third game in a row. “And I don’t want to be a distraction in any week, especially in a short week, so we had talked about that and he’s right there behind me.”

Turner, linebacker Nate Landman and defensive tackle Poona Ford had sacks for the Rams.

The Rams led 13-7 at halftime on Stafford’s short touchdown pass to rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson and the first two of Harrison Mevis’ three field goals.

Near the end of the second quarter, Curl forced former Rams receiver Cooper Kupp to fumble the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, preserving the lead.

Early in the third quarter, Kenneth Walker III scored on a long touchdown run for the Seahawks, but Mevis’ third field goal put the Rams back in front, 16-14.

On the ensuing possession, Wallace picked off a pass for his first career interception and returned it 56 yards to set up Blake Corum’s one-yard touchdown run for a 23-14 lead.

The Rams scored early in the fourth quarter when Nacua broke free for a 58-yard reception, and Nacua then scored on a short pass for a 30-14 lead. Turner’s first career interception on Seattle’s ensuing possession seemingly sealed the victory.

But Rashid Shaheed returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown and Kupp caught a two-point conversion pass to pull the Seahawks to within eight points with about eight minutes left.

Darnold’s 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end A.J. Barner pulled the Seahawks even, and after it appeared that a two-point conversion pass failed, officials ruled that Darnold’s pass was behind the line of scrimmage when it tipped off Jared Verse and was recovered in the end zone by Zach Charbonnet for two points, tying the score.

The Rams had a chance to take the lead with just over two minutes left, but Mevis missed a 48-yard, field-goal attempt, his first miss of the season.

Who’s going to beat them?

Who’s going to stop the unstoppable offense? Who’s going to score on the persistent defense? Who’s going to outwit the coaching genius?

Who can possibly halt the Rams on their thunderous march toward a Super Bowl championship?

After yet another jaw-dropping Sunday afternoon at a raucous SoFi Stadium, the answer was clear.

Nobody.

Nobody can spar with the Rams. Nobody can run with the Rams. Nobody can compete with the Rams.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

Nobody is talented enough or deep enough or smart enough to keep the Rams from winning their second Super Bowl championship in five years.

Nobody. It’s over. It’s done. The Rams are going to win it all, and before you cry jinx, understand that this is just putting into words what many already are thinking.

The Rams’ second-half domination of the Detroit Lions in a 41-34 win should again make the rest of the league realize that nobody else has a chance.

The Seahawks? Please. The 49ers? No way. The Eagles? They’ve been grounded. The Bears? Is that some kind of a joke?

The Patriots? Not yet. The Broncos? Not yet. The Bills? Not ever.

The Rams trailed by 10 points at one juncture Sunday and then blew the Lions’ doors off in the second half to clinch a playoff berth for the seventh time in nine seasons under Sean McVay, setting them up for the easiest ride in sports.

With a win in Seattle on Thursday night — and, yes, they should beat a team that just barely survived Old Man Rivers — the Rams essentially will clinch the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

That means they have to win only two games at SoFi to advance to a Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. That means they can win a championship without leaving California, three games played in the sort of perfect climate that gets the best out of their precision attack.

And as Sunday proved once again, they’re good enough to win three essentially home playoff games against anybody.

“I love this team,” McVay said.

There’s a lot to love.

They have an MVP quarterback, the league’s most versatile two-headed running attack, an interior defense that gets stronger under pressure, and the one weapon that no team can match.

They have Puka Nacua, and nobody else does.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is tackled by Detroit cornerback Amik Robertson during the second half Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Is he unbelievable or what? He is Cooper Kupp in his prime, only faster and stronger. He caught a career-high 181 yards’ worth of passes on yet another day when he could not be covered and barely could be tackled.

“He’s unbelievable,” McVay said. “He’s so tough, a couple of times he just drags guys with him … he epitomizes everything we want to be about … he’s like Pac-Man, he just eats up yards and catches.”

Pac-Man? The Rams even score on their old-school references.

In all, it was another Sunday of totally fun football.

They outscored the league’s highest-scoring team 20-0 at one point, they outrushed the league’s toughest backfield 159-70, they racked up 519 total yards against a team once thought destined for a championship.

And they did it with barely a smile. With the exception of Nacua repeatedly banging his fist to his chest — can you blame him? — the Rams are steady and steadfast and just so scary.

”All we want to do is go to work and find a way to be better,” said Matthew Stafford, who likely answered the crowd’s chants by clinching the MVP award with 368 yards and two touchdown passes. “It’s a fun group right now but we understand there’s more out there for us.”

Lots, lots, lots more.

This year a similar column appeared in this space regarding the Dodgers. By the first round of the playoffs, one just knew that they were going to run the table.

The same feeling exists here. The Rams look unrelenting, unfazed, unbeatable.

“Guys just kept competing, staying in the moment,” McVay said.

This moment belongs to them. One knew it Sunday by the end of the first half, which featured a Stafford interception and a struggling secondary and Jared Goff’s vengeful greatness and a 10-point Lions lead.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes in the first half of a 41-34 win over the Detroit Lions at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Then the Rams drove the ball nearly half of the field in 30 seconds in a push featuring Stafford and Nacua at their best. Stafford connected with Nacua on a brilliant 37-yard pass in the final moments that led to a Harrison Mevis 37-yard field goal to close the gap to seven.

“Right before that I told the guys, ‘Let’s go steal three,’” Stafford said.

Turns out, they stole a game.

“One of the key and critical sequences,” McVay said of that late first-half hammer, which led to a dazzling third quarter that finished the flustered Lions.

“We never panic,” Blake Corum said. “Because we know … what we have to bring to the table.”

What they’ve increasingly been bringing is a running attack that perfectly complements the awesome passing attack, as evidenced Sunday by Corum and Kyren Williams combining for 149 yards and three touchdowns.

The Lions’ more vaunted backfield of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery? Seventy yards and one score.

“We push each other to the limit,” Corum said of Williams.

Rams running back Kyren Williams stiff-arms Detroit Lions safety Erick Hallett II during the first half Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Potentially disturbing was how one noted Ram may have pushed past his limits, as receiver Davante Adams limped off the field early in the fourth quarter after apparently reinjuring his troublesome hamstring.

To lose him for the playoffs would be devastating, as he frees up space for Nacua and is almost an automatic touchdown from the five-yard line and closer.

Then again he’ll have a month to heal. And the Rams still have a bruising array of tight ends led Sunday by the touchdown-hot Colby Parkinson, who caught 75 yards’ worth of passes and two scores, including one inexplicable touchdown in which he clearly was down at the one-yard line.

The Rams got lucky there. But even if the right call was made, they would have scored on the next couple of plays. The way the Rams attacked, they could have been scoring all night.

“You knew that it was going to be that kind of game where there was some good back-and-forth,” McVay said. “You needed to be able to know that points were going to be really important for us, and our guys delivered in a big way.”

Just wait. By the time this season is done, McVay’s guys will have delivered a trophy representing something much bigger.

It rhymes with Strombardi.

It’s going to be cold, and it could be raining on Thursday night in Seattle.

Not exactly ideal conditions for any receiver, let alone a near-33-year-old with a hamstring injury.

So while it seems doubtful that the Rams would let Davante Adams risk suffering more damage against the Seattle Seahawks, that did not stop coach Sean McVay on Tuesday from engaging in some gamesmanship.

McVay told reporters that a determination about Adams’ status would not be made until game time.

“He’s as tough as it gets,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters, “and so want to be able to kind of see what it looks like with the time that we have.”

The Rams, of course, could use Adams, a future hall of famer who leads the NFL with 14 touchdown catches.

But that scenario appeared to evaporate when the 12th-year pro left Sunday’s victory over the Detroit Lions after he clutched his left hamstring and fell to the turf while running a route.

Adams had been nursing a hamstring issue for weeks. If he plays on Thursday he could risk aggravating the injury. And the Rams, who have already clinched a playoff spot, still have games left against the Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals.

Adams’ situation could not have come to a head at a worse time for the Rams.

The game against the Seahawks is the biggest of the season for both teams.

The Rams and Seahawks both have 11-3 records. But the Rams, the current top-seeded team in the NFC, hold the tiebreaker because of their 21-19 victory over the Seahawks on Nov. 16 at SoFi Stadium.

Adams, who turns 33 next week, has 60 catches for 789 yards.

Rookie Konata Mumpfield, a seventh-round draft pick from Pittsburgh, could be called on to fill Adams’ role in an offense that features star receiver Puka Nacua.

Mumpfield played 32 of 72 offensive snaps against the Lions. He has five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford said that if Mumpfield had an expanded role against the Seahawks, he would have a “ton of trust and confidence,” in the rookie.

McVay noted that the Rams also have receivers Tutu Atwell, Xavier Smith and Jordan Whittington available.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys that have played meaningful football that know all the spots,” McVay said.

Defensive lineman Braden Fiske suffered an ankle injury against the Lions, and his status also will not be determined until game time, McVay said.

Etc.

McVay and wife Veronika on Monday welcomed their second son, Christian Alexander McVay. “Mom and baby are doing good, so what a blessing,” McVay said, “and what a crazy week to be playing on a Thursday.”…. Tight end Tyler Higbee and offensive lineman Rob Havenstein are eligible to be activated from injured reserve, but McVay said that would not happen because of the short turnaround. “Just because you don’t really get a chance for any of the prep and the things that I think are in alignment with putting guys in a position to have successful outcomes,” he said. “We’ll see where they’re at once we get past this one.”

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia finished second in Heisman Trophy voting to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

That, of course, is quite an accomplishment.

But Pavia apparently felt otherwise. After the results were announced Saturday in New York, the 23-year-old senior posted a photo of himself with his offensive linemen on his Instagram Stories and gave it a profane caption.

“F-ALL THE VOTERS,” Pavia wrote, followed by a thumbs-down emoji, “BUT ….. FAMILY FOR LIFE”

On Sunday night, Pavia posted a lengthy apology on X.

“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor,” he wrote. “As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to.

“I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry.”

Heisman Trophy finalists, from left to right, Notre Dame‘s Jeremiah Love, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin pose with the trophy before the award ceremony Dec. 13 in New York.

(Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Associated Press)

Mendoza received 643 first-place votes and 2,362 overall points to Pavia’s 189 first-place votes and 1,435 points. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love finished third in voting (46 first place, 719 points), and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was fourth (eight first place, 432 points).

Indiana (13-0) is the top team in the College Football Playoff rankings and will play the Oklahoma-Alabama winner in the Rose Bowl. Mendoza has played a large role in the Hoosiers’ success. He completed 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards with a national-best 33 touchdown passes and six interceptions. In addition, Mendoza rushed for 240 yards and six touchdowns.

“Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award,” Pavia wrote. “I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season.”

Pavia also put up huge numbers for Vanderbilt (10-2), which was No. 14 in the final CFP ranking and will play Iowa in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 1. He completed 71.2% of his passes for 3,192 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions and rushed for 826 yards and nine touchdowns.

A former walk-on at New Mexico Military Institute, Pavia played two years at New Mexico State before transferring to Vanderbilt in 2024. Leading up to the Heisman ceremony, Pavia declared himself the best college football player of all time. He recently told Sports Illustrated, however, that his self-confidence should not be mistaken for arrogance.

“As an underdog paying to walk on to JUCO, you kind of have to be your own cheerleader,” Pavia said. “And it just never left my head, to be like ‘Oh I arrived, I don’t need to do that anymore.’”

Pavia reflected on his past in his apology post.

“I’ve been doubted my whole life. Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because Ive learned that nothing would be handed to me,” he wrote. “My family has always been in my corner, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them — I am grateful for them. — and I wouldn’t want anything to distract from that. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team one more time in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”

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.”

Leki Holani of Santa Margarita was throwing down De La Salle running backs all night in the CIF state final.

(Craig Weston)

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.

The Rams are going to the playoffs.

The only questions now: Can they hold onto the No. 1 seed in the NFC and have home-field advantage for the entire postseason. And will receiver Davante Adams be fit for the stretch run?

The Rams clinched a playoff spot on Sunday with a 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions before 74,701 at SoFi Stadium in a game that featured Adams’ fourth-quarter departure because of a left hamstring injury.

Matthew Stafford outdueled Jared Goff, Puka Nacua continued his torrid receiving pace and the Rams defense shut down the Lions in the second half as the Rams improved their record to 11-3 and ensured their seventh playoff appearance under ninth-year coach Sean McVay.

It was a huge victory for a Rams team that will be tested again Thursday night when they play the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.

The Seahawks (11-3) defeated Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in Seattle, setting up the Thursday night showdown. The Rams currently hold the tie-breaker over the Seahawks because of their Nov. 16 victory over the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.

Can they capture home field throughout the playoffs for the first time?

They advanced to the Super Bowl in the 2018 and the 2021 seasons without the benefit of playing every playoff game at home.

The Rams finish the regular season with games against the Seahawks, a road trip to Atlanta and a home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

As expected, the victory over the Lions (8-6) did not come easy.

The Rams overcame an early interception and 10-point deficit late in the second quarter.

Adams, who has been nursing a hamstring issue, left the field for the locker room and did not return to the game after appearing to suffer an injury early in the fourth quarter.

McVay said Adams’ injury “didn’t look good” and wasn’t sure if Adams would be able to play against the Seahawks.

Stafford came alive in the second half, leading three consecutive scoring drives in the third quarter to give the Rams a 34-24 lead.

Stafford kept alive his drive for the NFL most valuable player award by completing 24 of 38 for 368 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception.

Nacua, coming off a performance against the Arizona Cardinals that earned him NFC offensive player of the week honors, caught nine passes for 181 yards. Adams caught four passes for 71 yards.

Tight end Colby Parkinson caught two touchdown passes, Kyren Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Blake Corum also scored on the ground.

Defensive lineman Kobie Turner had a key sack for a defense that gave up three touchdown passes and several big plays in the first half, but neutralized Goff for most of the second.

Goff and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown started fast and helped the Lions take a 24-17 lead.

Stafford had a hand in that, throwing a ball into the waiting arms of Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who returned the interception 58 yards. On the next play, Goff found St. Brown for a touchdown.

Williams’ two short touchdown runs gave the Rams the lead midway through the second quarter. But Goff connected with St. Brown for a short touchdown and then hit Jameson Williams with a 31-yard scoring pass to put the Lions ahead, 24-14.

The Rams cut the deficit to seven points when Harrison Mevis closed the first half with a field goal.

The Rams opened the second half with another field goal to cut the Lions’ lead to four points.

The defense then forced the Lions to go three and out, forcing them to punt for the first time.

Stafford put the Rams ahead with a 26-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson to give the Rams a 27-24 lead.

Turner’s sack of Goff helped set up another punt, and it took Stafford only 52 seconds to engineer another touchdown. He connected with Nacua for a 39-yard gain, and Blake Corum extended the lead with an 11-yard touchdown run.

The Lions kicked a field goal midway through the fourth quarter to trim the Rams’ lead to seven points, but Stafford’s second touchdown pass to Parkinson gave the Rams a 14-point lead with just under five minutes left.

David Montgomery’s short touchdown run late in the fourth quarter cut the lead back to seven.

Goff completed 25 of 41 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns. St. Brown caught 13 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns.

NEW YORK — Fernando Mendoza, the enthusiastic quarterback of No. 1 Indiana, won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first Hoosier to win college football’s most prestigious award since its inception in 1935.

Mendoza claimed 2,362 points, including 643 first-place votes. He beat Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 points), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719 points) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 points).

Mendoza’s Heisman win was emphatic. He finished first in all six Heisman regions, the first to do so since Caleb Williams in 2022. He was named on 95.16% of all ballots, tying him with Marcus Mariota in 2014 for the second highest in the award’s history and he received 84.6% of total possible points, which is the seventh highest in Heisman history.

“I haven’t seen the numbers yet,” said Mendoza, “but it’s such an honor to be mentioned with these guys [Pavia, Love and Sayin]. It’s really a credit to our team. It’s a team award.”

Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a national-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores. Indiana, the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ first-year starter after transferring from California, is the triggerman for an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns and points set during last season’s surprise run to the CFP.

A redshirt junior, the once lightly recruited Miami native is the second Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. Mendoza is the seventh Indiana player to earn a top-10 finish in Heisman balloting and it marks another first in program history — having back-to-back players in the top 10. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year.

With his teammates chanting “HeismanDoza” as he addressed the media, he said he felt he had a realistic chance of winning the Heisman after the Hoosiers routed then-No. 19 Illinois 63-10 on Sept. 20.

“At that point my boys [teammates] said we might make it to New York [for the award ceremony],” he said. “It was lighthearted at the time, but that’s when it started. “

Quarterbacks have won the Heisman four of the last five years, with two-way player Travis Hunter of Colorado ending the run last season.

Mendoza is the 43rd quarterback to win the Heisman and the second winner of Latin American descent to claim the trophy. Stanford’s Jim Plunkett was the first in 1970.

“Although I grew up in America, my four grandparents are all from Cuba,” he said. “I had the opportunity to go there and that was important to me. I credit the love to my grandparents and the Hispanic community.”

The Heisman Trophy presentation came after a number of accolades were already awarded. Mendoza was named the Associated Press player of the year earlier this week and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards Friday night, while Love won the Doak Walker Award.

Mendoza and Pavia clearly exemplify the changing landscape of using the transfer portal in college football. Mendoza is the seventh transfer to win the award in the last nine years. Vanderbilt is Pavia’s third school.

Confident Commodore

Pavia finished second with 189 first-place votes. He threw for a school-record 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Commodores, who were pushing for a CFP berth all the way to the bracket announcement. He is the first Heisman finalist in Vanderbilt history.

Generously listed as 6 feet tall, Pavia led Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season along with six wins against Southeastern Conference foes. That includes four wins over ranked programs as Vandy reached No. 9, its highest ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 since 1937.

Pavia went from being unrecruited out of high school to junior college, New Mexico State and finally Vanderbilt in 2024 through the transfer portal.

Vandy will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Iowa on Dec. 31.

Irish Love

The last running back to win the Heisman was Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015. Love put himself in the mix with an outstanding season for Notre Dame. He finished with 46 first-place votes.

The junior from St. Louis was fourth in the Bowl Subdivision in yards rushing (1,372), fifth in per-game average (114.3) and third with 18 rushing touchdowns for the Fighting Irish, who missed out on a CFP bid and opted not to play in a bowl game.

He was the first player in Notre Dame’s storied history to produce multiple touchdown runs of 90 or more yards, a 98-yarder against Indiana in the first round of last year’s playoffs and a 94-yarder against Boston College earlier this season.

Buckeyes’ leader

Sayin led the Buckeyes to a No. 1 ranking for most of the season, throwing for 3,329 yards while tying for second in the country with 31 touchdown passes ahead of their CFP quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31.

The sophomore from Carlsbad, Calif., arrived at Ohio State after initially committing to Alabama and entering the transfer portal following a coaching change. He played four games last season before winning the starting job. He led the Buckeyes to a 14-7 win in the opener against preseason No. 1 Texas and kept the team atop the AP Top 25 for 13 straight weeks, tying its second-longest run.

Sayin follows a strong lineage of Ohio State quarterbacks since coach Ryan Day arrived in 2017. Dwayne Haskins (2018), Justin Fields (2019), C.J. Stroud (2021), and Kyle McCord (2023) averaged 3,927 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and six interceptions, along with a 68.9% completion rate, during their first seasons.

Merrill writes for the Associated Press.

Oxnard Pacifica had loads of motivation heading into Saturday’s CIF state 1-A bowl game. Having fallen to Sacramento Grant in the 2-AA state final last season, the Tritons were anxious to redeem themselves against Fresno Central East in one of the weekend’s marquee matchups.

The game showcased two high-octane offenses, but every spectacular play by the Tritons was answered by the opponent as they were dealt their first defeat, 42-28, in the second of three games at Saddleback College.

“You’ve gotta win on third down and we weren’t,” Pacifica coach Mike Moon said. “Their offense is hard to stop. We thought we’d be able to score with them and we couldn’t. We wanted to go up-tempo and we weren’t able to do that.”

Pacifica scored first, marching 91 yards in 12 plays, capped by Taylor Lee’s 15-yard strike to Tyler Stewart with 3:21 left in the first quarter. The North region champions punted during their first three possessions and turned it over on downs on the fourth, but ultimately tied the game on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jelani Dippel to Bayon Harris that finished an eight-play, 78-yard drive with 5:43 left in the second quarter.

Oxnard Pacifica quarterback Taylor Lee slings a pass to the flat in the first half of the CIF Division 1-A state championship game Saturday at Saddleback College.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

After forcing a punt, Central East moved 82 yards in 10 plays and took a 14-7 lead on Brandon Smith’s two-yard run 1:05 before halftime.

Pacifica received the second-half kickoff and drove 71 yards in seven plays, tying the game 14-14 on a one-yard rush by Isaiah Phelps and David Carranza’s extra point.

Central East moved deep into Pacifica territory on its ensuing drive before Phelps deflected the ball and PeeWee Wilson intercepted it at the Tritons’ 24. However, Pacifica (15-1) was forced to punt and on its next possession, and Central East regained the lead on Smith’s four-yard run with 4:03 left in the third quarter and upped the margin to 28-14 on Dippel’s state-leading 58th touchdown pass, a 34-yarder to Kevin Cooks.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Moon added. “They made plays when they needed to and we didn’t. Simple as that.”

Lee hit Alijah Royster in stride for a 74-yard gain to Central East’s four-yard line and Phelps powered across the goal line on the next play to cut the Tritons’ deficit in half with 10:20 left in the game.

However, the Bengals (14-1) recovered a fumble at the Pacifica 18 and took two plays to capitalize on Dippel’s five-yard keeper.

Royster’s 12-yard touchdown reception made it 35-28 with 6:25 left, but Smith scampered 15 yards for his third touchdown to close the scoring with 3:21 left.

Pacifica beat Palos Verdes 20-10 to capture the Southern Section Division 3 title Nov. 28 for its second CIF crown in a row under Moon. The Tritons defeated St. Bonaventure in the Division 4 final last year.

Fresno Central East lost to Huntington Beach Edison in the state 1-A bowl last year at Saddleback.

Lee completed 21 of 31 for 317 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice and sacked three times. Phelps ran for 127 yards in 23 carries. Royster caught six passes for 114 yards and Stewart had seven catches for 93.

Pacifica has played 32 games in the last two seasons and won two section and two regional crowns, just not the ultimate prize it covets.

“It’s a long two years to not have a state championship … but we’ll try to get back next year,” said Moon, who has scheduled nonleague games with Sierra Canyon and San Diego Lincoln next fall. “This is a super group of seniors and the younger players will grow from this.”

Never stop fighting.

That was the Ventura football team’s mindset Friday night at Fullerton High.

The Cougars drove 99 yards in eight plays and scored on a 12-yard pass from Derek Garcia to Tristan Phillips on fourth and goal to pull within a touchdown with 2:40 left, but San Francisco St. Ignatius College Prep recovered the ensuing onside kick and gained a first down to run out the clock and hang on for a 42-35 victory in the CIF state Division 3-AA bowl game.

“You are true competitors,” Derek’s father and head coach Tim Garcia told his dejected players minutes later. “We fought, kept fighting, just came up a little short, but let’s not forget what you guys accomplished. You won the Channel League, you won CIF, you won regionals and are state runner-up.”

Ventura defenders Nathan Radwich and Tristan Phillips tackle San Francisco St. Ignatius College Prep receiver Ty Hicks in the first half Friday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Garcia, who is headed for Nevada Las Vegas, entered the game having thrown for 3,369 yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He added to that impressive total by completing 15 of 26 passes for 208 yards and two scores.

James Watson had 10 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns and Western Colorado-bound receiver Jack Cunningham, who entered with a Ventura Country record 116 catches for 2,041 yards and 26 touchdowns, had seven catches for 67 yards.

St. Ignatius (9-6) finished the season on a seven-game winning streak thanks in large part to senior quarterback Caedon Afsharipour, who threw a touchdown pass and ran for the winning score.

The Cougars (13-3) had their 10-game winning streak snapped. The lead changed hands five times in the first half.

Ventura quarterback Derek Garcia passes against St. Ignatius College Prep on Friday night.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

James Watson scored on runs of 13 and 31 yards on consecutive drives to give Ventura its first lead, 14-7, with 2:33 left in the first quarter.

Steve Malone broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter and scored on a 27-yard run to put the Wildcats up 20-14, but the extra point was blocked.

Tristan Savage’s one-yard run capped an eight-play, 69-yard drive that put Ventura back on top, 21-20, but St. Ignatius answered on a 61-yard touchdown run by Luke Tribolet and a two-point pass from Afsharipour to Hawkes Packard to take a 28-21 lead into halftime.

Packard caught a 65-yard touchdown pass to extend the North region winners’ lead to 35-21 on the first play of the second half.

Garcia hit Cunningham in stride for a 31-yard touchdown to pull the Cougars within 35-28 at the 3:49 mark of the third quarter. However, Afsharipour’s 27-yard touchdown scamper pushed the Wildcats’ lead back to two scores early in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve done it before a couple times this season … we’ve battled back and come out on top,” Derek Garcia said as reality set in that his high school career was over. “I tried to stay in the present. I’m done being a Ventura Cougar, but now I look forward to the next chapter.”

Prepare for lots of tears this weekend at the CIF state championship football games in Orange County.

“No doubt,” Ventura High quarterback Derek Garcia said.

Seniors are playing in their final high school football games. Others will never play again unless it’s intramural football. And others are heading off to college in a matter of days as scholarship athletes, so win or lose, change is coming, which will challenge emotions when reality sets in.

“It’s been a great feeling all week knowing this will be my final high school game because most of the time you go in it’s up in the air,” Garcia said. “Win and you keep going or lose and you go home. It’s a great feeling we made it this far and we’re in the last possible game to play. We’re ready to go.”

Garcia has been playing for his father, Tim, Ventura’s head coach, for years. Now it will end on Friday in a Division 3-AA final against San Francisco St. Ignatius at 8 p.m. at Fullerton High before heading off to Nevada Las Vegas.

“It’s hard sometimes, but it’s been able to bring us so many memories and so many great times together,” Garcia said. “It’s been an awesome journey and wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Some of the teams in state championship games are playing in their 16th game in a long, memorable season.

“It’s been cool to still be playing,” Garcia said.

On Jan. 18, he moves into his UNLV dorm, driving his truck and relying on his parents to help him move. But will his mom let him leave the family nest?

“We’ll see when the day comes,” he said.

Yes, it’s that time for tears from football players and their parents.

There’s a tripleheader on Saturday at Saddleback College that should produce memorable games.

Open Division

De La Salle (12-0) vs. Santa Margarita (10-3), 8 p.m.

A Northern California team has not won in the state’s highest division since 2015. De La Salle’s speed could produce some big plays against the state’s best defense, particularly if 100-meter record holder Jaden Jefferson gets room to run. But Santa Margarita has its own big-play weapon in Trent Mosley, who had 10 catches for 292 yards two weeks ago against Corona Centennial. The pick: Santa Margarita.

Division 1-A

Oxnard Pacifica (15-0) vs. Fresno Central East (13-1), 3:30 p.m.

This is a battle of junior quarterbacks. Pacifica’s Taylor Lee has has passed for 3,742 yards and 51 touchdowns. East has passed for 4,298 yards and 56 touchdowns. If you like offense, this could be the most entertaining game. The pick: Pacifica.

Division 2-A

Rio Hondo Prep (15-0) vs. Sonora (14-0), 11:30 a.m.

This is the game where small schools finally get the spotlight. Both love to run the ball, so the game might get completed in less than two hours. Sonora rushed for 340 yards in its regional final. Rio Hondo Prep had 263 yards rushing and attempted one pass. The pick: Sonora.

Division: 3-AA

Ventura (13-2) vs. San Francisco St. Ignatius (8-6), 8 p.m., Friday, at Fullerton High

Garcia has passed for 3,360 yards and 36 touchdowns and has rushed for 750 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Cougars also have Oregon-bound linebacker Tristan Phillips. St. Ignatius is on a six-game winning streak after getting more consistent play at quarterback. The pick: Ventura.