In the CIF Division 1 semifinals, Santa Margarita delivered one of its most complete performances of the season, rolling past Orange Lutheran 31–6 on Friday night. Coming off a stunning upset over No. 4–ranked St. John Bosco the week prior, the Lancers entered the game with momentum—but Santa Margarita shut that down early and never looked back.Playing on a soggy field but under fair weather, Santa Margarita opened the game with a balanced, confident attack. Quarterback Trace Johnson wasted no time heating up, connecting early and often with standout receiver Trent Mosley.
After a steady opening drive by SMHS, Johnson found Mosley on a long strike down to the 8-yard line. Moments later, the duo connected again—this time for a 4-yard touchdown, putting the Eagles up 7–0 with six minutes left in the first quarter.Santa Margarita immediately kept its foot on the gas, surprising Orange Lutheran with a perfectly executed onside kick, recovering the ball near midfield. The gamble paid off, setting up a short-field drive capped by Jaion Smith’s 13-yard rushing touchdown to extend the lead to 14–0.
The Lancers struggled to find any rhythm offensively, as the Eagles’ defense applied constant pressure. A tackle for loss by Dash Fifita pushed OLU back, and minutes later Santa Margarita capitalized on a fumble recovery, again setting up shop deep in OLU territory.Early in the second quarter, Adrian Petero bulldozed into the end zone for another SMHS rushing score, stretching the advantage to 21–0. Orange Lutheran mounted a few late-half pushes—including a last-second 55-yard field goal attempt that came up just short—but entered halftime still searching for answers.
The third quarter opened with more SMHS dominance. After a defensive stand and a quick stop, Johnson found Mosley once again—this time for a 45-yard touchdown bomb, putting the Eagles ahead 28–0. The connection between the two stars was unstoppable all night.SMHS added a 41-yard field goal by Tyler Wiegand to make it 31–0, as the defense continued to suffocate OLU with sacks from Leki Holani and Isaia Vandermade, plus another turnover created by Dash Fifita on an interception.
Despite pressure mounting and an injury timeout for starting QB Reagan Toki, Orange Lutheran finally broke through with just over two minutes remaining. Backup QB Ezrah Brown connected with Sean Morris Jr. for a 14-yard touchdown, avoiding the shutout and making it 31–6 after a failed two-point conversion.The Lancers attempted an onside kick, but SMHS recovered and ran out the clock.
Santa Margarita’s dominant win sends them to the CIF Division 1 championship game with major momentum. The Eagles delivered a complete team effort—big plays, disciplined defense, explosive offense, and opportunistic special teams.Orange Lutheran’s season comes to a close after a strong playoff run, highlighted by last week’s thrilling upset over St. John Bosco.
