The West Catholic Athletic League is home to some raucous environments, but in the opening weekend of league play, it was the four road teams that asserted their dominance, all winning rather comfortably.
Serra, coming off a winless non-league slate against one of the hardest schedules in California, rode a stellar defensive effort to a 41-6 win at Valley Christian on Saturday evening. Cornell James and Dylan Modena each had a pick six for the Padres (1-3, 0-1 WCAL), with Modena also blocking an extra point after the Warriors’ lone touchdown.
Leading for most of the game, Serra ran the ball 32 times and attempted just nine passes, but freshman quarterback William Orr turned only four completions into 142 yards and a touchdown. The Padres also averaged more than five yards per carry, turning a scoreless game after a quarter into a 21-point lead at halftime.
Serra’s special teams were also a major factor — in addition to the blocked extra point, the Padres have one of the best kickers in the country in senior Saul Marks, who drilled field goals of 45 and 48 yards. All in all, it was a complete performance for Serra, which hopes to remain in the mix for its ninth WCAL title in the last 13 years.
The Padres host St. Ignatius next Saturday afternoon, while Valley Christian (2-2, 0-1) is at Mitty on Friday night.
Speaking of Mitty, the Monarchs defeated the Wildcats 37-23 in San Francisco behind another outstanding performance from Lazaro Faraj-Washington. The star running back had 227 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries as Mitty (3-1, 1-0) built a 30-point lead in the fourth quarter before St. Ignatius made things look closer late.
Kai Sniffen effectively sealed the Monarchs’ first win over the Wildcats since 2016 with an 80-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Sacred Heart Cathedral thumps Bellarmine; Riordan earns historic win at Saint Francis
It looked as though Bellarmine may have turned a corner after a winless 2024 campaign, beating Ann Sobrato and Los Altos in non-league play this year. But the Fightin’ Irish showed that the Bells may be in for another long season, throttling Bellarmine 71-14 in San Jose.
SHC quarterbacks Jayden Crane and Michael Sargent combined to complete 22 of 26 passes for 431 yards and seven touchdowns. The Irish were also dangerous on the ground, with Legend Williams rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown on just five carries and Elijah Araya and Bruce Hightower III also finding the end zone. In total, SHC gained 743 yards of offense, leading 27-0 after a quarter and 57-14 at the half.
The Irish (3-1, 1-0) host Riordan at Kezar Stadium on Friday, while the Bells (2-2, 0-1) host Saint Francis.
Those two teams faced each other last Friday night in Mountain View, with the Crusaders pulling away in the fourth quarter for a 47-28 win — their first road win over the Lancers since 1971. Vanderbilt commit Michael Mitchell Jr. threw four touchdown passes, three of them covering more than 50 yards.
Riordan (4-0, 1-0) led 13-0 after less than four minutes, but Saint Francis (0-4, 1-4) rallied to take an eight-point lead in the third quarter thanks to its two-quarterback system of Andrew Franzino and Drew Cumby. The Lancers finished with 361 passing yards but were held in check on the ground thanks to the Crusaders’ defensive front, led by freshman Soape Mafuahingano.
Public school roundup: Soquel rolls again, Menlo-Atherton earns first win
Soquel looks like the class of the Pacific Coast Athletic League, taking down another contender for that title Friday night with a 41-24 win at home over Salinas.
Sam Whelan was 15-of-20 passing for 259 yards and two touchdowns, while Kelton Forbus led the way on the ground with 13 carries for 101 yards and a score. Whelan also rushed for a touchdown of his own, and Keyandre Bailey had two rushing touchdowns on just four carries.
Jake Escalante turned his only reception into a 44-yard touchdown, and Hudson Summerrill and Ethan Mopress combined for 180 yards on 11 catches. The Knights (5-0, 3-0 PCAL-Gabilan) have a bye before heading to Alisal — which earned a signature win Thursday night over Monterey — on Oct. 10. The Cowboys (2-2, 1-1) host Hollister on Friday.
Menlo-Atherton consistently plays among the hardest schedules of any public school in the CCS, and the Bears took their lumps for four weeks but got in the win column Friday night with a 42-28 victory on the road against a very solid San Mateo team.
Teddy Dacey completed 20 of his 31 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. M-A also averaged more than six yards per rushing attempt, led by Jamarlo Jackson’s 91 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Kyle Gabriel had 103 receiving yards and a touchdown on just three catches.
Lukas Fitzgerald rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns for the Bearcats, while Tyce Copus had 83 yards and a score of his own in the losing effort.
Both teams are on a bye next week. The Bears (1-4) host Menlo School in their Peninsula Athletic League-Bay Division opener on Oct. 10, while San Mateo (3-2) travels to Mountain View for its De Anza Division opener on Oct. 9.
Meanwhile, in the BVAL, Lincoln, Live Oak and Santa Teresa each improved to 5-0 with wins over BVAL "B" Division teams. Lincoln handled Del Mar 47-21 behind four touchdown passes from sophomore Luca Papoulias (7-of-12, 154 yards). All five of the Lions' wins have come against lower-division BVAL teams; they open the league season October 9 at Branham.
Live Oak knocked off Pioneer 36-21. The Acorns open BVAL-Mount Hamilton play October 11 at home against Santa Teresa, which blasted Oak Grove 51-0 to remain undefeated. The Saints got three touchdown passes from junior QB Salvador Guerrero. It figures to be a highly competitive division race among the three undefeated teams as well as Branham (4-1), Leigh (4-1) and Christopher (3-2).
