SAN FRANCISCO — The final score may not have suggested a close fight, but the rivalry between the Serra Padres and St. Ignatius Wildcats is as healthy as ever.
Serra did indeed beat St. Ignatius for the 14th time in 15 years, pulling away in the second half for a 34-3 victory to finish the abbreviated season with an unbeaten record, but by no means was this the sort of blowout that had characterized the series for most of the past decade.
The Wildcats trailed just 7-3 at the half despite turning the ball over three times, and had they taken better care of the rock, they may very well have led at the break. The Padres continued to exploit those mistakes in the second half, finishing the day with an incredible seven turnovers and a convincing victory to round out the shortened 2020-turned-Spring 2021 schedule.
“It was just two good teams going at it,” Serra head coach Patrick Walsh said. “It’s great when SI’s good. It makes football better on the Peninsula.”
As they’ve frequently done to opponents for years, the Padres pulled away in the second half behind their sheer speed and athleticism, ripping off big plays to turn a tight game into a one-sided affair as the clock wound down.
“They were so focused on our run game that the bubble was wide open to get me into space,” said Hassan Mahasin, who had 10 receptions for 189 yards.
Serra (5-0, 3-0 WCAL North) started the second half with a 45-yard screen to Mahasin, and he scored on an 11-yard run just five plays later. Backup quarterback Trace La Mar, whose speed makes him a valuable part of the Padres’ kick coverage unit, knocked the ball loose on the ensuing kickoff return and freshman Danny Niu recovered it. Two plays later, quarterback Dominique Lampkin scored on a six-yard run to make it 21-3.
A Ziggy Tai sack and Sion Hirai pass breakup forced St. Ignatius (3-1, 2-1) to punt near midfield, and the Padres made it three touchdowns in four offensive plays when Lampkin launched a deep bomb to Mahasin, who got behind the defense, hauled the pass in and went untouched for a 78-yard score.
“We start with the short game, and it starts opening up the big stuff,” said Lampkin, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 263 yards, demonstrating his development both as a passer and a leader.
Thrust into the starting role towards the end of his sophomore season after an injury to Daylin McLemore, Lampkin showed off his mobility in 2019, including a fourth-down scramble that helped set up Serra’s comeback bid at SI, one that ultimately fell short when a two-point conversion was stopped. As a junior, he’s shown not only touch on deep balls that wasn’t present before, but has also become a prominent leader, developing his relationships with Walsh and offensive coordinator Darius Bell.
“It’s just me growing up as a person and as a Padre,” said Lampkin, who has evolved from a shy, quiet sophomore to a confident junior. “It’s going to help me be a better man later in life.”
The deep pass to Mahasin was Lampkin’s last major play of the day, with the defense taking full control of the spotlight for the remainder of the game. Serra forced three more turnovers to round out the game, with junior safety Andrew Stewart grabbing his second interception of the game and Fynn Williams capping off his high school career with a 58-yard pick six early in the fourth.
Jamill LeBlanc grabbed the sixth and final interception, and the Padres would have scored with their second-stringers if not for a terrific chasedown tackle by senior defensive back Petros Harris, who emulated Don Beebe’s play from Super Bowl XXVII by stopping La Mar after a 42-yard gain.
“These seniors have a tremendous spirit about them,” SI head coach John Regalia said. “They’ve been all in and committed, and they’re a special group in my heart personally.”
Liam McGannon hauled in six passes for 93 yards in his final game to lead the Wildcats, with receptions coming from two of the three St. Ignatius quarterbacks that took snaps on the day. He grabbed a 44-yard pass from Aidan Smith early in the first quarter for the largest gain of the day for the hosts.
The Smith-to-McGannon connection paid off again with a 16-yard pickup to convert a fourth-and-15. Still, that drive yielded just a field goal as a Leonardo Galindo pass breakup forced the ‘Cats to settle for a 30-yard John Grassi kick.
Serra scored on the very next drive with Petelo Richards-Gi picking up 46 yards on a screen and Lampkin hitting Kai Lim in the middle of the end zone for a 14-yard score with 55 seconds left in the first quarter. That 7-3 score held until halftime, with freshman Joseph Bey picking a pass off in the end zone and Stewart’s first interception coming near the goal line just inside the two-minute mark of the second quarter.
“They couldn’t run on us, so we had to lock it down in the secondary,” Stewart said. “Our secondary had been questionable this year.”
The Wildcats were limited to 43 rushing yards on the day, with lingering injuries limiting Jahsai Shannon to just two carries and keeping him off the field on special teams plays. SI’s defense held strong throughout the first half, with defensive lineman Rex Bales picking off a screen near midfield after a 12-yard gain by Richards-Gi (7 carries, 42 yards).
Max Goligoski had the first of Serra’s seven takeaways with an interception on the third play from scrimmage, but the Padres couldn’t get any points out of it, immediately giving the ball back on downs after the first of Air Force commit Jack Burnett’s three tackles for loss.
Smith completed 11-of-22 passes for 149 yards, with four of those completions and 45 of those yards going to Ryan Ivers. Considering that the Wildcats have rolled with multiple quarterbacks for consecutive seasons, it would be within reason for Smith and classmate Charlie Pyfer, both set to graduate in 2022, to split time at the position in the fall. Pyfer completed four of 10 passes for 47 yards.
When the Wildcats do return to the field in the fall, they plan to play the same nonleague games that were initially lined up for 2020, matching up with Palo Alto, Sacred Heart Prep and St. Mary’s-Stockton.
Serra still has one opening on the schedule, with non-league bouts planned against Pittsburg and Half Moon Bay.
