Santa Margarita hands Inglewood its first loss in playoff opener

Santa Margarita wide receiver Jack Junker entered the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs with two catches in the final two Trinity League games.

It only made sense that on Friday night at Trabuco Hills High, the speedy sophomore turned on the burners and hauled in two touchdown passes — for 40 and 72 yards — in the first quarter to put the Eagles ahead by nine points.

“Keep the foot on them,” Santa Margarita interim head coach Steve Fifita roared at his team on the sidelines — attempting to rally his squad that finished 1-4 during an injury-riddled Trinity League campaign.

The Eagles didn’t let up. Quarterback John Gazzaniga connected with Junker for a third touchdown. Trent Mosley, the 2023 Trinity League most valuable player only two games back from an ankle injury, collected two touchdowns himself. And that was just the first half. Santa Margarita (5-6) soared to a 27-point second-quarter lead and 59-26 first-round playoff victory over undefeated Inglewood, dominating the Sentinels from end to end.

“It’s good to have everybody back,” Mosley said. “I just feel like we’ve just been connecting more. We’ve had more time at practice to get together and work on timing and everything. I feel like it all got put together.”

The Eagles outgained their Bay League opposition 419-158 yards and collected four sacks. Gazzaniga ended the contest with a season-high 330 passing yards, while Junker finished with a season-high 172 receiving yards and Mosley tallied 105 all-purpose yards.

Despite the hefty lead, Fifita continued to energize his defense to keep the Sentinels (10-1) at bay.

“Apply pressure,” he yelled. That pressure will reach a high next Friday when Santa Margarita travels to St. John Bosco (9-1, 4-1) for a quarterfinal game.

“We’re looking to put up a lot more points than we had last time, that’s for sure,” Junker said, referring to Santa Margarita’s 13-0 loss on Oct. 11.

Gazzaniga ran for a seven-yard score with 7:46 remaining in the third quarter, while freshman running back Duce Smith added a two-yard touchdown moments later to boost the Eagles’ lead to 52-13. Santa Margarita, with its backups in the game, scored once more in the fourth quarter — ending the night with 59 points, the Eagles’ most as a program since September 2022.

Fifita, who Junker described as a “role model” postgame, said he was pleased with his team’s offensive effort, leading the way to the next round of the playoffs.

“They didn’t panic,” Fifita said. “The big thing I saw, what the offense did — that we struggled with defensively — is they made the plays and took advantage of their opportunities.”

Like Junker, Mosley added he’s looking forward to facing the Braves next week. The junior wideout, who has received offers from USC, Alabama, Notre Dame, Georgia and UCLA, did not play in the regular-season duel because of an injury.

“I’m really glad we get to replay Bosco,” he said. “They’re a great team. I feel like we just got to work hard. Keep doing what we’re doing [and] keep our offensive flow.”