Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson was surrounded by his gamers late Friday night time after an exhilarating 7-3 victory over Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills.
“Phenomenal job,” he shouted to his crew’s defensive gamers.
In a gap recreation that resembled a Southern Part Division 1 playoff recreation with all of the expertise, depth and training excellence on show, Mission Viejo positioned its belief in maybe one of the best quarterback in Southern California, Ohio State commit Luke Fahey, who delivered a 33-yard landing cross to Jack Junker late within the third quarter to wipe away a 3-0 deficit.
The Eagles, within the teaching debut of Carson Palmer, might by no means get well. Junker used to play at Santa Margarita. The landing cross got here after Mission Viejo punter Isaiah Murgia booted a 54-yard punt that left Santa Margarita on its four-yard line. Then got here a brief punt giving Mission Viejo the ball on the 33.
Jack Junker catches 33-.yard TD cross from Luke Fahey. Junker used to play at Santa Margarita. 7-3 Mission Viejo with 1:31 left in third. pic.twitter.com/1MAx5shs2q
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) August 23, 2025
As he had been doing all night time in opposition to Santa Margarita’s large, aggressive defensive position, Fahey rolled out and located Junker open ultimately zone.
“It was a deep shot to the corner. See if we could make a play,” Junker mentioned.
Luke Fahey celebrates together with his Mission Viejo teammates after 7-3 win over Santa Margarita.
(Craig Weston)
Fahey was making performs, dodging and maneuvering, all night time. He accomplished 16 of twenty-two passes for 169 yards. He suffered just one sack, which was tribute to his instincts and mobility.
“They had a really good game plan,” Fahey mentioned. “That was a great defensive line, and we had to battle through adversity. It shows what kind of team we have.”
Mission Viejo clinched the win when Santa Margarita couldn’t full a cross on fourth down from the eight-yard line with 26 seconds left.
There was no scoring within the first half till the ultimate play of the second quarter when Tyler Wiegand made a 23-yard discipline aim. It was two good defenses shutting down offenses with sufficient stress on the quarterbacks and basic tackling. Mission Viejo was helped by a penalty that nullifed a 67-yard landing catch by Trent Mosley.
The Santa Margarita defensive position made up of switch college students Simote Katoanga, Manoah Faupusa and Isaia Vandermade rose as much as cease Mission Viejo twice on goal-line conditions from the one-yard line.
The 2 quarterbacks had been doing their finest to keep away from errors. Hint Johnson was 13-of-16 passing within the first half for 138 yards and completed with 208 yards. Fahey, below fixed stress, was nine-of-12 passing for 106 yards within the first half.
It was an evening by which groups within the highly effective Trinity League confirmed a chink of their armor. Apart from the Eagles dropping, JSerra suffered a 35-0 loss to Sierra Canyon with a working clock. Servite was overwhelmed by Corona Centennial 42-14. St. John Bosco went to Bradenton, Fla., and got here away with a 31-0 win over Manatee in a recreation halted at halftime due to lightning. Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei play Saturday in Florida.
