BELLFLOWER – Santa Margarita’s football team got into a track meet Friday night with the Trinity League team with the most speed and athleticism. But for three quarters, the No. 3 Eagles stuck right with St. John Bosco.
“Then the roof caved in,” Santa Margarita coach Rick Curtis said with a bit of a chuckle.
The host Braves erupted for 34 points in the fourth quarter and captured the league title outright with a 58-34 victory, likely securing the top seed for the CIF-SS Pac-5 Division playoffs in the process.
The reigning national champion Braves (9-1, 5-0) erased a 28-24 deficit after three quarters with touchdown runs of 17 and 54 yards by running back Sean McGrew, a 37-yard interception return for a score by Mykal Tolliver, a 33-yard fumble return for a TD by Gavin Windes and a 12-yard TD run by Clifford Simms.
And they scored the 34 points with 3:39 to spare in the fourth quarter.
“We can really run,” St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro said. “We’re super athletic.”
But as Curtis’ postgame tone suggested, there were plenty of positives for Santa Margarita (6-4, 2-3) to focus on as it finished fourth in league and put the final touches on a resume that makes them a strong candidate for an at-large playoff bid.
“I think we deserve it coming out of this league and the schedule we’ve had,” Curtis said of an at-large berth. “We played three quarters strong but (you) got to play for four quarters.”
The Braves did in extending their league winning streak to 16 games, three shy of Servite’s league record of 19. St. John Bosco scored three times in the first three minutes of the fourth.
“It just shows how much heart we have,” said Windes, scored on a forced fumble by fellow linebacker DJ Willis. “To come in here and know we already had a playoff spot … and play our (butts) off, and do that (in the fourth), is crazy.”
Santa Margarita’s best moments came in the third quarter. Quarterback KJ Costello capped a 99-yard scoring drive with a 7-yard TD pass to wide receiver Conner Bianchini to give the Eagles a 28-24 lead with 2:33 left in the period. Costello sparked the drive with a 27-yard connection from his end zone to wide receiver Kyle Sweet for a first down.
The Eagles opened the third by intercepting quarterback Josh Rosen on a deflection. Linebacker Tanner Matthews grabbed the interception at his 36 and Costello turned the turnover into a 5-yard TD pass to Sweet as the Eagles’ trimmed the Braves’ lead to 24-21.
Sweet opened the drive with a 31-yard pass to wide out Noah Rasheed on a reverse.
Sweet also set the school’s single-season reception record en route to nine catches for 96 yards and two TDs. The senior broke the record of Brian Finneran, who had 74 in 1992 and went onto play in the NFL. Sweet now has 83 receptions.
Rasheed added eight catches for 152 yards while Costello passed for 292 yards and four TDs. But the Eagles couldn’t stop McGrew, who rushed for 213 yards and four TDs. Simms also rushed for 116 yards on only eight carries.
The Braves racked up 602 yards offense to out-sprint Santa Margarita at 476.
Negro gave the Eagles a postseason endorsement. “They’re going to be a tough out,” he said. “It’s a tough league.”
But he also praised his team for a third consecutive undefeated league crown, “especially with all the guys we graduated (last year).”
Santa Margarita also led twice in the first half. Sweet scored on a 43-yard TD run out of the Wildcat for a 7-3 lead with 2:30 left in the first quarter. Sweet faked a handoff before racing along the sideline for a score. Matthews helped position the Eagles for the TD, alertly returning a short, targeted kickoff 23 yards to his 46.
Costello also tossed on a 74-yard TD pass to Rasheed early in the second period. On his score, Rasheed stretched for a reception over the middle, kept his balance after an attempted leg tackle and raced about 40 yards to the end zone. But before halftime, Simms and McGrew rushed for TDs and the track meet was on.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
