Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson was surrounded by his gamers late Friday evening 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 sport that resembled a Southern Part Division 1 playoff sport with all of the expertise, depth and training excellence on show, Mission Viejo positioned its belief in maybe the very best quarterback in Southern California, Ohio State commit Luke Fahey, who delivered a 33-yard landing go to Jack Junker late within the third quarter to wipe away a 3-0 deficit.
The Eagles, within the teaching debut of Carson Palmer, may by no means get better. Junker used to play at Santa Margarita. The landing go 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 go 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 evening towards Santa Margarita’s huge, aggressive defensive position, Fahey rolled out and located Junker open in the long run zone.
“It was a deep shot to the corner. See if we could make a play,” Junker stated.
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 evening. 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 stated. “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 go 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 area purpose. It was two good defenses shutting down offenses with sufficient strain on the quarterbacks and elementary 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 have been doing their greatest 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 strain, was nine-of-12 passing for 106 yards within the first half.
It was an evening through which groups within the highly effective Trinity League confirmed a chink of their armor. Moreover the Eagles dropping, JSerra suffered a 35-0 loss to Sierra Canyon with a operating clock. Servite was crushed 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 sport halted at halftime due to lightning. Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei play Saturday in Florida.
