![FINAL — No. 22 Santa Margarita [CA] stuns SN No. 4 Mater Dei [CA], 7-6 image](https://library.sportingnews.com/styles/crop_style_16_9_mobile_webp/s3/2025-10/AA_GFX%20Generic_icon_16x9.png.webp?itok=VOnF9K5R){kind=icon}
SANTA ANA, California, Oct. 3 — The Mater Dei [Santa Ana, CA] Monarchs had struggled for most of the season on point after tries, and on Friday night on their home field, it finally caught up with them.
Mater Dei scored on a 10-yard Kayden Dixon-Wyatt reception on a pass from Ryan Hopkins just past the midway point of the second quarter, and the Monarchs elected to go for two. They came up short on a failed run for the deuce, and it ultimately proved to be the difference late in a 7-6 loss to the Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles.
The Eagles pulled even with a little more than five minutes to play in the game when Trent Mosley, who had been sidelined since August 22 while recovering from an injury suffered against the Mission Viejo [CA] Diablos, took a direct snap from the wildcat formation and waltzed into the end zone untouched from two yards out. Then the Eagles almost botched a PAT of their own when a difficult snap forced the Eagles' holder to scramble to get the ball into position. He did, and kicker Tyler Wiegand knocked home what would prove to be the game-winning point.
And what a point it was. Santa Margarita had not beaten Mater Dei since October 25, 2013, when they defeated the Monarchs' on their home field, 16-7. The Eagles had lost 11 times in a row to Mater Dei since then. The loss is also Mater Dei's second of the season after a 43-36 loss to the Centennial [Corona, CA] Huskies earlier this season. It marks the first time the Monarchs have lost more than one game in a season since finishing 10-3 in 2015.
From 2016 through 2024, Mater Dei went 109-5 with all five losses coming at the hands of their archrivals, the St. John Bosco [Bellflower, CA] Braves. Not too surprisingly, the Braves are currently the nation's consensus No. 1 team in the SN Composite Rankings, earning seven of the eight possible votes including the top vote in The Sporting News High School Football Top 25.
The win continues a resurgence at Santa Margarita in the first year under head coach Carson Palmer, an alum of the school and a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL All-Pro quarterback. Santa Margarita is now 5-2, but they hold head-to-head wins over two of the three California schools that were ranked ahead of them in The SN Top 25 heading into this weekend's action. They defeated the current SN No. 6 Centennial Huskies – the other team to beat Mater Dei this season – and they'll take their shot against that No. 1 St. John Bosco squad next Friday night. Theoretically, they could be 6-2 after next Friday night with wins against the other three California teams that have been ahead of them in the rankings for the past few weeks.
But that's next week's problem. For now, the Eagles will celebrate a win that was a dozen years in the making. Mater Dei, meanwhile, will look to recover from their second loss of the season next Saturday when they host the Servite [Anaheim, CA] Friars.
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FINAL — Santa Margarita 7, Mater Dei 6
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|| FOURTH QUARTER ||
That's your ballgame! Santa Margarita breaks an 11-game losing streak to Mater Dei, dating back to 2016. It's Mater Dei's first Trinity League loss to any team other than St. John Bosco in that same span.
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Mosley with the first down conversion! There's a dead ball penalty after the play on the Eagles, but it's 1st-and-10, and Mater Dei is forced to use their final timeout.
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Mater Dei goes for 4th-and-5 on their own 45 with two minutes to play and Ryan Hopkins overshoots his receiver on a long ball at Santa Margarita's 15. It would have been a touchdown, but now Santa Margarita takes over on down near midfield. Monarchs have two timeouts, but they are on the ropes.
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Santa Margarita takes the lead! A potential stunner here in Santa Ana.
4TH QTR — Santa Margarita 7, Mater Dei 6
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We're under way in the fourth quarter.
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|| THIRD QUARTER ||
And it's still just 6-0 as we head to the fourth quarter.
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And we're under way in the third quarter in Santa Ana.
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|| SECOND QUARTER ||
We've got a defensive slugfest headed to the half.
HALFTIME — Mater Dei 6, Santa Margarita 0
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Mater Dei with the ice breaker and the game's first points.
2ND QTR — Mater Dei 6, Santa Margarita 0
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|| FIRST QUARTER ||
And the first quarter ends where we started.
END OF 1ST QTR — Mater Dei 0, Santa Margarita 0
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And they're under way in Santa Ana!
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Coming soon!
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OUR PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS ...
Finally, don't miss out on The Sporting News Preseason All-American Teams that just debuted today!
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Offense 2025
The Sporting News High School Preseason All-American Defense 2025
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