San Diego Section football championship scores, recaps: La Jolla Country Day, Del Norte capture titles on Saturday night
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – The second weekend of the 2023 San Diego Section football championships is underway. Southwestern College's DeVore Stadium hosted the Division 1 and 4 championship games on Friday and is hosting Divisions 2 and 3 on Saturday.
FRIDAY
DIVISION 4 (Bracket)
(1) Mount Miguel 35, (2) Chula Vista 14
Mount Miguel made quick of Chula Vista, beating the Spartans by three touchdowns. The Matadors led 28-0 at halftime and extended the lead to five touchdowns to open the fourth quarter.
The Matadors were playing in their first championship game since 1980 and were able to secure their first title since 1960.
In his first year with the Matadors, head coach Verlain Betofe has guided Mount Miguel to their first 11-win season since 1987.
"I thank Mount Miguel's admin for believing in me and giving me the opportunity. I'm glad I'm able to bring back the trophy to Mount Miguel for the first time since 1960," Betofe said shortly after the victory.
Senior quarterback Matthew Barton tossed five touchdown passes. Senior receiver Jeremiah Castillo reeled in three touchdowns from Barton and also added an interception in the win.
Mount Miguel's season will continue with a regional bowl game next week with brackets set to be announced on Sunday afternoon.
DIVISION 1 (Bracket)
(5) St. Augustine 13, (2) Mission Hills 0
St. Augustine made their presence known on defense early and often against second-seeded Mission Hills, earning their first CIF title since 2018. The Saints were able to hold Mission Hills scoreless for the first time in 141 games, dating back to a playoff game against Helix in 2011.
Ron Gladnick, in his second season as the Saints coach, has helped St. Augustine win seven of their past eight games, the lone loss coming against Open Division finalist Lincoln.
"Our kids have answered the bell and our coaches have done a phenomenal job, it's been a group effort," Gladnick said postgame.
The Saints, who went 4-8 a season ago, saw their 2022 season come to an end at the hands of Mission Hills with a 42-0 loss in the second round of the Division 1 playoffs. On Friday they were able to return the favor with a section title on the line.
St. Augustine entered Friday's game with 37 of their 52 touchdowns on the season having been scored by underclassmen. They continued that trend with two, one-yard touchdown runs by freshman standout Honor Fa'alavae Johnson.
Senior two-way starter Isaiah Hasten made his mark on the game, setting up Johnson's first touchdown with a 56-yard catch-and-run down to the one-yard line. He then finished by grabbing two interceptions over the next two quarters, raising his season total to seven.
"To play that consistently, to take the ball away and to stop (Mission Hills running back Giovanni Harte) which nobody has been able to do all year. They were behind the sticks a lot and that helped us," Gladnick said.
SATURDAY
DIVISION 3 (Bracket)
(6) La Jolla Country Day 73, (4) Grossmont 34
La Jolla Country Day flew past Grossmont, scoring a San Diego Section championship record 73 points. The Torreys led 31-22 at halftime before an onslaught of points in the third quarter that led to a running clock in the fourth quarter.
Senior quarterback Jaden Mangini passed for 414 yards and rushed for 115 yards, finishing with six touchdown passes and four rushing touchdowns.
The victory was the Torreys first title since they beat Santana for the Division 4 championship in 2016.
DIVISION 2 (Bracket)
(1) Del Norte 31, (3) La Jolla 15
Del Norte made school history on Friday night, capturing a CIF football title for the first time in school history. The Nighthawks, led by first-year head coach Nick Barnett, jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter and coasted to a 16-point victory.
Senior quarterback Jack Schneider connected with receivers Ashton Tomlinson and Ty Olsen for the first two scores of the game. The Nighthawks then recovered a fumble deep in La Jolla territory, leading to a seven-yard touchdown run by freshman Anthony Mattar.
Kicker Trey Coleman would add a field goal before the Vikings got on the board with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Diehl to Hank Hansen as the second quarter expired.
The Nighthawks, who have reached the double digit win mark for the first time, lost to San Marcos in their regular season finale that decided the Palomar League. After receiving a first round bye, the Nighthawks went to work and defeated Oceanside and Point Loma to reach Saturday's championship.
On Sunday, they'll learn who they'll matchup with in the CIF State regional championship bowl next week.
