Santa Monica’s foray into the 2023 high school football slate has seen several successes, with perhaps none bigger than a championship 25 years in the making.
Saint Monica Preparatory athletics secured its largest win in years this past week, as the St. Monica Mariners football squad was victorious in the CIF Southern Section Division 13 championship game, defeating Walnut by a score of 28-21. The Mariners jumped out to a 14-0 lead and used a tremendous defensive effort to keep Walnut at bay. Now CIF divisional champions for the first time since 1998, the squad will be playing in a Regional Bowl Game on Saturday evening, facing Sweetwater in National City.
The victory was celebrated throughout the community this week, including a commendation by Santa Monica City Councilmember Christine Parra at Tuesday’s meeting of City Council. Parra, a Saint Monica parent, introduced Mariners coach Thomas Barnes and Saint Monica Upper School Principal James Spellman to the council during the meeting. While Barnes was succinct in his words, channeling the late legend Kobe Bryant by saying the “job’s not done,” Spellman took the time to applaud the student-athletes’ victories on and off the field.
“I’m so proud of our students, one because academically they’re succeeding in the classroom … (and they) go out on the field and (play with) Saint Monica spirit and make our city proud,” Spellman said. “(They) make their parents proud, make their principal proud, make their coach proud, and (make) their pastor proud.”
The Mariners went 7-3 in the regular season, starting off 4-0 while riding a high-powered offense. The team began its playoff run on Nov. 3 with a 27-0 victory over Santa Ana Valley, followed by a nail biting 45-42 affair with Montclair. Down 42-37 with time ticking down in the Montclair contest, freshman quarterback Bradley Cassier hooked up with freshman wide receiver Anthony Mason for a 40-yard touchdown, also finding Mason for a subsequent two-point conversion.
A divisional semifinal matchup with Desert Hot Springs ended in a 29-7 Mariners victory, landing the team in the division championship against Walnut. The monumental CIF title was the culmination of a remarkable turnaround led by Barnes, who took over a Mariners program that was looking for more participation.
“It’s been really exciting,” said Saint Monica Athletic Director Jason Bowers. “It’s been a pretty wild ride, especially considering (where we were). When coach Barnes took over the program, we had about 13 kids, and he came in and really just put (in) a lot of time and energy and effort … so it’s been really exciting to see him get rewarded for all that effort.”
That effort has gone beyond just fielding a team, as Barnes’ crew has been overpowering offensively behind several freshman contributors. The Mariners have scored over 33 points per contest in 2023, led by a balanced attack in the passing and rushing games. Cassier, in his first season as Mariners quarterback, has thrown for 1,707 yards and 25 touchdowns. Behind him in the backfield all season has been freshman running back Elijah Wilson, who gained 1,344 yards on the ground and scored 13 touchdowns in the running game.
Another freshman, Mason, has been impressive as the team’s second-leading receiver, securing 16 receptions for 315 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Mariners’ receiving leader has been senior Joshua Barnes, who has caught 32 receptions for 812 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023.
The team’s defensive attack has also been led by a freshman, as Dequan Carter has terrorized offenses to the tune of 88 total tackles, 68 of them solo efforts. Carter also racked up 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries for the Mariners. Aiding in Carter’s exploits has been the secondary duo of Barnes and junior Luke Griffin, who have combined for 12 interceptions and 18 pass deflections against opposing passers.
Bowers noted that this has been the first boys athletics squad to reach a CIF finals in “quite a while,” and was ecstatic describing the strong community response to the football squad.
“It was nice to see us finally bring home the gold … the sports in general have been really trending up for us over the last few years,” Bowers said. “The (administration has) been very supportive and putting a lot of energy and resources into athletics in general, and so we’re starting to see the results of those efforts on the field.”
The athletic director said that about 75% of Saint Monica’s students consider themselves student-athletes, and that the importance of sports is paramount at the preparatory school.
“You often hear that sports build character, (and) while they can, sports can also build poor character if you don’t have the right people in place,” Bowers added. “So I think we really try to put a focus on making sure that the coaches we’re bringing in have the overall well-being development and growth of our student-athletes as their first consideration, that it’s not a win-first environment, it’s an environment where we want to cultivate strong values and character.”
thomas@smdp.com
