A miraculous season for the Samohi Vikings ended just yards short of a CIF Southern Section Division 9 title, dropping the championship game on home turf to the Rio Hondo Prep Kares, 29-27. Yet another nail-biter for the Vikings came down to the final play, a missed two-point conversion that would have extended the matchup into overtime.
Down 29-21 on the final drive of the season, sophomore quarterback Wyatt Brown took command of the offense for the final time in 2023, guiding the Vikings 80 yards as time ticked down in the fourth quarter. Starting from the Vikings own 20-yard line, Brown converted first downs with his legs and arm, a 13-yard run and a 14-yard completion to Payton Seals to bring the team to midfield. After two incompletions, Brown found Griffin Seals for a 41-yard completion, bringing the Vikings deep within the Kares’ red zone.
Two plays later, with time expiring, Brown added to his resume of clutch moments, finding Charles Cravings for the 11-yard touchdown strike, but a two-point try blocked by the Kares’ defensive line left the score at 29-27.
The back-and-forth affair started with another 80-yard scoring drive, ending with a Caden McCallum touchdown plunge from 2 yards out. In his final game as a Viking, McCallum was given his typically-heavy workload, carrying the ball 26 times for 157 yards and two scores. Through 10 regular-season contests and 4 playoff battles, McCallum carried the ball 288 times for the Vikings in 2023, finishing with 1,604 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground, along with 187 yards and two scores in the receiving game.
A fumbled punt return by Cravings gave the Kares a second chance to finish the opponent’s first possession, ending in a touchdown to even the game at 7-7. The squads swapped scores once again before halftime, with Brown finding Griffin Seals for a 16-yard touchdown strike. Brown finished his impressive sophomore campaign by completing 14 of 23 pass attempts for 226 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The sophomore holds the Vikings’ record for passing yards in a season, throwing for 2,955 yards and 21 touchdowns across 14 games.
The end of the first half featured a turning point, as the Vikings were unable to convert in the Kares’ redzone, turning the ball over on downs at the opponents’ 1-yard line after a Brown rush attempt could not break the end zone. Though a Darian Hawkins interception ended any Kares’ offensive hopes, the Vikings’ turnover on downs just one yard away from scoring proved crucial.
After halftime, both offenses struggled in the third quarter, including a costly Brown interception around midfield during a Vikings drive. The Kares grabbed a 21-14 lead at the start of the fourth, a score answered by a McCallum 3-yard touchdown rush to even things up at 21. A Kares’ 74-yard touchdown drive, followed by a successful two-point conversion, set the score at 29-21 before the final Vikings’ push.
The Vikings’ path to the Division 9 title game was a welcome sight for the Samohi community, which saw the team rise to the challenge after a 2-8 finish in 2022. The team took the Samohi faithful on a roller-coaster ride in 2023, starting off a scorching 5-0 in non league play before a 1-4 slide in Bay League contests. Still showing enough fight for a playoff spot, the Vikings delivered in the first three playoff bouts, including an opening-round home tilt against Santa Ana that was won in overtime amid heavy fog.
Along with McCallum, several other key senior contributors played their final game in the blue-and-white. Griffin Seals had his seventh performance with over 100 yards receiving in the championship bout, catching six balls for 114 yards and a touchdown against Rio Hondo. On the defensive end, seniors McCallum, Paco Vandenbrook, Carlos Gonzalez-Melchor, Jayden Montanez, Theo Naessens-Dowling, David Solis-Valdovinos, Amir Jahromi, Ryland Hawkins and Kidus Woldegiurogis combined for 33 tackles in the contest.
Samohi Football
Nov. 24- Vikings vs Rio Hondo Prep, 2023 CIF Southern Section Division 9 Championship — Rio Hondo Prep wins 29-27
Passing: Wyatt Brown (#7, Sophomore): 14-23, 226 yds, 2 TD, INT
Rushing: Caden McCallum (#5, Senior): 26 carries, 157 yds, 6.0 YPC, 2 TD; Wyatt Brown (#7, Sophomore): 5 carries, 29 yds, 5.8 YPC
Receiving: Griffin Seals (#15, Senior): 6 rec, 114 yds, TD; Charles Cravings (#3, Junior): 4 rec, 62 yds, 15.5 YPC, TD, Fumble; Payton Seals (#14, Sophomore): 3 rec, 51 yds, 17.0 YPC; Caden McCallum (#5, Senior): 1 rec, -1 yd, -1.0 YPC
Defense: Caden McCallum (#5, Senior): 9 tackles (3 solo, 6 asst); Charles Cravings (#3, Junior): 6 tackles (4 solo, 2 asst); Samuel Reynoso (#45, Junior): 6 tackles (1 solo, 5 asst); Darian Hawkins (#20, Sophomore): 5 tackles (3 solo, 2 asst), INT; Paco Vandenbrook (#89, Senior): 5 tackles (2 solo, 3 asst), 0.5 Tackles For Loss; Isaiah Fernandez (#22, Sophomore): 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 asst); Carlos Gonzalez-Melchor (#44, Senior): 4 tackles (1 solo, 3 asst); Jayden Montanez (#71, Senior): 4 tackles (1 solo, 3 asst); Theo Naessens-Dowling (#4, Senior): 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 asst); Manny Lares (#24, Junior): 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 asst); David Solis-Valdovinos (#9, Senior): 3 tackles (1 solo, 2 asst); Amir Jahromi (#57, Senior): 2 tackles (2 asst); Ryland Hawkins (#75, Senior): 2 tackles (2 asst); Jeremy Guerrero (#10, Junior): 1 tackle (1 solo); Kidus Woldegiurogis (#8, Senior): 1 tackle (1 asst)
Special Teams: Osbaldo Rivera (#18, Junior): 3-3 PAT; Wyatt Brown (#7, Sophomore): 4 Kickoffs, 207 yds, 1 Touchback
Samohi Cross Country
Nov 25- 2023 CIF State Cross Country Championships
5,000 Meters Girls’ Division 1 Race — Phoebe Benun (Junior)- 18:08.5, 20th overall
Samohi Boys Basketball
Nov 20- Vikings vs Oaks Christian, West Valley Tip Off Classic — Vikings win 64-56
Nov 21- Vikings vs Shalhevet, West Valley Tip Off Classic — Vikings win 61-46
Nov 24- Vikings vs Oak Park, West Valley Tip Off Classic — Oak Park wins 53-48
Nov 25- Vikings vs Chaminade, West Valley Tip Off Classic — Chaminade wins 60-57
Vikings Record: 4-2
Next Game: Vikings vs Santa Margarita, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.
Samohi Girls Basketball
Nov 20- Lady Vikings vs St. Mary’s Academy — St. Mary’s Academy wins 62-39
Lady Vikings Record: 1-4
Next Game: Lady Vikings at Grenada Hills Charter, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
