Saturday will see the first-ever CIF Southern Section Division 4 Flag Football Championship game between the Samohi Lady Vikings (13-6) and Fullerton (18-6), with the Lady Vikings taking a title berth via a 13-7 victory in Montebello over Schurr last Sunday.
The program’s second year, and first CIF playoff run, will come down to the title tilt after the squad bounced back from a 2-6 start with a 11-game win streak. The Lady Vikings dispatched Cabrillo, Estancia, Windward and Schurr en route to the game, which will start at 11:15am at El Modena High 40 miles southeast of Santa Monica in Orange. Fans can purchase tickets to the game at gofan.com.
On the boys’ side, this past Friday the Saint Monica Mariners football squad finished its 2024 regular season campaign with a 53-7 drubbing of St. Bernard, clinching a 7-2 record overall and a 4-1 record in Camino League play. The successful season will continue Friday, as the Mariners will face off against Brentwood School in the 2024 CIF Southern Section Division 10 playoff bracket.
This year, the Mariners brought back much of the 2023 roster that earned the team’s first CIF Southern Section Division title since 1998, running through the Section 13 field en route to the title. The team’s attempt to reach the Division 6-A State Championship game fell one game short, dropping the Regional Finals 47-27 against Sweetwater.
Leading the Mariners potent offensive attack, responsible for over 41 points per game, has been sophomore quarterback Bradley Cassier. In his second season under center, Cassier has thrown for 1,866 yards at an efficient 64.4% completion clip, also accounting for a sparkling 24-4 touchdown-interception ratio.
Cassier’s top targets have been sophomore Anthony Mason (28 receptions, 588 yards, 7 touchdowns) and senior Luke Griffin (26 receptions, 545 yards, 7 touchdowns). Griffin has also stood out on the defensive end as a secondary ballhawk, racking up four interceptions, four pass deflections and a fumble recovery. The senior also paces the Mariners in total tackles with 43.
Augmenting the pass attack has been a ground game anchored by sophomore Elijah Wilson, who followed up his 1,344-yard freshman campaign with another 887 yards on the ground, also contributing 8 rushing touchdowns and 98 receiving yards.
The 7-3 Brentwood School Eagles football squad bring its own brand of explosiveness to the Friday matchup, with another sophomore slinger to compete against Cassier. Eagles quarterback Ben Mikail has thrown for 2,368 yards this season, ranking 22nd in tracked California Southern Section quarterbacks on MaxPreps. The Eagles’ defense also has sophomore studs in Enzo Longhi (93 total tackles) and Emmett Corwin (8.5 sacks).
Santa Monica’s other squad, the Samohi Vikings, will be missing out on the playoff field in 2024 after a 49-13 Senior Night loss to Peninsula on Friday. The Vikings finished 4-6 (1-4 in Pioneer League play), dropping four of the team’s last five contests.
The Vikings honored seniors such as running back Giovanni Crabtree, who led the squad through eight contests with 496 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground. Another key senior departing is Charles Cravings, who was the Vikings’ top receiver this year though eight games with 33 receptions for 629 yards and 5 scores.
thomas@smdp.com
