The Vikings defeated Hueneme 46-12 on home turf, while the Mainers laid the smackdown on Bishop Montgomery 47-0.
The Vikings followed up a season-opening win over Chino with a two-game slide, dropping the team's first two home games against Laguna Beach and West, 21-9 and 30-6 respectively. The offense quickly found its footing in the past two weeks, outscoring Sylmar and Hueneme 87-18. The Sylmar game in particular showed the balanced running game of the Vikings, as the squad had eight different ballcarriers, totaling for 28 carries, 329 yards and five touchdowns.
After a sparkling sophomore season at quarterback, Wyatt Brown (according to statistics site MaxPreps) is still dealing, although at a less efficient clip than last year. Through five games, Brown's completion percentage is 56.2%, down from last year, but the signal caller has already thrown for nine touchdowns on the year. On the defensive end, senior Samuel Reynoso leads the Vikings in total tackles (26), sophomore Maui Williams leads in sacks (5) and senior Manny Lares is tops on the team in interceptions (3).
The squad begins its Pioneer League slate with North (Torrance) on Friday, with the Saxons also riding a two-game win streak heading into the contest. The Vikings will attempt to slow down wide receiver Kingston Anetema, who has scored nine touchdowns through the air in four games. After facing North, the Vikings will finish the season against South (Torrance), Redondo Union, Torrance and Peninsula.
For the Mariners, the 47-0 beatdown of Bishop Montgomery was the team's third straight win, and the fourth time the offense has scored more than 40 points in a contest. Now outscoring opponents 221-79 in 2024, the Mariners dropped 40 in opening wins over Hamilton (49-8) and Hawthorne (48-14), then over the past two weeks, including a 41-8 win over Bosco Tech. The Mariners' lone loss was to Vikings league opponent Peninsula, dropping the home contest 49-34.
The youth movement begun last year at Saint Monica has continued in a big way, as sophomore quarterback Bradley Cassier has thrown for over 235 yards per game and has accumulated an impressive 11-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the three Mariners games tracked by MaxPreps. In those games, Cassier's top target has been fellow sophomore Anthony Mason, hauling in 15 receptions for 289 yards and four scores.
Plenty of other Samohi squads have been in action in September, including the boys' water polo unit (about to begin league play with a 10-9 record) and the girls' volleyball squad which has gone 13-4-1 (4-1 in league play) heading into the final regular-season stretch. The girls' flag football team, in its second year as a program, began the season 2-6 before embarking on a five-game win streak, and is undefeated in league play with two games remaining on the schedule.
Samohi's cross-country squad is three meets deep into the season as well, beginning with a top-five finish for senior Cleo Topp (19:43.2) in a three-mile race at the Laguna Hills Invitational Sept. 14. Topp also finished in the top 15 at the Woodbridge Classic and the Bellarmine/Sacred Heart Invitational this past weekend. Topp's teammate, Phoebe Benun, won the Bellarmine/Sacred Heart race with a three-mile time of 19:05.4.
thomas@smdp.com
