Six of San Francisco’s 10 high school football teams opened their seasons this past week. The Standard has you covered on all of the action from week one.
Lincoln Mustangs 43, Jefferson Grizzlies 14
Star running back Ricky Underwood ran for three touchdowns in the first quarter for the Mustangs and racked up 103 yards before halftime, but he left with an injury to his collarbone area that “will force him to miss games,” per head coach Phil Ferrigno. The Mustangs nonetheless opened up a 36-0 halftime lead and rolled to a 43-14 win over Jefferson, illustrating the value of the game experience that the 2021 team was missing.
Monta Vista-Cupertino Matadors 22, Lowell Cardinals 18
The Cardinals held an 18-7 lead at halftime on the road, but failed to score in the second half as they lost their season opener to the Matadors. Monta Vista (1-0) took the lead early in the fourth quarter on a Greyson Mobley touchdown pass to Alex Lee. Mobley also ran for a 63-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Gavin Barry-Smith ran for a touchdown in the first half for Lowell (0-1), and quarterback Angelo Ornelas both ran for a score and threw one to Teddy McCarty. McCarty also recorded a pair of sacks and forced a fumble, while Patrick Smith had a game-high 12 tackles for the visitors.
Riordan Crusaders 31, Granada Matadors 10
Adhir Ravipati’s first game as Riordan head coach will be remembered for a multitude of reasons, from the breakout performance by freshman quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. to the premature ending. The game was called with four minutes and 30 seconds still on the clock after Crusaders junior Aidan Laxa was shoved to the ground at the end of a tangle with a Granada player, resulting in his overnight hospitalization.
Sacred Heart Cathedral Fightin' Irish 13, Sacred Heart Prep Gators 12
Jerry Mixon Jr. had excelled as a linebacker and running back for Sacred Heart Cathedral, but in the opening game of his senior year, he entered a new realm by showing off his arm. Mixon’s 47-yard touchdown pass to RL Miller on fourth-and-18 to give the Fightin’ Irish the lead and a 13-12 win over Sacred Heart Prep to open up the 2022 campaign, making a winner out of Antoine Evans in his head coaching debut. Miller, committed to play linebacker at Arizona State, scored both touchdowns for SHC. He caught a 12-yard pass from Aidan McGrath late in the second quarter to get the hosts on the board. The Irish won despite struggling to move the ball on the ground; SHP outgained them 218-36 in rushing yards, but SHC held a 238-47 edge through the air.
St. Ignatius Wildcats 41, Palo Alto Vikings 6
Much of the talk on Friday night at J.B. Murphy Field was about the lights that the St. Ignatius Wildcats played under, but the team itself looked quite sharp as well in a 41-6 win over Palo Alto. St. Ignatius (1-0) led 27-0 after a quarter and 41-0 at halftime behind three touchdowns from Gus Parker, who caught two Mac McAndrews passes for scores and ran a punt back for a third TD. Colin Mulkerrins and sophomore Sui Gallegos Hunkin each recovered fumbles in the first quarter for the hosts and Dean Dollosso added an interception during the second half. The remaining two non-league games will pose a much stiffer challenge for the Wildcats, who host Jesuit-Carmichael (Sacramento County) this week and then pay a visit to St. Mary’s-Stockton.
Washington Eagles 49, Ygnacio Valley Wolves 14
James Mertz opened his senior year with a bang, throwing two touchdowns to Felix Mamrikov as the Washington Eagles rolled to a 49-14 win over visiting Ygnacio Valley. Washington (1-0) found ways to score on offense, defense and special teams. Tommy Commer and Kismot Rakkat each ran for touchdowns, Ayan Razzak recorded a pick-six and kicker Martin Estrada got in on the action with a scoop and score on a kickoff. Elyjah Qasevakatini recorded a safety to round out the scoring as the Eagles emerged triumphant in the first of back-to-back games against opponents from the North Coast Section (NCS). Washington will host Irvington-Fremont on Saturday.
Other noteworthy Bay Area scores
Serra scored a major regional win on the road, holding Folsom to a single offensive score in a 17-12 win over the Sac-Joaquin Section juggernaut. Sam Goligoski recorded three sacks for the Padres and Seamus Gilmartin forced a fumble at the goal line with three minutes remaining to protect a seven-point lead. Next up for the Padres is a trip to De La Salle, and for once, the Spartans may be an underdog against a local opponent.
De La Salle (1-0) did win on Friday, also taking down a strong Sacramento-area foe in Monterey Trail-Elk Grove, pulling away late for a 36-20 victory over the Mustangs. Monterey Trail and Folsom squared off a week earlier, and the Bulldogs won 47-18.
Led by a stellar senior class, Salinas looks like one of the major public school powers in the Central Coast Section (CCS), and could pose an enormous threat against the area’s Catholic programs. The Cowboys squeaked out a 21-14 win over Clayton Valley, a regular contender in the East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) and North Coast Section (NCS).
The Cowboys will be alongside Menlo-Atherton in any ranking of the top public schools in the CCS; the Bears erased a 20-point deficit to beat Bellarmine 48-34. Oregon commit Jurrion Dickey was, to the surprise of many, eligible to play for the Bears immediately, rather than needing to complete a sit-out period after transferring from Valley Christian. He scored four touchdowns on the day and finished with 160 receiving yards.