Looking comfortable and confident playing catch on Friday night at the Rose Bowl more than 90 minutes before the Southern Section Division 1 championship football game, Trent Mosley of Santa Margarita High, wearing a USC bandana, knew exactly what was about to happen to Corona Centennial. Given the green light to put on a show, Mosley got the ball on every Santa Margarita offensive play in the first quarter.
There were was a 65-yard reception on a short pass. There was a two-yard touchdown run out of wildcat formation. There was an 80-yard touchdown catch. By halftime, the USC-bound Mosley had nine catches for 201 yards. Santa Margarita registered a first-half knockout that Centennial could never recover from in a 42-7 victory before a crowd of close to 8,775.
“Jaw dropping,” is how Mosley’s brother, injured receiver Grant Mosley, described his brother’s performance.
He added a 91-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter and a one-yard touchdown run, giving him four touchdowns on the night and 10 catches for 292 yards.
“I felt great, my body felt great, my team played great,” Mosley said.
It wasn’t just Mosley inflicting punishment on the Huskies (11-2). Quarterback Trace Johnson had touchdown passes of 33 yards to Luke Gazzaniga and 26 yards to Ryan Clark in the first half for a 28-7 halftime lead. He finished 16-of-34 passing for 383 yards and four touchdowns. And don’t forget about Santa Margarita’s hard-hitting defense. Isaia Vandermade recorded three of his team’s six sacks on the night.
“We knew the team was special from the start and proved it tonight,” Mosley said of the 10-3 Eagles.
Said first-year coach Carson Palmer: “To come out and just physically dominate … we just keep getting better and better. We’re playing real good right now and unfortunately have only one game left.”
Mosley broke the game open with his 91-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass at the outset of the third quarter after Santa Margarita’s defense stuffed Centennnial on fourth-and-one play from the Eagles’ seven-yard line. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock.
Palmer played twice at the Rose Bowl when he was the quarterback for USC while winning a Heisman Trophy. Walking on the field and leaving as the head coach of his high school alma mater and Division 1 champions left him trying to figure what he was feeling.
“It’s totally different but even more special and I don’t know why yet,” he said.
In his first season as a head coach, Palmer put together an all-star coaching staff of former NFL players, survived playing the toughest schedule in the Southland and had his team peaking at the right time with no drama and total focus.
Don’t be surprised if Palmer is suddenly mentioned for college or even NFL jobs, but he seems to love being a high school coach.
The Eagles’ offense struggled at times early in the season but has executed in the playoffs. The line protected Johnson when he needed the time, and Centennial had no answer for Mosley.
“Mosley is awesome,” Centennial coach Matt Logan said. “Playing against him as a sophomore he was great. He’s even better as a senior.”
Mosley was injured in the team’s 7-6 opening loss to Mission Viejo and didn’t play in Santa Margarita’s 33-27 overtime win over Centennial during the regular season. The Eagles took their time letting Mosley recover, but he came back in an upset win over Mater Dei and has kept getting faster and more explosive each week.
Now the Eagles get a bye next week before they are expected to face Concord De La Salle in the CIF Open Division state championship bowl game on Dec. 13 at Saddleback College. Official pairings will be announced on Sunday.
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