Week 9: Great nights for Samohi, Saint Monica, Palisades

Santa Monica Schools bounced back on a hot night in Los Angeles.  Here’s how everything went down.

SAMOHI VIKINGS 48 @ EL SEGUNDO 29

 
The Santa Monica High Vikings snapped their two-game skid in explosive fashion Friday night, overpowering El Segundo 48-29 on the road in a wild offensive shootout.

After trailing early, Samohi unleashed running back Saul Buendia, who put on a masterclass in the backfield. Buendia kicked off his huge night with a 5-yard touchdown run, added a 27-yard scoring sprint, and punched in a 4-yard TD before halftime. He wasn’t done there, busting loose for a massive 65-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to cap off a career performance.

The Vikings’ offense fired on all cylinders, featuring an 80-yard bomb from Ryan Lance to Chandler Paysinger and a 29-yard touchdown strike from Gryffin Glowacki to Ryan Blake. Joshua Fernandez added a 1-yard goal-line plunge in the third quarter to push Samohi’s lead to a commanding 48-23.

Defensively, Jacob Fernandez set the early tone with a first-quarter interception, while the frontline forced three key stops on fourth down to keep El Segundo chasing.

The win moves Samohi to 5-3 on the season.

Up Next: The Vikings look to keep the momentum going when West Torrance comes to town on October 23.

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Photo:  Aayan Lakhani @ion_lakhni

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VERBUM DEI 0 @ SAINT MONICA 42

 
Senior Night at Corsair Field turned into an absolute party for the St. Monica Mariners, who put on a clinic in a 42-0 shutout over Verbum Dei Jesuit.

Christopher Barnes set the tone on the game’s opening play, taking a kickoff 76 yards to the house. From there, Sergio Ortiz took over the spotlight in a career performance. Following a Jack Barry fumble recovery, Ortiz punched in a 3-yard rushing touchdown, hauled in an 8-yard scoring pass from Bradley Cassier, and added a 14-yard touchdown run—all in a explosive first quarter that saw St. Monica build a 26-0 cushion.

The Mariners didn’t let up, pushing the blowout to 42-0 by halftime. While a late touchdown run by Morris was called back on a penalty, the Mariners’ defense was suffocating all night, capped by second-half interceptions from Logan Osbourne and Archie Laing to preserve the shutout.

It was a statement victory for St. Monica on home turf as they head into the final stretch of the season with serious momentum.

Up Next: Saint Monica will travel to Panorama City on October 23 to take on the Saint Genevieve Valiants.

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HAMILTON YANKEES 18 @ PALISADES DOLPHINS 35

 
The Palisades comeback train kept rolling Friday night as the Dolphins held off a late surge from Hamilton for a 35-18 Western League win at Stadium by the Sea.

Palisades pounced early after the defense forced a fourth-down stop at midfield, setting up an Aiden Jones touchdown run. A botched Hamilton punt moments later handed the Dolphins short field position, which Jameson Della-Bella capitalized on with an 8-yard touchdown rush to make it 14-0.

First-half interceptions by D’Mari Smith and Aidan Wilson-Turner kept the Yankees in handcuffs, allowing Della-Bella to punch in his second ground score for a 21-0 halftime cushion.

Malachi Ross blew the game open after the break. A 50-yard kickoff return set up Robert Holohan III’s touchdown pass to Go Moriya, and a subsequent 20-yard punt return by Ross positioned Holohan for a keeper TD, blowing the lead out to 35-0 in the third.

Hamilton didn’t go quietly, mounting an 18-point fourth-quarter rally behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Breaux and a recovered onside kick at the Pali 47.

The Dolphins’ defense ultimately slammed the door, allowing Holohan to take a knee and run out the clock to secure the win.

Up Next: The Dolphins get their final road test of the season October 23 at Fairfax.
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Photo:  Mariana Flynn @Barnburnershots

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