Week 5: Santa Monica schools continue dominance, Pali forfeits

It’s Week 5 and Santa Monica schools are looking almost unbeatable.  Samohi and St. Monica Prep both notched blowout wins on their respective home fields.  Here’s a rundown of the biggest Westside games.

PALISADES DOLPHINS 0 @ SAN PEDRO 1

The Palisades Dolphins looked they were finally on the right track.  After three heartbreaking losses, they sprung back to life on September 11, taking down rival Brentwood in a four overtime thriller.  But the momentum came to a halt Thursday night when coach Dylen Smith announced that a rash of illness–– including confirmed cases of COVID-19 – had it the team hard, leaving them without enough healthy players to travel to San Pedro.  It goes in the record books as a forfeit, dropping Pali to 1-4 on the season.

Up Next: The Dolphins are off next weekend.  They will host the Venice Gondoliers on Friday, October 2.

---

BOSCO TECH 0 @ ST. MONICA 48

St. Monica Prep showed no mercy Friday night, blowing out visiting Bosco Tech 48-0 at Corsair Field.

Quarterback Bradley Cassier put on an absolute clinic, throwing five first-quarter touchdown passes to break the game wide open. The D1-bound star connected with Evan Benet, Sergio Ortiz, Aaron Minter, Christopher Barnes, and Martin Tate—the latter on a electrifying 68-yard bomb—to build a 35-0 cushion in the opening frame. Benet also snagged a first-quarter interception to keep the pressure mounting.

With a 42-0 lead at halftime, head coach Thomas Barnes rested Cassier and key starters to avoid injury. St. Monica’s depth held firm, capped off by Joshua Morris’s 6-yard touchdown run and a fumble recovery by Christian Ortiz in the fourth quarter to preserve the shutout.  With the win, the Mariners are now 4-1 on the season.

Up Next: The Mariners travel to Monrovia to meet Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary

---

GARDENA PANTHERS 8 @ SAMOHI VIKINGS 42

Santa Monica turned its “Blackout” Homecoming showcase into a total party, crushing winless Gardena 42-8 in front of a packed home crowd.

The Vikings threw the knockout blow early. Saul Buendia set the tone with a 5-yard touchdown run, followed immediately by Joshua Fernandez hijacking a pass for a 33-yard pick-six. Gryffin Glowacki then dropped a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chandler Paysinger to build a 21-0 lead before the first quarter ended.

Buendia kept rolling in the second frame, plunging in for two more scores to finish off a three-touchdown night. Fernandez added a 20-yard rushing touchdown to push the cushion to 42-0 at halftime, backed by Grey Broderick‘s perfect 6-for-6 extra-point effort.

Gardena managed a late touchdown against Samohi’s reserves, but the 4-1 Vikings had already secured a picture-perfect Homecoming win.

Up Next: The Vikings are off next week.  They will host the Torrance Tartars on Friday, October 2.

---

BECKMAN 14 @ BRENTWOOD 21

Brentwood School survived a dogfight on Friday night, holding off the Beckman Patriots for a gritty 21-14 victory.

The Eagles struck first in the second quarter with a rushing touchdown to grab a 7-0 lead, but Beckman countered instantly when Jaxon Jordan punched in a rushing score of his own. Brentwood answered back before the break, executing a passing touchdown to take a 14-7 edge into halftime.

Beckman refused to go quietly in the third quarter, striking on a touchdown pass to DJ Amantine to knot the game up at 14-14. But when the game hung in the balance in the fourth quarter, Brentwood’s offense delivered the decisive blow, throwing a clutch touchdown pass and kicking the PAT to secure the hard-fought 21-14 win.

Up Next: Brentwood hosts the Estancia Eagles on Friday, September 25.

---

Stay up to date with complete scores, standings, and weekly team schedules on our Westside high school football homepage.

Sharing is caring...