Week 7 was not kind to Santa Monica schools –– but the Palisades Dolphins picked up another exciting win. Here’s how everything went down.
TORRANCE TARTARS 35 @ SAMOHI VIKINGS 14
Coming off a bye week, the Santa Monica High School Vikings took it on the chin in a 35-14 home defeat to the Torrance Tartars on Friday night.
Samohi actually struck first when Gryffin Glowacki connected with Chandler Paysinger on a 45-yard touchdown strike. But after Jake Montanez’s second-quarter interception failed to yield points, Torrance took control. Tartars quarterback Damien Gutierrez sparked a 35-point avalanche, throwing three touchdown passes—highlighted by a 63-yard bomb to Jonathan Hernandez—while Vaughn Reinert added a pair of rushing scores to turn a tight game into a fourth-quarter runaway.
Joshua Fernandez punched in a late 5-yard touchdown run for the Vikings, but the damage was long done. The loss drops Samohi to 4-2 on the season.
Up Next: The Vikings travel to the South Bay next Friday to take on the North (Torrance) Saxons
_____________
Photo: Aayan Lakhani @ion_lakhni
MARY STAR OF THE SEA 42 @ SAINT MONICA 26
Mary Star of the Sea crashed Homecoming night at Corsair Field on Friday, handing the Saint Monica Mariners a painful 42-26 loss in a clash that may well have decided the Camino Real League title.
The Mariners threw early punches, with quarterback Bradley Cassier finding Aaron Minter for a 4-yard touchdown pass and sneaking in a 1-yard score of his own. Cassier then unleashed a spectacular 69-yard bomb to Kailan Booker to give St. Monica an 18-14 advantage in the second quarter. But three failed two-point conversion attempts in the first half left crucial points on the field, allowing Mary Star’s Ian Ditch—who carved up the Mariners with a passing TD and three rushing scores—to give the Stars a 21-18 halftime lead.
Mary Star took total command in the third frame behind rushing touchdowns from Mahki Huff and Ditch to open a 35-18 lead. Cassier tried to rally the home crowd by connecting with Evan Benet on a monster 88-yard touchdown strike, but the Stars’ ground game suffocated any late comeback hopes.
With the loss, the Mariners fall to 5-2.
Up Next: Saint Monica will look to bounce back next Friday on the road against Bishop Montgomery.
____________
Photo: It was a tough night for Mariners football fans. | Owen Grady @FlicksbyOG
UNIVERSITY WILDCATS 21 @ HAMILTON YANKEES 33
The University Wildcats couldn’t keep pace on Friday night, falling 33-21 on the road against the Hamilton Yankees.
Uni High fell behind 13-0 early before William Biddle sparked the offense with a explosive 60-yard touchdown sprint in the second quarter. Down 19-7 at halftime, the Wildcats clawed back into contention in the third frame when quarterback Nick Schmidt hooked up with Tareq Abdul on a 35-yard touchdown pass.
After Hamilton pushed its cushion back out to two scores, Schmidt struck again in the fourth quarter, launching a 45-yard scoring strike to Zaire Williams to trim the deficit to 26-21. However, Hamilton answered immediately with a final touchdown pass to slam the door on the Wildcats’ comeback hopes.
The loss drops Uni High to 3-3 on the season.
Up Next: University hosts Palisades on October 2.
VENICE GONDOLIERS 26 @ PALISADES DOLPHINS 29
Palisades needed one final drive to save the game, and quarterback Robert Holohan III delivered. Trailing 26-22 in the closing minutes, Holohan hit Malachi Ross on a clutch 40-yard bomb, setting up the game-winning touchdown to secure a thrilling 29-26 Western League opening victory over Venice.
Holohan got the Dolphins going early with a first-quarter TD run and a second-quarter touchdown pass to build a 14-6 halftime cushion. But Venice exploded after the break, using an 80-yard kickoff return and a fourth-quarter Jordan Caceres TD to take a 26-22 lead.
Palisades’ defense—anchored by a disruptive performance from lineman Chean Flowers and a crucial second-quarter interception—kept the Dolphins close enough for Holohan and Ross to execute the late-game dagger.
The victory comes after Palisades was forced to forfeit its last game at San Pedro.
Up Next: Palisades travels to University on Friday while Venice heads to Fairfax.
Stay up to date with complete scores, standings, and weekly team schedules on our Westside high school football homepage.
- Week 7: Upsets abound as Samohi, St. Monica, Venice come up short - October 3, 2026
- Mediterranean restaurant Mysa closes up shop on Broadway - October 1, 2026
- The true story of Third Street Promenade’s real-time historian - October 1, 2026