Santa Margarita and St. John Bosco are two of the top three teams in the Southern Section and will play each other this Friday. TeamFB7 highlights some players to watch in the biggest game in California this week.
The Trinity League is the best league in the state and is widely considered to be the best in the nation. Its two undefeated teams in league play, Santa Margarita and St. John Bosco, play each other Friday in the de facto league championship game.
Santa Margarita has won 13 consecutive games dating back to last season which is the longest winning streak in the Southern Section. The last team to beat Santa Margarita was St. John Bosco last season in the regular season.
Breaking Down some Players to Watch in the game between Santa Margarita and St. John Bosco this Friday
Here are the players to keep an eye on in Bellflower on Friday when Santa Margarita and St. John Bosco square off.
Santa Margarita
Adrian Petero, RB
Adrian Petero has been the workhorse running back for Santa Margarita and has over 20 carries in two games this season. The sophomore has 13 rushing touchdowns and ran for 14 yards per carry last week against Servite. Santa Margarita likes to control possession and Petero will need to extend drives in the run game for the Eagles to succeed offensively.
Kiyan Callis, WR
Kiyan Callis is Santa Margarita’s leading receiver as a freshman with 392 yards on 29 catches with 3 touchdowns. The freshman has 10 more targets than anybody else on the team and has been a good safety blanket underneath for quarterback Fletch Palmer.
Aaron Klatt, OL
Aaron Klatt is the senior leader of Santa Margarita’s offensive line and had a big game against St. John Bosco last season. He has positional versatility and can get a push in the run game.
Aydan Steen, LB
Aydan Steen leads Santa Margarita in tackles with 55 and has 6 sacks with a forced fumble. The freshman flies all over the field and always seems to be near the play. Santa Margarita lost three starting linebackers from last season who were the team leaders in tackles but Steen has filled in seamlessly.
Jake Martin, DB
Jake Martin is a zone safety for Santa Margarita who covers a ton of the field and can make big plays. He had an interception against Mater Dei and has blocked two field goals. St. John Bosco excels at getting the ball to its receivers underneath and letting them make big plays after the catch. Martin will be busy preventing explosive plays from Bosco’s passing game.
Kingston Jimmerson, DL
Kingston Jimmerson has 14 tackles for a loss this season and a team-high 6.5 sacks. He has emerged as Santa Margarita’s top pass rusher and can win one-on-one matchups with most offensive linemen.
St. John Bosco
Koa Malau’ulu, QB
Koa Malau’ulu threw for 289 yards with 4 touchdowns when St. John Bosco beat Santa Margarita last season. His accuracy and decision making have improved over the last two years and he will have to fit the ball into tight windows against a good Santa Margarita secondary.
Maliq Allen, RB
Maliq Allen is averaging 115 yards per game with 11 touchdowns for St. John Bosco this season. Santa Margarita has an excellent run defense that has not allowed over 100 yards rushing in a game yet this season. The Braves will need to throw the ball to beat the Eagles but Allen breaking off a big run or two would be extremely helpful.
Elisha Mueller, OL
Elisha Mueller has made a big difference in St. John Bosco’s offensive line since becoming eligible after the sit-out period two weeks ago. He plays left tackle for the Braves and will be busy containing Santa Margarita’s pass rush.
Isala Wily-Ava, DB
Isala Wily-Ava had a team-high 12 tackles against Orange Lutheran last week and is a high-level run stopping safety. The Washington commit is a nightmare to block in the open field and should have double-digit tackles against the Eagles this week.
Kingston Fatu, DB
It’s hard to find a defensive player in Southern California that has been hotter than Kingston Fatu the last two weeks. The Tustin transfer had two sacks and an interception against Orange Lutheran last week. He is already tied for the team lead in interceptions even though he has only played two games.
