Football: St. John Bosco 56, Santa Margarita 12

St. John Bosco is the top-ranked team in the Southern Section, the second-ranked team in the state and the fourth-ranked team in the nation. And on Friday night, the Braves won everything but Homecoming queen honors.

Striking quickly, and often, Bosco’s 56-12 dominance of Santa Margarita Catholic at Saddleback College clearly established it as the team to beat in the Trinity League. The Braves are going for their second title in a row.

The victory spoiled the league opener in Santa Margarita’s 25th season.  

Score: St. John Bosco 56, Santa Margarita 12

Key Stats: Josh Rosen of SJB was 20 of 25 passing for 215 yards and a touchdown, and ran nine times for 64 yards and four touchdowns.

Pivotal Moment: Bad enough that Bosco scored on its first offensive play, a 64-yard dash by Sean McGrew, but it absolutely destroyed underdog Santa Margarita’s chances when the Eagles fumbled on their first play at their 13 and, on the next play, McGrew made it 14-0. No way Santa Margarita spots arguably the best team in the state and one of the best in the nation 14 points and still wins.

Quotable: “It feels easy when I’m out of the game in the third quarter,” Rosen told the Orange County Register.

Records: St. John Bosco (6-0 overall, 1-0 in Trinity League), Santa Margarita (3-3, 0-1)

Notes: K.J. Costello scored twice from the 1-yard line, to pull to 14-6 midway through the first quarter, and 21-12 with 1:32 left in the quarter. … Bosco outscored the Eagles in the second quarter, 21-0 to take a 42-12 lead at halftime. … Rosen thew a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jaleel Wadood midway through the second quarter. Rosen also scored on runs of 6, 9, 3 and 6 yards, including the last three scores of the game. … Bosco scored seven rushing touchdowns, including a 2-yard score by Nas Anesi early in the second quarter. … Jeremy McNichols rushed for 66 yards for the Eagles, and Costello passed or 101. … The game was Homecoming for Santa Margarita, which will be remembered for being the worst home loss in school history. The previous worst loss dates back to 1989 and the Eagles’ first game at Saddleback College, a 50-14 setback to Trabuco Hills. … Adding insult to injury, the game was broadcast on Fox Sports 1. ... The loss ended Santa Margarita’s three-game winning streak, which came after a controversial loss to highly regarded Las Vegas Bishop Gorman in which officials acknowledged they blew a call that cost SMCHS a victory. … Bosco coach Jason Negro is well-known to the Rancho Santa Margarita community; he previously coached at Trabuco Hills.