Santa Margarita secures No. 1 seed in CIF-SS Division 1
The Eagles are the first program since 2015 to hold the top position, breaking a two-school dominance in the section's premier football bracket.
By Imani Donovan ·
Santa Margarita earned the No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 football playoff bracket on Sunday. The Eagles are the first school other than Mater Dei or St. John Bosco to hold the top position in the division since 2015. This marks a shift in the hierarchy of the section's premier football grouping.
The 10-0 team is ranked No. 1 in the nation by the USA Today Super 25. They will host San Clemente, who are 8-1, on Nov. 13. Santa Margarita has played its home games at Saddleback College during the fall season. The first round also features Mater Dei at 8-2 hosting Centennial at 7-3. Orange Lutheran at 5-5 will travel to No. 4 seed St. John Bosco at 7-3. Mission Viejo at 8-1 will visit No. 2 seed Sierra Canyon, who are also 10-0.
Coach Carson Palmer led the program to a Division 1 championship last season. That victory marked the first time since 2015 that the title did not go to Mater Dei or St. John Bosco. This season, the Eagles won the Trinity League title outright. No team other than Mater Dei or St. John Bosco has gone undefeated in that league since Servite in 2011.
Palmer noted that the current roster mixes returning players with young talent. Four freshmen have emerged as key contributors. Kiyan Callis leads the team with 41 receptions. Aydan Steen has 74 tackles and shares the lead with eight sacks. Jayden Jack has three interceptions. Palmer said the freshmen are surrounded by strong leadership.
The team completed its first undefeated regular season since 1997. That year was Palmer's senior year at Santa Margarita. The school has extended its winning streak to 16 games. The Division 1 bracket remains at eight teams for the second consecutive year.
CIF-SS assistant commissioner Joe Hoggatt explained the bracket size using power ratings from HSratings.com. He cited specific matchups to justify the structure. San Clemente defeated Chaparral 32-20 on Sept. 4. Sierra Canyon defeated Bishop Amat 56-7 last week. JSerra finished 4-6 and went 0-5 against Division 1 opponents. Hoggatt stated that extending the bracket further would not have served competitive equity.
The Division 1 championship game is scheduled for Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Coliseum.
Source: Orange County Register
