The562’s coverage of St. Anthony athletics is sponsored by Jane & B.I. Mais, Class of 1949.
St. Anthony began their season with four consecutive losses on their home field. Not an ideal way to start the tenure for a new head coach, but Jeff Magdaleno and his staff never lost faith in their team, and the Saints have more than turned things around since then.
A little over two months later, the Saints are not only still playing football, they’ll be hosting a CIF-SS Division 10 semifinal on that home field, as Pacifica High will make the short trip from Garden Grove to the St. Anthony Athletic Complex on Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Following that 0-4 start (against a very tough non-league slate), St. Anthony went on to win seven of their next eight games. Their only loss in that span was a 10-7 decision to Del Rey League champ Salesian–a team playing in the Division 8 semis on Friday.
The Saints have found an offensive rhythm in the second half of the season, led by senior running back Jasiah Lolesio-Pua, the heart of the team with game-breaking speed and a relentless motor. He hasn’t been alone, however, as sophomore QB Aidan Jones has steadily improved throughout the year.
Jones has built a terrific rapport with junior Andres Mendoza at wide receiver, which was massive in their 20-13 quarterfinal win over Shadow Hills. Mendoza had 8 catches for 162 yards and a score in that victory.
The St. Anthony defense should not be overlooked, either, as they collected a pair of INTs and held Shadow Hills to just 7 points until the final seconds of the game. Aside from allowing 27 unanswered points to Crespi in the their regular season finale, the Saints have held opponents to two scores or fewer in four of their last five games, while averaging 26 points per game.
Pacifica, meanwhile, cruised to the Omicron League championship with a 5-0 record, shutting out four of their five league opponents.They started the season 0-5, but two of those losses were the result of a forfeit after using an ineligible player. The Mariners have won seven straight games going back to Oct. 4.
Their playoff run has not been easy, however, surviving La Canada by a 7-3 final in round one before knocking off Brentwood, 27-23, in the quarterfinals. St. Anthony beat that same Brentwood team by a 27-14 margin back on Sep. 20, earning them their first win of the season.
The Mariners are led by junior running back Ma’kai Brown, who is averaging 7.9 yards per carry on a team-high 59 rushing attempts with three scores. Los Al transfer Addison Adams has six rushing TDs on the season, including a three-score game against Portola, and is also a playmaker on defense.
At wide receiver, 6-foot-2 senior Armando Torres has had a big year, leading the team with 30 catches for 438 yards and five TDs. He also has six interceptions from his safety position.
Junior QB James Anema has taken over the starting job, throwing 10 TDs in six games, but he’s thrown all three of his interceptions during the playoffs. His ability to protect the football against the St. Anthony defense could be a key to the game.
St. Anthony is looking to make a quick return to the CIF finals after reaching the Division 10 championship game back in 2021. The Mariners are hoping to make their first trip to a CIF final since 2007.
