SAN MATEO — Tom Brady’s groups couldn’t do it. Neither might Lynn Swann’s.
As Serra coach Patrick Walsh famous after the sport Saturday, it’s not simple to go 10-0. However this assortment of Padres, a perfectly proficient group that triumphantly navigated via street video games in opposition to Folsom and De La Salle to open the season after which the West Catholic Athletic League grind, did simply that.
They grew to become the primary staff in Serra’s lengthy historical past — one which has included Brady and Swann — to go 10-0 within the common season, finishing the mission with a 43-7 thumping of Sacred Coronary heart Cathedral.
Serra took cost instantly, forcing a three-and-out to start out the sport after which executing a play the staff had labored on in apply.
On Serra’s first offensive snap, Maealiuaki Smith threw a backward cross to Michael Perazzo, who caught the ball on the best aspect of the sphere, stopped to set his toes and let it fly.
The deep cross landed in Grant McGovern’s palms, and he made his means throughout the aim line for a 60-yard reception and a 6-0 lead.
It solely obtained higher from there for Serra because the Padres performed what Walsh described as a whole sport to clinch the outright WCAL championship.
Had Serra misplaced, it might have shared the title with St. Francis.
The Padres practically went 10-0 three years in the past however misplaced to St. Ignatius of their tenth sport. They didn’t let the chance slip away this time.
“We will now speak about it,” Walsh mentioned. “It’s by no means been finished earlier than. I informed the staff the explanation why it’s by no means been finished earlier than is as a result of these kinds of issues are onerous. When nevers are erased, by no means occurs as a result of it’s tough. The truth that we had a chance to do one thing that’s by no means been finished earlier than and attain that could be a nice testomony to the complete neighborhood of Serra Excessive Faculty.”
Serra led 6-0 after one quarter after which broke open the sport with 23 factors within the second interval.
Jaden Inexperienced’s 44-yard run with 10 minutes to go earlier than halftime made it 12-0.
“We have been up six and I’ve simply obtained to make a giant play for my staff,” Inexperienced mentioned. “I really feel like we performed nice. All of us did our jobs.”
Jabari Mann’s 1-yard run up the center widened the result in 19-0, and Smith’s 42-yard strike to Jayden Weber pushed the benefit to 26-0 with 3:15 left within the quarter.
“That was an amazing throw,” Weber mentioned. “Play-action obtained them good. Nice ball.”
Smith threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns. His 41-yard completion to tight finish Seamus Gilmartin, who did some spectacular working after the catch, made it 36-0.
Smith’s 3-yard TD cross to Joey Villaroman accomplished the scoring for Serra.
The Padres’ protection dominated all through, holding stars RL Miller and Jerry Mixon Jr. in test whereas making quarterback Aidan McGrath uncomfortable.
“We knew coming into this sport that RL and J have been going to be an issue,” Inexperienced mentioned. “We simply needed to close them down.”
With the clock working repeatedly due to the rating, SHC (6-4, 4-3) scored its solely factors when Mixon threw a 20-yard landing cross to Miller within the fourth quarter in opposition to Serra’s reserves.
The house staff’s second-quarter eruption ended when Dylan Joudieh kicked a 39-yard subject aim on the ultimate snap of the half after Smith accomplished a 29-yard cross to Weber that moved the ball to the 22 with 4.1 seconds on the clock.
Sure, it was that sort of sport for Serra, which would be the No. 1 seed within the CCS Division I playoffs when the brackets are introduced Sunday.
SHC additionally is anticipated to be within the D-I playoffs.
When Saturday’s sport ended, Walsh was requested if in his wildest goals might he have envisioned an undefeated common season given the schedule he put collectively.
“If I used to be a playing man, I in all probability wouldn't have wager on that,” Walsh mentioned. “I don’t suppose very many others would have. However, we did a great job of embracing the journey and staying humble within the focus of that journey. It obtained us to play perhaps our greatest sport of the yr right this moment.”
