‼️OFFICIAL HIGHLIGHTS‼️ St. Francis Lancers vs Serra Padres | GetSportsFocus

SAN MATEO — Polynesian Day at Brady Family Stadium is always special at Serra High School, and Saturday’s matchup between the Padres and visiting St. Francis Lancers delivered another memorable chapter to this WCAL rivalry.

Before kickoff, Serra honored a familiar face — Charles “Chick” Walsh, the father of longtime head coach Patrick Walsh — who served as the Polynesian Day honorary captain. For 25 years, Chick has never missed a Serra game, attending every single one since his son took over the program. His recognition before the game drew a warm ovation from the crowd and set the tone for a spirited afternoon in San Mateo.

A Chaotic First Half

The game opened with fireworks on both sides of the ball — and a flurry of turnovers. St. Francis struck first after a bad exchange on Serra’s opening drive was recovered by linebacker Cody Butler deep in Padre territory. Sophomore quarterback Drew Cumby finished the short drive with a keeper to the corner for a touchdown. Lucas Vaughn’s extra point gave the Lancers a 7-0 lead.

The Padres quickly answered. Charlie Walsh’s kickoff return past midfield set up the offense, and Jeovanni Henleyannounced his return to action with a 22-yard touchdown run. Serra converted the two-point try to take an 8-7 lead.

That lead was soon tested when St. Francis standout Chase Cahoon, a 3-Star Stanford commit, delivered several hard hits on Padre ball-carriers, including a shot on Walsh that forced a fumble — one of six total turnovers in the first half. Cahoon was a force defensively, setting the tone for a physical Lancer front.

The first quarter ended with Serra’s defense making a massive stand at the goal line. On 4th-and-goal from the one, Payton Thomas, Dylan Modena, Aaron Mier, and Mani Fehoko combined to stuff the Lancers and keep the Padres ahead 8-7.

In the second quarter, momentum swung wildly. Serra capitalized after Nia Alatini stripped the ball loose — recovered by Kaimani Keanaaina — but the Lancers’ defense returned the favor moments later. Both defenses traded takeaways before Serra extended its lead behind Iziah Singleton, who powered in for his sixth touchdown of the season.

Before halftime, kicker Saul Marks drilled a 32-yard field goal to make it 17-7 Serra. The Lancers, however, responded with an 80-yard scoring drive capped by Cumby’s 33-yard strike to Max Haberlach, trimming the deficit to 17-14 at the break.

Momentum Swings and Special Teams Magic

The third quarter started with St. Francis surging ahead. Cumby found Sean Walsh down the sideline for a 54-yard touchdown, giving the Lancers a 21-17 lead.

But the Padres answered immediately. Jayden Aparicio took the ensuing kickoff 92 yards to the house — untouched — to reclaim the lead at 24-21. The play completely shifted momentum and was a defining highlight of the day.

Serra’s defense forced a turnover on downs after stopping a fake punt attempt, and the Padres capitalized again. Malakai Taufoou punched it in for another touchdown, extending the lead to 31-21 heading into the fourth quarter.

Henley Puts It Away

Marks continued his consistent season with a 49-yard field goal early in the fourth, giving Serra a 13-point cushion. St. Francis wasn’t done — a big run by Motu Keanaaina set up Cumby’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Sean Walsh, cutting it to 34-28 with just over six minutes left.

Then Henley sealed it. With the Padres looking to run out the clock, the senior tailback broke free for a 52-yard touchdown, putting the game out of reach and finishing an all-around standout performance. Henley’s final line: 5 carries for 86 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a sack.

Postgame Reactions

Jeovanni Henley reflected on the emotional win after missing last year’s 21-21 tie due to injury:

“It feels good. I knew going into this game that I needed to do my job and execute as a player and teammate. Last year I was injured — that game was in my heart. This year I wanted to lead and help us get this win.”

Coach Patrick Walsh praised Henley’s impact and his team’s resilience:

“It’s crazy — 22 guys on the field, and one man can make a difference. Having one guy like Geo makes a huge difference. He was tipping passes, making stops, and then iced the game with that electric sweep. His leadership and personality are everything. He’s one of the best players in Northern California.”

Walsh also commented on the wild nature of the first half:

“The first 24 minutes were wacky — six turnovers, four for us, two for them. Sometimes games go that way. I’m proud of our guys for overcoming that chaos. To be minus-three in turnovers and still winning means we did a lot of good things right. That kickoff return by Aparicio was huge — a true team victory.”

Up Next

Serra improves to 4-3 overall (4-0 WCAL) and will travel to San Jose to face Archbishop Mitty next Saturday for the Monarchs’ Homecoming Game. Mitty, fresh off a 27-20 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, nearly upset St. Francis earlier this season, falling 20-19.

The Lancers (now 2-5, 2-2 WCAL) return home to host St. Ignatius, who just blanked Bellarmine 28-0.