The De La Salle Spartans allowed the Lancers to pass midfield twice and once inside the 20 as the defense dominated in a 35-3 victory.

Four-Star Notre Dame commit Cooper Flanagan recorded 8 tackles, including two early sacks that set the tone for the rest of the game. He also scored the first TD, a 54-yard hook-up with QB Carson Carson Su’esu’e. Flanagan’s performance earned him the GSF Weekly #3 Defensive award.

Monterey Trail came out firing in all cylinders right from the get-go. The Mustangs were winless, having faced two state-ranked teams: Folsom and De La Salle. But that meant they were “battle tested” and hungry for a victory.

St. Francis hosted the Mustangs for their second contest of the 2022 season. Their inexperience immediately showed as they fell 14-0 against Monterey Trail early. But the Lancers stayed in the game, and the defense improved as the game went on, a bright spot to look forward to this weekend and in two weeks when WCAL starts. An early turnover that led to a score for the Mustangs hurt St. Francis’s chance of coming away with a win. Even though it happened early, mistakes against a team like Monterey Trail can be the difference maker.

QB Matthew Dougherty Jr finished the night with a touchdown to his playmaker Andrew Adkison. Down 21-7 with plenty of time in the fourth, Dougherty was picked off by Fatafehi Puloka that was then returned for an 83-yard score for Monterey Trail. That was the backbreaker, and the Mustangs left Mtn, View with the win, 28-7.