#5 Cathedral Catholic's rushing attack sparks upset over #1 Lincoln
In a single night that will be remembered as one of the most chaotic of the 2025 season, the San Diego high school football landscape was turned on its head. Both the No. 1 Lincoln Hornets (7-2) and the No. 2 Carlsbad Lancers (8-1) suffered decisive defeats, signaling a dramatic power shift as the playoff picture comes into focus. Amidst the upsets, four undefeated teams continued their perfect marches, setting the stage for a thrilling postseason.
In the week's most dramatic upset, No. 5 Cathedral Catholic (7-2) defeated top-ranked Lincoln 42-33 in a Western League showdown Friday night. The Dons engineered a stunning comeback, rallying from an early deficit to snap a four-game losing streak in the series.
Lincoln came out explosively, building a commanding 14-0 lead in the first quarter and maintaining a 21-14 advantage at halftime. However, the game shifted decisively in the second half. With starting quarterback Brady Palmer sidelined by injury, Cathedral Catholic leaned heavily on its run game, and junior Honor Fa'alave-Johnson delivered a legendary performance. He powered the offense, rushing for five touchdowns, including breakaway scores of 33 and 57 yards in the final seven minutes to seal the victory. Stepping in at quarterback, Josh Faraimo managed the game effectively, connecting on key passes, including a crucial third-quarter touchdown to Isaac Cook that tied the game 21-21 and ignited the Dons' comeback bid.
In a parallel stunner just up the coast, the No. 4 La Costa Canyon Mavericks (8-1) delivered a dominant performance, handing the previously undefeated No. 2 Carlsbad Lancers (8-1) a resounding 50-22 loss. Senior running back Coby Herman earned MVP honors after rushing for 182 yards, putting up 113 yards receiving, and scoring four touchdowns (3 runs, 1 catch).
The dual upsets guarantee a significant reshuffling at the summit of next week's rankings.
While chaos reigned at the top, other ranked teams made powerful statements. The No. 3 Mission Hills Grizzlies (8-1) served notice with an utterly dominant 56-0 shutout of No. 10 Rancho Bernardo (7-2), proving their credentials as a true title contender. Further down the rankings, No. 7 Point Loma preserved its perfect 9-0 record with a 24-0 shutout of Christian.
Undefeated Watch: Four Teams Remain Perfect
Imperial (9-0): The Tigers continued their impressive run with a 14-7 victory over Brawley.
Mission Bay (9-0): The Buccaneers' high-powered offense rolled on with a 49-21 win over Crawford.
#7 Point Loma (9-0): The Pointers continue to roll and should make a big jump in the rankings.
Santa Fe Christian (9-0): The Eagles were on a bye week, resting up for their final push.
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