Eagles Soar to New Title

Senior quarterback Carson Palmer passed for 413 yards and four touchdowns Saturday night to lead Santa Margarita over Tustin, 55-42, in the Southern Section Division V football championship game at Cal State Fullerton.

It was the second section title in a row for the Eagles, who have won 25 consecutive games, but it wasn’t the blowout many had predicted. Santa Margarita trailed early and the teams combined to gain 1,032 yards in total offense.

Tustin senior running back DeShaun Foster ran for 378 yards and six touchdowns, ending his season with 3,398 yards rushing. Foster scored on runs of 25, 25, 31, 10, 14 and one yards.

Palmer completed 19 of 30 passes and threw touchdown passes of 42, 46, 11 and 25 yards. A 46-yard scoring to senior John Minardi with 10:41 left in the second quarter tied the score, 20-20, and Nick Sparks’ conversion kick gave the Eagles a lead they never relinquished.

A one-yard run by senior running back Bryant Wolfsberger gave Santa Margarita a 28-20 lead and Sparks’ 42-yard field goal as time ran out in the half made it 31-20.

Sparks connected on a 22-yard field goal to open the third quarter, but Foster made it 34-26 on his fourth touchdown of the night, a 10-yard run with 2:51 left in the quarter.

An 11-yard pass to Minardi for a touchdown 1 1/2 minutes later and Palmer’s one-yard plunge with 6:46 to play made the score 48-26.

Despite suffering cramps, Foster set up his 14-yard scoring run with a 39-yard carry on Tustin’s next possession.

Palmer countered with a 25-yard touchdown pass play to junior Mike O’Gorman and then Foster brought his prep career to a close with a 47-yard that two plays later set up his one-yard scoring run.