The Moreau Catholic Mariners won the first California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Championship in school and city history by beating the Lindsay Cardinals 42-8 on Friday, Dec. 13 in Fullerton in the Division 7-AA title game.
“It was an honor to represent Moreau Catholic High School and the entire Hayward community. We feel extremely blessed to be given this opportunity to build a great program and to win a state championship,” said Mariners head coach Keith Minor.
The Mariners received the opening kickoff, but did not score and had a turnover on downs after an incomplete pass on a fourth down attempt. Lindsay didn’t score on their opening drive either and were forced to punt the ball. On the punt by the Cardinals, Jalen Arnold received the ball and ran it back the length of the field to score the first touchdown of the game giving Moreau an early 7-0 lead with just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
“All that was going through my head when I returned the punt for a touchdown is that Lindsay didn’t do their homework on me,” said Arnold.
Lindsay fumbled the ball on their next possession on their own 35 yard line to give the Mariners great field position as the first quarter ended. Running back Peyton Collins ran 24 yards for the first offensive Moreau touchdown just ten seconds into the second quarter to give them a 14-0 lead. On the next Mariners possession there was an incomplete pass on fourth down, but a flag on Lindsay set up a first and 10 from the Cardinals 21 yard line. Running back Donovan Edwards ran in for another touchdown to make it a 21-0 Mariners lead in the second quarter.
“What made our offense so productive was the countless hours of film that was watched and the great preparation by the coaches during practice throughout the week,” said Mariners starting quarterback Jeremiah Charles. “My offensive line has been working real hard all season to keep me up and to set holes for our great running backs to run through —their hard work paid off on Friday and it showed on the scoreboard.”
Lindsay’s offense continued to struggle all night as the Mariners defensive line overpowered and shut down the running game that the Cardinals have been known for all season.
“The Mariner defense played with great physicality and discipline. Our defense did a great job executing the plays called, doing their job, and they played extremely hard for one another,” added coach Minor. “We were able to command in all three phases of the game which led to our dominant outcome.”
Defensive back Eriq Fields recovered a Cardinals fumble and ran 65 yards for another Moreau touchdown making it 28-0 with under four minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Mariners dominated the entire matchup in all three phases of the game going into halftime with a commanding 28 point lead.
Jameson Ransburg came up with a Mariners interception on Linday’s first drive of the second half to set up a first and 10 from the Cardinals 20 yard line. Tight end Miles Moore caught a pass from Charles and ran into the end zone for another Moreau touchdown to make it a 34-0 lead. On the Cardinals next possession they faced a fourth and 16 situation where they were forced to go for it. They ended up throwing another interception that was run back 70 yards by Peyton Collins for a touchdown to make it a 42-0 Mariners lead with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. At that point both coaches agreed to start a running clock for the rest of the game because of the nature the game had taken.
The Cardinals were able to avoid the goose egg when Lindsay wide receiver JJ Guereca caught a 14 yard touchdown pass making it 42-8 after a successful two point after attempt. The Mariners subbed out most of their offensive starters at the eight minute mark in the fourth quarter as the game was already won by that point.
“It means everything to me to be part of a historic season. These are my brothers and I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else but them,” said Arnold. “Something I want people to remember is that we started the season 1-3 and look where we are now. It feels amazing just to know that we as a whole were the first ever to do something this big in the city of Hayward.”
Arnold, the Moreau senior wide receiver sensation, finishes the season with 21 total touchdowns, well over 1,500 yard receiving and WACC Offensive Player of the Year. He is preparing for an exciting college career with multiple scholarship offers from universities including St. Norbert and Montana State, but has not yet committed anywhere. Charles, the starting senior Mariners quarterback, plans to also continue his football career, but has not decided on a school at the moment.
“I can’t say it enough: the support we have received from the Moreau Catholic administration and staff, our student body, our parents, the coaches and their families and players who have supported our program is extremely gratifying,” said coach Minor. “I just want to give a huge shout out to the entire Mariner Nation; we could not have done this without your support.”
The Mariners have made history winning the first ever CIF State Championship by any school in the entire city of Hayward. Coach Minor enjoys this enormous success just three years after taking over the program. All around, the Mariners put together an incredible season this year directed by an amazing coaching staff and dedicated athletes. This Moreau football team will be always remembered as the first team to ever win the state title in their city, putting Hayward on the map and engraved in history forever.
For more on how team’s road to state, visit https://tricityvoice.com/moreau-catholic-earns-trip-to-cif-state-title-game/
Visit https://www.maxpreps.com/ca/hayward/moreau-catholic-mariners/football/ for past game scores.
