Eagles Coach Jon Wallace Praises Program Growth as Santa Fe Christian Faces Carlsbad

Santa Fe Christian High School football has claimed the final berth in the Open Division playoff bracket. The Eagles will face No. 1 seed Carlsbad in the semifinals on Nov. 13, replacing La Costa Canyon, which lost its spot following a Friday loss to Torrey Pines.

The shift occurred after La Costa Canyon dropped its MaxPreps.com rating from 76.79 to 76.13. Two weeks prior, the Mavericks had upset No. 1 ranked Carlsbad to enter the four-team Open Division. That victory is now reversed, leaving Santa Fe Christian with the No. 4 seed in the bracket released on Sunday.

The Open Division field includes top-seeded Carlsbad, No. 2 Cathedral Catholic, and No. 3 Mission Hills alongside Santa Fe Christian. The semifinals are scheduled for Nov. 13, with the winners set to meet on Nov. 20. The championship game is planned for Southwestern College, though it may move to Escondido High School if the college hosts a junior college playoff match.

Santa Fe Christian coach Jon Wallace said the team’s location preference is secondary to the opponent. "I don’t care where we play if we get there; it’s who we play," Wallace stated. He noted that the program has improved annually, citing the team's 10-0 regular season record this year and a 32-3 mark over the last three seasons.

The Eagles won the Division 2 title last season by defeating Steele Canyon. In 2024, they competed in Division 1 as the No. 12 seed. Wallace addressed the criticism regarding Santa Fe Christian’s strength of schedule, which MaxPreps lists at 29.9. By comparison, Carlsbad stands at 45.0, Cathedral Catholic at 50.0, and Mission Hills at 47.7.

Wallace highlighted his team's victories over Helix, Steele Canyon, Westview, New Orleans Newman, and Los Angeles King/Drew. "I hope people appreciate what this group has been able to accomplish," he said, describing the squad as talented and gritty. He framed the upcoming match as a David-versus-Goliath scenario while emphasizing the role of faith and family.

Cathedral Catholic coach Sean Doyle noted his team’s four-game winning streak, during which they outscored opponents 174-38. "We’re right where we should be," Doyle said. "We’re an Open Division team. Now we need to prove it."

With the Open Division settled, Helix becomes the No. 1 seed in the eight-team Division 1 bracket, which also begins play on Nov. 13. La Costa Canyon holds the No. 2 seed, followed by Oceanside and Granite Hills. Lincoln, currently 4-6, is the No. 6 seed and will travel to Oceanside. Divisions 2 through 5-AA commence play on Friday, while the eight-man Division 6 playoffs start Nov. 13 with St. Joseph Academy and Francis Parker as top seeds.