The Mary Star football team saw its season come to an emotional close with a loss to Brea Olinda in the CIF Southern Section Division 8 first-round game. The teams fought fiercely on Friday night, exchanging blows in a tightly contested first half, but the game took a serious turn when Mary Star cornerback Christian Magana was injured.
A half-hour delay occurred just three and a half minutes into the second half after Magana was knocked unconscious by a teammate as Brea Olinda extended its lead to 13-6. As paramedics arrived to take him to a nearby hospital, players from both teams gathered at the goal line to show their support.
Despite the setback, the Mary Star squad rallied to fight back, but they ultimately fell short as Brea Olinda”s quarterback Gavyn Nicholson proved too elusive. Nicholson ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing a key touchdown pass to Ryan Nero late in the third quarter, leading the Wildcats to a 21-12 victory. Brea Olinda will move on to face second-seeded St. Monica Prep in the quarterfinals next week.
“Gavyn”s our juice,” said Brea Olinda coach Justin Villaseñor. “He makes things out of nothing, with his arm, with his legs, and then once he gets out in the open field, it”s electric. He had a helluva game. We rely on that.”
Magana”s injury cast a shadow over the contest. Coach Tyler Sestich provided an update, saying, “I think he”ll be OK. He knew where he was, he was conscious, he could move his extremities. One of those freak things, just got hit in the wrong side of the head.” The incident halted the game for approximately 25 minutes as medical personnel attended to him.
Once play resumed, Mary Star looked to bounce back. After an onside kick recovery by Ethan Cook, they quickly moved downfield. Quarterback Johnny Rivera handed off to Tanner Rollins, who then threw a 37-yard pass to Jeremy Coughlin, setting up a touchdown run by Rollins. However, a critical stop by Brea Olinda”s defense denied them a successful two-point conversion attempt, keeping the score at 13-12.
Brea Olinda responded decisively, driving 65 yards for another touchdown, with Nicholson contributing significantly to the drive. He capped it off with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Nero, extending their lead to 21-12. The Mary Star offense struggled, particularly with Rivera, who had been a standout during the regular season but was limited to just 17 yards on eight carries due to an earlier injury.
The Mary Star team, finishing the season with a 9-2 record, had difficulty establishing their running game throughout the contest. Sestich reflected on the challenges faced, saying, “That”s kind of what our program is built on. I wish I could have put us in position to do that more times during the game.”
Despite the loss, both teams demonstrated sportsmanship and unity in a game that highlighted the spirit of high school football.
