Interest in the CIF Open Division state championship football game has diminished during an eight-game Northern California losing streak dominated by Mater Dei and St. John Bosco. Every time De La Salle or San Mateo Serra has shown up via bus or plane, the result has been the same.

Not since 2015 has a Southern California team lost in the top division. Now that Northern California teams know how Southern California teams felt when losing from 2007 through 2012, is it time for Northern California to end its losing streak?

De La Salle (12-0) was chosen Sunday to face Southern Section Division 1 champion Santa Margarita (10-3) in the Open Division final on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. at Saddleback College. Coach Justin Alumbaugh insists there are signs his program is capable of ending the streak.

“I thought we had a chance last year,” he said, referring to a 37-15 loss to Mater Dei. “Mater Dei was incredible. But if we played a near-perfect game . . . we closed the gap. I liked our team last year and I like our team this year.”

In Southern California, change has happened. Neither Mater Dei nor St. John Bosco will be in the Open Division final for the first time since 2015. But that hardly means a drop in ability for the state championship. Everyone agrees the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs might be the best in the country, and Santa Margarita won the title by getting better each week, ending with a 42-7 rout of Corona Centennial on Friday night.

“Wow,” Alumbaugh said after watching the game at the Rose Bowl. “To hold Corona Centennial to seven points is one of the more impressive things.”

Alumbaugh brought along his 8-year-old son, and while Trent Mosley was catching 10 passes for 292 yards, his son asked, “Why don’t they stop No. 4?”

Now it’s going to be Alumbaugh’s problem.

De La Salle has a 22-day layoff before facing Santa Margarita, and Alumbaugh has “destroyed” plans from last season‘s game against Mater Dei trying to get his team to start better.

“Santa Margarita is really, really good,” Alumbaugh said. “The names might be different since 2015, but it doesn’t mean the caliber of team isn’t good.”

What gives De La Salle hope is its speed and balance on offense. The Spartans have three players who can run 100 meters in 10.5 seconds or faster, including the state’s fastest athlete, record holder Jaden Jefferson. Quarterback Brayden Knight is capable of completing clutch passes. And the defense has been particularly impressive with three shutouts.

“We’re showing up to compete,” Alumbaugh said. “That’s our mindset and in our blood. There were a couple years we knew we were overmatched. We have a good team. We can compete with any team in the country.”

That’s good news for fans bored with a running clock in the fourth quarter of championship games, such as when Serra lost 35-0 in 2023, 45-0 in 2022 and 44-7 in 2021.

But Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer warned after his team’s win over Centennial, “We’re playing real good right now.”

Every section champion earned a state playoff berth, with regional action starting next weekend. The state finals are Dec. 12 and 13 at Saddleback College, Fullerton High and Buena Park High.

Los Alamitos and San Diego Cathedral Catholic will meet in the 1-AA regional final on Friday at Long Beach Veterans Stadiums, testing the Southern Section Division 2 champion against the San Diego Section Open Division winner. City Section Open Division champion Carson is in 3-A and will take Delano Kennedy at 6 p.m. on Saturday at home.

One of the best matchups is the only battle of the unbeaten teams, Rio Hondo Prep (14-0) taking on Solano Beach Santa Fe Christian (13-0) on Saturday at Carlsbad in 2-A.

Before the West Virginia Mountaineers football team took on the No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday afternoon in Morgantown, the crowd shared a moment of silence for the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot in Washington, D.C., Wednesday.

The public address announcer asked the crowd for silence as it came together to honor 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe from Martinsburg and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom from Webster Springs. Their pictures were shown on the scoreboard during the moment of silence.

The two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House during their deployment in D.C. Spc. Beckstrom died from her injuries, while Staff Sgt. Wolfe remains in critical condition.

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The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.

The shooting happened in broad daylight, and eyewitness video has emerged showing the shooter, believed to be Lakanwal, wearing dark clothing, turning a corner with a revolver in hand while Guardsmen scramble for cover.

NEW VIDEO EMERGES OF DC NATIONAL GUARD SHOOTING AS SOLIDER CLINGS TO LIFE

One of the Guardsmen was seen around a corner down a street and returned fire. Metro Police say other National Guardsmen heard the shots about three blocks away from the White House and were able to detain Lakanwal after he had been shot.

The shooter fired off 10 to 15 rounds with a .357 revolver, according to federal charging documents cited by Reuters.

Lakanwal had entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration’s Afghan evacuation and resettlement program. Prosecutors say he traveled across the country shortly before the attack and had no prior criminal record.

Lakanwal faces charges of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Department of Justice intends to seek the death penalty.

Beckstrom and Wolfe were among members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to the D.C. area to tackle crime in the city in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump.

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., told “FOX & Friends Weekend” Saturday that Wolfe is “hanging on,” adding his family is calling for prayer. 

“Andrew is fighting for his life right now, and his family and all of his friends, they’re trying to harvest as many prayers as possible from all across the country, all across the globe, to help him recover,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey told “Fox & Friends Weekend” Saturday.

“West Virginia cares very deeply about its guard. And there’s just a proud tradition of West Virginians who step up from military service. So, when something like this happens, it’s really a gut punch to the communities.”

As for the Mountaineers’ game, they weren’t competitive against one of the best teams in the country. The Red Raiders beat them, 49-0, to move to 11-1 on the year. West Virginia finished its season 4-8.

Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Greg Norman and Madeleine Rivera added to this report.

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Nicholas Fonseca snared a tipped ball in the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown on an untimed down as South Gate pulled out a miraculous 63-58 victory over Marquez in the City Section Division I final Saturday at Southwest College.

Marquez had taken a 58-57 lead on a one-yard sneak by Angelo Gutierrez and his subsequent two-point conversion pass to Elyjah Staples with six seconds left. After a fair catch, South Gate took over at its 46 and when Anthony Ford intercepted a pass the Gladiators began celebrating, thinking they had won. However, a pass interference penalty advanced the ball to the Marquez 39 and gave the Rams one last gasp with zeros on the clock.

Quarterback Michael Gonzalez rolled to his right to buy time and launched a pass into a maze of players in the end zone. The jump ball was tipped by two defenders into the waiting arms of Fonseca, who calmly grabbed it out of midair — shocking even his own teammates.

“I said to myself I’m not going to go up for the ball, I’m not that tall. … I’m gonna wait for it to come down and that’s what happened,” said Fonseca, who had 10 catches for 152 and two touchdowns and also scored on a six-yard run.

“I seen it coming, I saw them hit it down but it went right into my hands and I caught it. This is one of the most special moments of my life!”

Gonzalez completed 26 of 34 passes for 450 yards and six touchdowns. Ephaunie Lewis had 10 receptions for 193 yards and three scores — the last a three-yard lob from Gonzalez with 52 seconds left, immediately followed by Fonseca’s two-point run to put South Gate up 57-50.

Nicholas Quintanilla returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a score that pulled the second-seeded Rams (11-3) even and his 39-yard touchdown catch gave South Gate its first lead, 35-28, late in the third quarter. He finished with five catches for 90 yards and rushed five times for 54 yards.

The teams combined for six touchdowns in a wild fourth quarter.

Angelo Gutierrez-Molina threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns, Marcus Juan ran for 113 yards and one touchdown in 15 carries and caught four passes for 50 yards. He raced 68 yards on a hook and lateral to give the fifth-seeded Gladiators (11-3) a 50-49 lead with 1:57 left.

Gilberto Cisneros added 84 yards and three touchdowns in 22 carries and Staples had four catches for 129 yards and one touchdown.

“Never give up!” coach Francisco Saldana shouted before raising the trophy

South Gate lost to Chatsworth 38-36 on a field goal with no time left in the Division II final last year — one of the most bizarre endings in City playoff history.

“On the last play my coach told me to run a corner route to the pylon,” Fonseca said. “Last year we were up late and it bit us. This time we came through and it feels great.”

South Gate captured its third City title and first since winning the 3A Division in 1988 under Gary Cordray.