Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Rio Hondo Prep travels to Santa Monica on Friday night, and there’s nothing less than a CIF-SS Division 9 title at stake.

The last time the Kares were in a similar position, their current senior class were just five years old.

On November 30th of 2012, RHP defeated Mission College Prep of San Luis Obispo, 28-21, for a CIF Northeast Division title, and they finished the season at 12-2.

The Kares (12-1) enter Friday’s showdown with the Vikings (9-4) as the underdog, but they’ve gotten used to that by now.

Rio Hondo Prep has an enrollment of approximately 125 students between the ninth-and-12th grades, as compared to 2,916 for Santa Monica.

In comparing regular season schedules, SMHS lost four of their last five games, and only three of their 10 opponents had a record above the .500 mark.

The Vikings finished in fifth place in the Bay League.

Rio Hondo Prep’s lone loss (34-13) was to a superior Brentwood team, and seven of their 10 regular season opponents finished above .500 in 2023.

The Kares are ranked six spots (208-214) ahead of the Vikings in the MaxPreps state rankings, and Calpreps predicts that Friday’s game will be decided by one point.

RHP knows that if they’re to head back to Arcadia with a CIF championship, the running game will have to devour the clock, which would keep Santa Monica quarterback Wyatt Brown on the sidelines for as long as possible.

Brown has completed 201-of-296 for 2,729 yards.

He’s thrown for 19 TD’s, but he’s been picked 10 times as well.

Caden McCallum leads the Vikings ground game with 1,447 yards on 262 carries.

And that includes 22 rushing TD’s.

Brown only has 63 rushing yards in 2023, but he’s scored six times.

Griffin Seals will be a challenge for the RHP defensive backs.

Seals has 80 receptions for 1,175 yards and 10 TD’s.

Through 13 games, SMHS has scored 342 points, while allowing 261.

In comparison, RHP has scored 103 more points, and surrendered 68 less.

There is zero secret to their recipe for success.

It’s the efficiency of its ground game.

RHP averages 234 rushing yards per game, which is 102 more than the Vikings.

Rio Hondo Prep’s three-headed monster includes Noah Penunuri, Nate Curtis and Caeden Holcomb.

Penunuri (150-for-1,108 & 16 TD’s), Curtis (96-for-888 & 11 TD’s) and Holcomb (92-for-484 & 11 TD’s) have combined for 2,480 yards and 38 TD’s.

So far, four RHP players have combined to throw just 129 passes all season.

If the Kares were to fall behind by a couple of scores, however, they say their confidence in Alex Mustain in unwavering.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound senior has completed 45-of-88 for 748 yards.

Mustain had eight TD passes and he’s only been picked once.

Mustain also does the kicking for Mark Carson’s program.

Nate Curtis (21-for-413 & four TD’s), Tyler Dang (10-for-172 & three TD’s) and Joshua Taflinger (11-for-213 & three TD’s) have been Mustain’s favorite targets thus far.

The RHP defense is allowing just 15 points per game.

They are led by Caeden Holcomb (67 tackles, 2.5 sacks), Andy Xu (62 tackles, four sacks, Nate Curtis (60 tackles, two interceptions)
Noah Penunuri (55 tackles, one interception), Rainn Pollock (40 tackles, two sacks, one interception), Josh Curtis (38 tackles, three interceptions), Zachary Burl (35 tackles, four sacks) and Joshua Taflinger (32 tackles, one sack).

Calogero Chico has 25 tackles, and his three picks are tied with Josh Curtis for the team high.

Tyler Dang has contributed 20 tackles and two interceptions.

Rio Hondo Prep enters Friday’s showdown at Santa Monica with more wins (12) than any San Gabriel Valley area program in 2023.

By the Numbers:
Records: RHP (12-1); SM (9-4)
Points Scored: RHP (445); Santa Monica (342)
Points Allowed: RHP (193); SM (261)
Average Points Scored Per Game: RHP (34); SM (26)
Average Points Allowed Per Game: RHP (15); SM (20)
Passing Yards Per Game: RHP (90); SM (211)
Rushing Yards Per Game: RHP (234); SM (132)
Most Points Scored in a Game: (47 vs Pasadena Poly); SM (36 vs El Segundo)
Most Points Allowed in a Game: RHP (34 vs Brentwood); SM (28 vs Mira Costa)
League Finish: RHP (second in Gold Coast); SM (fifth in Bay)
Rio Hondo Prep’s Road Record: 5-1
Santa Monica’s Home Record: 3-3
Current Streak: RHP (4W); SM (3W)
MaxPreps State Ranking: RHP (208); SM (214)
Calpreps Game Prediction: Santa Monica 22, RHP 21

Stat Leaders:

QB’s:
Wyatt Brown (SM) 201-of-296 for 2,729 yards, 19 TD’s & 10 picks
Alex Mustain (RHP): 45-of-88 for 748 yards, eights TD’s & one pick

Running Backs:
Caden McCallum (SM): 262-for-1,447 yards & 22 TD’s
Noah Penunuri (RHP): 150-for-1,108 & 16 TD’s
Nate Curtis (RHP): 96-for-88 & 11 TD’s
Caeden Holcomb (RHP): 92-for-484 & 11 TD’s
Wyatt Brown (SM): 83-for-63 & six TD’s

Receivers:
Griffin Seals (SM): 80-for-1,175 & 10 TD’s
Charles Cravings (SM): 40-for-623 & three TD’s
Payton Seals (SM): 28-for-334 & one TD
Nate Curtis (RHP): 21-for-413 & four TD’s
Tyler Dang (RHP): 10-for-172 & three TD’s
Joshua Taflinger (RHP): 11-for-213 & three TD’s

Rio Hondo Prep’s 2023 Schedule & Results:
8/19: RHP 45, Francis Parker 14
8/26: RHP 47, Poly 21
9/1: RHP 45, El Monte 15
9/8: RHP 42, Marquez 14
9/15: RHP 42, Boron 6
9/22: RHP 29, Torrance 9
9/29: RHP 28, King’s Academy 13
10/13: RHP 35, Viewpoint 7
10/20: Brentwood 34, RHP 13
10/27: RHP 38, Campbell Hall 7
11/3: RHP 28, St. Margaret’s 26
11/10: RHP 22, Orange 13
11/17: RHP 31, Vista del Lago 14
11/24: RHP at Santa Monica

Santa Monica Schedule & Results:
8/18: SMHS 28, Calabasas 21
8/25: SMHS 36, El Segundo 20
9/1: SMHS 28, West Torrance 9
9/8: SMHS 25, Sylmar 0
9/15: SMHS 35, Hueneme 7
9/29: Palos Verdes 27, SMHS 0
10/6: SMHS 33, Peninsula 26
10/13: Mira Costa 28, SMHS 21
10/20: Redondo Union 28, SMHS 7
10/27: Culver City 27, SMHS 26
11/3: SMHS 33, Santa Ana 27 (OT)
11/10: SMHS 35, Troy 20
11/17: SMHS 35, Kaiser 21
11/24: RHP at SMHS