CHULA VISTA — Chasing a double-digit deficit for most of the game, the Cathedral Catholic High School football team rallied for three fourth-quarter touchdowns and Carlsbad’s heart with a 20-16 CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship game win before an estimated crowd of 8,000 Tuesday night at Southwestern College.
“To be down like that, when we were shooting ourselves in the freaking foot every offensive series, then come back, right now that win has to rank right at the top,” said Cathedral Catholic coach Sean Doyle after his team’s 12th San Diego Section championship.
The Dons, who will advance to the Southern California Regional with pairings announced Sunday, lost to Lincoln in this game last season, last won an Open Division title in 2021 … beating Carlsbad.
Trailing 16-0 after No. 3-seeded Carlsbad (10-2) scored with 10:02 to play in the third quarter on a 47-yard pass from Eli MacNeal to Travis Jeffery, No. 4-seeded Cathedral Catholic (10-2) appeared to be buried.
The Dons finally got their offense going in the fourth quarter, driving 85 yards on nine plays and scoring on a 5-yard run by Honor Fa’alave-Johnson.
After forcing a Carlsbad punt, Cathedral Catholic took over at its 27 and drove 73 yards on four plays, with quarterback Brady Palmer connecting on a 71-yard scoring pass to Isaac Cook. After the PAT, the Dons still trailed 16-13 with 6:32 to play.
“Isaac is such a big-time player,” Palmer said. “He’s someone I can rely on. And the offensive line held their blocks. That was a team play.”
Cathedral Catholic’s Honor Fa’alave-Johnson runs the ball against Carlsbad’s Skye Shaffer during the CIF San Diego Section Open Division finals at Southwestern College on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Dons’ defense again forced Carlsbad to punt, this time taking over at their own 29 with 2:14 to play.
That’s when quarterback Brady Palmer and Fa’alave-Johnson went to work.
Palmer completed three passes for 34 yards and Fa’alve-Johnson had runs of 5 and 12 yards before scoring from 2 yards out with 21 seconds to play.
“That’s Cathedral Catholic football,” said Fa’alave-Johnson. “We might start off bad, but we always finish strong.”
The Dons finished the game on a high note with Ryder Molchanoff sacking Carlsbad quarterback Eli MacNeal on the final play of the game.
Leading 16-13, Carlsbad was at the Cathedral Catholic 39 with 4:01 to play, but a bad snap led to a 12-yard loss and eventually to a Lancers’ punt.
“We were driving and I think we could have finished it, but then the snapped killed us,” said Carlsbad coach Thadd MacNeal.
“Give them credit, they’re a big team up front and they wore us down a bit.”
Carlsbad’s Travis Jeffery, center, and teammates celebrate after an interception against Cathedral Catholic during the CIF San Diego Section Open Division finals at Southwestern College on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Carlsbad led 10-0 at the half, scoring on a seven-play, 80-yard drive after Cathedral Catholic touchdowns called back twice before Jeffery intercepted a pass in the end zone.
The Lancers scored on a 27-yard pass from Eli MacNeal to Ethan Meyerhoff. MacNeal had a 29-yard pass to Rocky Cummings on the drive.
Cathedral Catholic had a TD pass called back for having a lineman downfield, then lost a score when Palmer scored on a 1-yard run only to have the Dons penalized for aiding the runner.
Todd Mitchell intercepted a Cathedral Catholic pass on the Dons’ 44 on the next drive.
Carlsbad got to the Dons’ 20 before Beckham Filippini kicked a 37-yard field goal.
Fa’alave-Johnson carried 18 times for 106 yards and had 10 carries of fewer than five yards.
Palmer completed 13 of 21 passes for 251 yards, but was intercepted twice.
“Man, all the adversity we’ve been through this year, we were battle tested,” Palmer said. “That’s what makes this team so special.”
Carlsbad’s Darian Webb runs the ball against Cathedral Catholic during the CIF San Diego Section Open Division finals at Southwestern College on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Because of two sacks and the bad snap, Carlsbad rushed for just 58 yards on 28 attempts. Eli MacNeal completed 21 of 25 passes for 270 yards and two TDs.
This was Carlsbad’s fourth straight Open Division championship game loss, falling to Helix in 2019, Cathedral Catholic in 2021 and Lincoln in 2022.
“That was Carlsbad football,” said Thadd MacNeal. “I coach great kids. They fought to the end.”
Cathedral Catholic 20 Carlsbad 16
Cathedral Catholic 0 0 0 20 — 20
Carlsbad 0 10 6 0 — 16
C — Meyerhoff 27 pass from MacNeal (Filippini kick)C — FG Filipinni 37C —Jeffery 47 pass from MacNeal (run failed)CC —Fa’alave -Johnson 5 run (pass failed)CC — Cook 71 pass from Palmer (Bergman kick)CC —- Fa’alave -Johnson 2 run (Bergman kick)