Serra’s football team started the fight and also finished it — at least on the field — with an emphatic 49-14 win at defending West Catholic Athletic League champion Riordan Saturday in San Francisco.
The Padres (8-1, 6-0 WCAL), getting contributions from a long list of college-bound seniors, raced to a 35-0 lead early in the second quarter before Riordan (6-3, 5-1) showed some signs of life with two scores.
But Serra, ranked No. 12 in the state by High Schools On SI, closed out the game with a 55-yard touchdown run by Kapono Keaania (13 carries, 109 yards) and 6-yard rush for TD by Andrew Takapatulo to put an explanation point on their eighth straight win of the season after losing a 35-25 opener to nationally-ranked De La Salle.
@oregonfootball fans salivate. Serra’s Malakai Taufoou, an Oregon commit, returns tipped interception 75 yards for touchdown. Serra takes a 7-0 lead on Riordan’s first drive. First quarter.
Matthew Bassette with call on AbC Jam / nFHS Network pic.twitter.com/X5iWkSo5fW
— Mitch Stephens (@MitchMaxSI) October 31, 2026
It also broke a three-game losing streak to Riordan, which had gone almost a decade without a winning record until coach Adhir Ravipati took over the program in 2022. At that point, the Padres had a stranglehold on the WCAL not only with two straight undefeated league seasons but three straight years representing Northern California in the Open Division state championships.
@PadreFootball_ takes 21-0 lead over Riordan’s first drive late in 1Q. Jax Cannon 52 yards to Charlie Walsh. Senior-heavy Serra squad so far overpowering underclass-heavy Crusaders, who also without star pic.twitter.com/FSXI0L9M1T
— Mitch Stephens (@MitchMaxSI) October 31, 2026
Serra, with a young and talented group last season, lost twice at home to the Crusaders (42-35 and 33-13), giving the Padres plenty of incentive on Saturday against an extremely talented, but young squad…