Here is the second of the 2021 Spring Football Round Ups and the announcement of the new St. Francis head coach: 

At Mira Costa – St. Francis wins 38-35

 St. Francis’ Evan Jernegan hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jack Jacobs with 23 seconds left in the game to give the Golden Knights a thrilling 38-35 win over the host Mustangs. Jacobs completed 24 of 37 for 390 yards and four touchdowns.

At Damien – St. Francis loses 23-19

 Damien started Friday night’s showdown with visiting St. Francis in fine form. But it was the way they finished the contest that allowed the Spartans to outlast the Golden Knights, 23-19. After taking a 10-0 lead in the first 16 minutes or so, St. Francis rebounded and led 19-10, thanks to three combined touchdowns by their guy, Bryson Reeves. In the fourth and deciding quarter, however, Damien finished on a 13-0 run.

In all, Reeves caught eight passes for just under 150 yards. Jacobs finished 19 of 32 for 253 yards, with two TD’s and the late pick. Evan Jernegan had a big game for the Golden Knights, catching seven balls for 70 yards

At Garces – St. Francis wins 48-42

Max Garrison rushes for 279 yards and scores four TDs. The Rams took a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and enjoyed a 28-14 advantage at the break. But things started to change on the first play of the second half … and it wasn’t necessarily on purpose. The Golden Knights opened with a squib kick that deflected off a Garces player, but was recovered by St. Francis. It was the beginning of a 16-0 surge in the third quarter, and the Golden Knights built a 48-28 lead.

At Loyola – St. Francis loses 41-14

Loyola jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back in Angelus League action. Jack Jacobs scored the only touchdown of the first half, a two-yard run, and threw for a touchdown to Evan Jernegan late in the fourth quarter.

Crespi – St. Francis wins 63-26

The Golden Knights had a 49-7 lead before the Celts scored a couple of late touchdowns. St. Francis quarterback Jack Jacobs had a pair of one-yard TD runs. Golden Knights’ sophomore hit Evan Jernegan on TD passes of 25, 5, and 30 yards. Max Garrison rushed for 170 yards, including TD runs of 27 and 13 yards.

St. Paul – St. Francis wins 54-0

 It was the Max Garrison show on Saturday night at St. Francis High School as the Golden Knights thoroughly dominated St. Paul 54-0 in the final game of the 2021 spring football season. Garrison, a junior running back, rushed for 138 yards on 10 carries with three touchdowns. He also had two receptions, both of which were for touchdowns, for 46 yards.  

The Golden Knights finished with a 4-2 record overall and 2-1 mark in the Angelus League, second behind Loyola. Bryson Reeves, a University of Utah signee, also had a huge game, scoring two touchdowns and intercepting two passes.    

St. Francis also announced that Dean Herrington has been named head football coach.

With over 25 years of experience as a head coach and offensive coordinator, Herrington brings a wealth of knowledge to his responsibilities at St. Francis. He has been a head coach at two different area Catholic schools, and an offensive coordinator at College of the Canyons, Occidental College, and Hart High School. 

He has been head coach at Paraclete High School (Lancaster) since 2016, accumulating an overall record of 40-20. Paraclete won a CIF and state championship in his first season at the helm and the CIF championship in 2017. 

Prior to that, he was the head coach at Alemany High School (Mission Hills) where he had a record of 84-34, collected seven league titles in 10 years and, in 2009, took the Warriors to its only CIF championship football game. 

As part of the Hart High staff, he won four CIF crowns, and mentored a number of collegiate and professional quarterbacks. 

“We are pleased to welcome Coach Herrington to the St. Francis family,” said the school’s president, Fr. Tony Marti. “We are confident that he will continue the tradition of St. Francis football in the spirit of Coach Jim Bonds and others before him.” 

According to Athletic Director Matt Luderer, “Dean distinguished himself throughout the interview process with his understanding of the game, commitment to the personal growth of our student-athletes, and desire to enhance the program.” 

Herrington added, “Having been a longtime friend of Jim Bonds, I have tremendous respect for St. Francis’ tradition of excellence and character development. I am honored to take on this challenge.” 

Herrington will be a member of the St. Francis faculty in the Physical Education Dept.