The562’s football coverage for the 2026-27 school year is sponsored by Long Beach Poly alums Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
Friday night will be another tough contest for the St. Anthony Saints. They host a strong Salesian Mustangs as they try to find their footing off a 1-7 overall record.
Salesian is on a hot streak, winning four of their last five contests and fresh off a 40-7 win over La Salle. The team is 6-2 overall, and their recent success has been a team effort on both sides of the ball.
The Mustang defense has tightened up, shutting out Bishop Alemany 17-0 and handing Harvard Westlake their first loss of the season.
On offense, junior quarterback Donovan Shirley has been dealing for Salesian. After two early losses, Shirley has built his offense back up and outscored opponents 168-73 in their last five games.
Against Bishop Alemany, Shirley threw for 204 yards and a touchdown. Supporting his arm is sophomore running back Matthew Merril, who ran for 64 yards and a score on eight carries vs Bishop Alemany.
The Saints are fighting an uphill battle. They’re trying to bounce back from a hard 52-0 shutout loss to Crespi, putting them 1-2 in Del Rey League action.
Despite the rough 2026 season, St. Anthony has had some bright spots. They claimed their first victory of the year in a 17-14 win at La Salle. Senior quarterback Aidan Jones and sophomore receiver Juice Smith have been connecting, even in losing results.
Smith caught two touchdowns of 64 and 65 yards in a loss to Valley Christian. Senior running back Evan Martinez ran for nearly 100 yards on 14 carries in that same game, also proving to be a major presence for the Saints defense.
The young St. Anthony team still has a lot to prove and fight for. The Mustangs and Saints played against each other in 2024, where Salesian came away with a tight 10-7 victory.
St. Anthony will have a chance to turn things around Friday night at Clark Field, but stopping a Mustangs team that averages more than 30 points a game will be a tough contest for the Saints. Kickoff is set for 7pm.
