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What We Learned: St. John Bosco rolls over JSerra as Uiagalelei scores 6 times

Photo: NJ Sports Media

No. 3 St. John Bosco showed last week’s one-point victory was more anomaly than trend as the Braves dispatched JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, California) 49-10 on Friday.

Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei finished with six touchdowns, three of them on the ground, as St. John Bosco dominated on both ends of the ball.

Here are some takeaways.

Bosco can score with creativity

St. John Bosco has some quirks it can throw at defenses to help its run game, as nobody is averaging more than 50 rushing yards per game. Wide receiver Jode McDuffie scored on a 63-yard screen pass, and Uiagalelei reminded JSerra that he can still run, first rolling for a 74-yard score and then punching home another from nine yards out for Bosco’s first two scores. And he can still pass it deep, too, hitting wide receiver Logan Loya up the middle for a 46-yard score.

Uiaglelei finished with more than 250 passing yards and 100 rushing yards, according to OC Varsity contributor Michael Huntley, and helped the offense post consistent numbers throughout the game.

Wide receivers Kris Hutson, McDuffie and Loya scored a touchdown apiece in all different ways, showing a variety of skills on this Bosco receiving corps. The Braves are one of the most explosive offenses in the country when everything clicks. They need to keep finding unique ways to do it when it slows down.

JSerra needs more ways to move the ball

If not for an 86-yard kickoff return that put the offense in prime position to score on the first drive of the game, JSerra might not have been able to punch home a touchdown against St. John Bosco.

Still a sophomore, quarterback General Booty has a bright future ahead of him in his high school days, but he has yet to reach 200 passing yards in a game and only broken 150 once (twice, if you include his 149 against Calabasas). He made some good passes Friday, including a three-step drop to complete a fourth-down conversion to Earnest McDaniel in the first, but the drive stalled there on Bosco’s 30-yard line. JSerra couldn’t take back the lead and the score remained 7-7 after one. When all is said and done, JSerra lost by so any points that the drive likely didn’t matter, but maybe tides could have shifted if the Lions could have grabbed a lead.

Instead, Bosco started the second quarter with a score. JSerra punted. Bosco scored again. Neither team put home another point in the half until kicker Anthony Andrioli made a field goal with 15 seconds left, and that was the final score for JSerra on the day.

One bright spot for JSerra

Uiagalelei’s interception-free year has come to an end. New Zealand Williams, who has one of the coolest names in football, intercepted a deep pass from Uiagalelei, marking the five-star quarterback’s first interception this season.

He came into the game with 147 pass attempts and 21 touchdowns. Time to start a new streak.

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