Henry’s historic start reaches 7-0

By Ramon Scott
Updated: October 12, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL

No. 14 PATRICK HENRY 43, MOUNT MIGUEL 6

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

SPRING VALLEY — Patrick Henry spent the first quarter without a point. By halftime, the Patriots had supplied nearly an entire game’s worth of touchdowns.

Madin Gardini threw three touchdown passes and rushed for two more, while Henry erupted for 29 second-quarter points in a 43-6 victory over Mount Miguel on Friday night.

The Patriots improved to 7-0 for the first time since 1999, extending a season that has brought them increasing recognition around the county. Mount Miguel fell to 2-4.

Gardini completed 20 of 24 passes for 244 yards, finding multiple receiving options while contributing both of Henry’s rushing touchdowns.

Cole Farace caught two touchdown passes, Cyrus Drury added another, and Kaedyn Coles returned an interception for a touchdown.

Henry finished with 335 yards of offense and scored through both its offense and defense. The Patriots’ defense kept Mount Miguel scoreless through the first half and limited the Matadors to a third-quarter touchdown.

The result left Henry unbeaten overall, with a return to league play against Coronado next and 1-0 mark in the City League.

A scoreless quarter becomes a commanding lead

The teams completed the opening quarter tied 0-0, but Henry changed the game with its second-period surge.

The Patriots scored all 29 first-half points in the second quarter, establishing an advantage Mount Miguel could not substantially reduce.

Henry added seven points in the third quarter and seven more in the fourth. The Matadors scored their six points in the third, leaving the Patriots ahead 36-6 entering the final period.

The quarter-by-quarter progression illustrated the difference between a competitive opening and the sustained production Henry eventually delivered.

Even with two interceptions, Gardini completed 83.3 percent of his passes and accounted for 265 yards of offense. His three carries produced 21 yards and two touchdowns, allowing him to finish possessions on the ground as well as through the air.

Farace, Drury give Gardini targets

Farace led Henry with seven receptions, gaining 72 yards and scoring twice.

Drury supplied the Patriots’ highest receiving total, catching four passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore averaged 19.3 yards per reception, giving Henry substantial gains to complement Farace’s volume.

J.P. Laydon added five catches for 61 yards, making the passing game productive beyond its touchdown receivers.

Farace, Drury and Laydon combined for 16 receptions and 210 yards.

Max Dean caught three passes for 14 yards and added a 9-yard carry. Tay-Ann Cong contributed a 20-yard reception, while Mack Lamoreaux caught a 5-yard pass.

Backup quarterback Emerson Maxilom completed his only attempt for five yards, bringing Henry’s team passing totals to 21 completions in 25 attempts for 249 yards.

The Patriots did not need a large rushing total to establish control, but Oliver Allen provided steady support with 50 yards on 10 carries. Henry finished with 86 rushing yards on 16 attempts, averaging 5.4 yards per carry.

Coles turns a takeaway into points

Coles’ interception return supplied Henry’s sixth touchdown and gave the Patriots scoring contributions beyond Gardini’s five offensive touchdowns.

Gavin Flodin also intercepted a pass, and Isaiah Maestes recovered a fumble.

Beckon Westrick and Cameron Kop were each credited with a forced fumble.

Those plays helped Henry keep the evening under control after its second-quarter breakout. Mount Miguel reached the end zone in the third quarter but could not produce the sustained scoring needed to challenge the visitors.

For the Patriots, the defensive performance complemented an offense that has scored 273 points in seven games, an average of 39 per game.

For Mount Miguel, the loss followed a 42-8 defeat against Helix and preceded another demanding assignment against Granite Hills.

An unbeaten start with historical company

Henry’s 7-0 record places this team alongside a memorable program predecessor.

The 1999 Patriots also won their first seven games and eventually finished 10-2. This year’s team has matched that opening run and now has an opportunity to extend it.

Henry is No. 14 in the rankings and received four points in the latest county media poll’s voting.

Friday’s performance supplied another reason for that attention: an accurate quarterback, several productive receivers and a defense capable of turning a takeaway into a touchdown.

The Patriots return home with the unbeaten record intact and a chance to move to 2-0 in league.

Gardini accounts for five touchdowns

Madin Gardini contributed to every Patrick Henry offensive touchdown against Mount Miguel.

The senior threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, completing 20 of 24 attempts, and added two rushing touchdowns.

His passing touchdowns went to Cole Farace, who scored twice, and Cyrus Drury.

Gardini’s two interceptions remain something to clean up, particularly as Henry moves deeper into league play. But his completion rate and ability to finish possessions in two ways gave the Patriots a substantial offensive advantage Friday.

Through seven games, Gardini’s listed season averages are 255.6 passing yards and 85.7 rushing yards. That combination makes containing Henry more complicated than simply covering its receivers.

Three receivers carry passing production

Cole Farace, Cyrus Drury and J.P. Laydon combined for 210 of Henry’s 249 passing yards against Mount Miguel.

Farace caught seven passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Drury added four receptions for 77 yards and a score, while Laydon supplied five catches for 61 yards.

Their contributions gave Henry different forms of production: Farace led in catches and touchdowns, Drury in yardage and yards per reception, and Laydon supplied another frequently used target.

Henry completed passes to six receivers, giving Gardini options beyond any single matchup.

PATRICK HENRY LOOKAHEAD: Coronado visits

CORONADO (1-6, 0-2) at No. 14 PATRICK HENRY (7-0, 1-0)
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. — Patrick Henry High
City League

Henry has a clear opportunity to extend its unbeaten start when Coronado visits Friday.

The Islanders are coming off a 19-10 loss to Morse and have dropped their first two league games. Henry enters with an offense averaging 416.4 yards and 39 points per game.

Gardini’s ability to pass and run remains the central concern for Coronado. Farace, Drury and Laydon all produced against Mount Miguel, while Kymani Joeseph carries a listed season receiving average of 90.5 yards.

Coronado’s best offensive possibilities begin with quarterback Jack O’Sullivan and receiver Reese Pagon. O’Sullivan averages 205.7 passing yards, and Pagon averages 91.6 receiving yards. Melo Avetyan provides a rushing option.

Henry must prevent those passing connections from becoming explosive plays and maintain the defensive discipline it showed against Mount Miguel.

The Patriots should have a substantial advantage. Their immediate measure of progress is executing cleanly enough to establish control without giving Coronado extra possessions.

MOUNT MIGUEL LOOKAHEAD: Eagles bring difficult test

No. 4 GRANITE HILLS (5-2, 2-0) at MOUNT MIGUEL (2-4, 0-1)
Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. — Mount Miguel High
Grossmont Hills League

Mount Miguel remains home, but the assignment becomes no easier.

Granite Hills arrives after a 35-7 victory over Steele Canyon, bringing an unbeaten league record and a passing game led by Zachary Benitez.

The Matadors have allowed 85 combined points in their last two games, against Helix and Patrick Henry. They now face another offense with multiple ways to create substantial gains.

Courtney “Nino” Miller-Thompson presents a major receiving threat, while Gage Spalding gives Granite Hills a productive rushing option.

Mount Miguel needs possessions that give its defense a chance to recover, secure ball handling and stops that force the Eagles to work through longer drives.

Granite Hills has the clear advantage. For the Matadors, avoiding the rapid separation that Henry created in the second quarter would be an important starting point.

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