By: Chuck Nan - SMCHS Sports Information Director | March 26, 2026
For the past several years, the fall athletic season at Santa Margarita Catholic High School (SMCHS) has commenced, like clockwork, with the girl’s golf team setting the tone for the year. Coach Jill Hegna’s team has dominated the high school landscape on the links at all levels: league, section, region, state and beyond -- both in team and individual match play.
As the calendar turns to December, the winter sports season takes the stage. The SMCHS girls soccer team takes over the school field and commences to weave their magic. In the recent season, their supremacy on the pitch continued to echo throughout Southern California.
For the 2025-26 campaign, the Eagles continued to compete with an unyielding defense and dealt opponents frustration and disappointment game after game. Confidence and drive permeated the roster as they grasped the fact that championship titles were within reach at every level. Few other schools can realistically approach that actuality.
This season saw SMCHS on the usual route but with a different script in hand with regard to personnel. The success enjoyed was by a young cast, very young. By the end of the season, of the eleven players to start, nine were underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores) to go along with one junior and one senior -- almost unheard of and a testament to their conviction.
After going virtually unchallenged during the nonleague portion of the schedule, the Eagles maneuvered through the rugged Trinity League gauntlet with a 2-1-3 record. Despite suffering their first loss of the season to rival JSerra Catholic, the club took the league title by a slim one-half game margin. Two key factors in this success was a win over the Lions in a previous match-up and a 1-0-1 mark versus pesky, but talented Mater Dei.
Historically, in their championship drives, Mater Dei has seemingly been the foil that SMCHS had to shake at every turn. There would be no difference this time as well. As league play concluded, and the postseason commenced, the two schools were certain of being paired for more spirited and emotional clashes.
The Southern Section - Open Division draw was another test of mental endurance and might. For the quarterfinal, the Eagles drew Santiago (Corona), a team that posed problems for them in the past. In the two game home-and-home series, SMCHS came away with a 1-0-1 mark and outscored the Sharks 3-2 to move on to the semifinals.
The two teams had played each other in the last two CIF Southern Section and State Regional finals. Jastel David was not rattled as she scored both goals as the Eagles scored a 2-1 victory over eighth-seeded Santiago to advance in the playoffs. The teams tied 1-1 in second game of the division's two-game format.
In the semifinal round, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) was next with another two-game set. In Westlake Village, SMCHS prevailed 1-0 on a strike by junior Felicity Nguyen. In the second game with the Eagles trailing 1-0, Nguyen answered with a score on a pass from David, to secure a 1-1 tie. The Eagles advanced to a one-game Section championship match versus Mater Dei.
In that Open Division championship, sophomore Presley Schumaker connected on a 25-yard kick from the right flat, off the far post, to give SMCHS a 1-0 advantage. The strike proved to be the game-winning goal in the 3-0 victory. Nguyen added to her statistic line with two more goals in the second stanza in the stampede. Moving on to the Division 1 Southern California Regional tournament, both schools knew that there was another duel on the horizon.
Seeded No. 1 in the Regional, the Eagles hosted Roosevelt (Eastvale) and had their hands full the entire afternoon. The teams were tied 2-2 after regulation and the contest was still not decided after overtime play. SMCHS received goals from Riley Neves and Nguyen. Going to penalty kicks, the Eagles fell behind 2-0, but goalkeeper Kaitlin Crossett made three enormous saves to keep her club in contention for the win. In the mean time, SMCHS received PK goals from Winter Meskiel, Lauren Lim and Neves to advance.
Cleveland (Reseda), the Los Angeles City Section champion, visited RSM for the semifinal round. The visiting Cavaliers managed to keep the score close, trailing just 1-0 at halftime, but eventually succumbed 3-0. The win set-up a rematch with Mater Dei. SMCHS benefited from goals by Nguyen, Neves and Carys Fry.
Riding the momentum of success, the Eagles entered the Regional final with eyes on a trip to Sacramento and a spot in the inaugural state title.
However, one week after being dealt a bruising loss, the Monarchs rebounded to avenge that setback to their archrival, 2-0. Mater Dei scored twice on corner kicks, one in each half. Early in the first half, Nguyen nearly knotted the contest with a shot that caromed off a post. The 2-0 triumph was the first by the Monarchs over the Eagles in four matches this season. Until this game, SMCHS had a five game unbeaten streak in the series, outscoring MD 11-3 in that five game span.
Head coach Craig Bull enjoyed his fourth season at the helm. Since he has assumed the reins of the program, the amount of team success and individual honors is extensive. At the conclusion of this year, Bull’s four-season overall record is now 76-9-13 (.842) with 53 shutouts. His resume now includes four Trinity League, three CIF Southern Section and two CIF Southern California Regional crowns. In addition, the club was a title finalist in three instances. Oh, and there was a No. 1 ranking in the nation by SoccerWire.com at the conclusion of last season (2024-25). He has also been awarded Coach of the Year two times.
Over the course of the season, statistical numbers posted by the team and the players were remarkable. The club scored 80 goals while allowing just 17. Individual scoring was most notably powered by:
- Felicity Nguyen: 29 goals and 8 assists / 37 points
- Jastel David: 9 goals and 6 assists / 15 points
- Lauren Lim: 7 goals and 5 assists / 12 points
- Goalkeeper Kaitlin Crosset allowed just 12 goals in 27 games -- 0.44 goals against average and posted 13 shutouts
League, County and Section Awards
- Trinity League Most Valuable Player: Felicity Nguyen
- Trinity League Most Valuable Defensive Player: Reagan Condon
- First-Team All Trinity League: Ella Bott, Riley Neves, Lauren Lim and Jastel David
- Second-Team All Trinity League: Kaitlin Crossett, Dylan Woodards, Allie Sugerman, Laiken Klimpel and Winter Meskiel
- Orange County Register Player of the Year: Felicity Nguyen
- Orange County Register All-County First-Team: Jastel David, Reagan Condon and Felicity Nguyen
- Orange County Register All-County Second-Team: Riley Neves and Kaitlin Crossett
- Orange County Register Coach of the Year: Craig Bull
Note: CIF Southern Section award selections not available at press time
Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG
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