In an unusually low-scoring battle between two of California’s premier high school football programs, Mission Viejo needed a hero to beat Santa Margarita.
And it found its hero – a transfer from Santa Margarita.
Down 3-0 in the waning minutes of the third quarter, Mission Viejo QB and senior Ohio State commit Luke Fahey faked a handoff, rolled out to the right, and found Junker in the corner of the end zone for the only touchdown of the game.
Jack Junker catches 33-.yard TD pass from Luke Fahey. Junker used to play at Santa Margarita. 7-3 Mission Viejo with 1:31 left in third. pic.twitter.com/1MAx5shs2q
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) August 23, 2025
The Diablos held on to win 7-3, preserving their No. 5 ranking in the state and No. 22 national ranking.
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Santa Margarita and Mission Viejo are unofficial rivals who frequently play non-league games as, most years, the top two teams in South Orange County. The teams have lost impact transfers to each other many times in recent memory, which adds a little juice to an already high-profile matchup.
In a postgame interview, Junker was quick to give credit to Mission Viejo’s defense for the win and respect to the opponent, his former team.
“They’re a great team. Santa Margarita, they’ve got a great defense, great offense, a bunch of great players. I played with them my last two years of high school football. I love all the coaches and players to death. They’ve got a great squad.
“It was a tough week at practice – our defense kind of kicked our butt in practice. They picked it up for us today.”
Our reporter Isabella Lyons caught up with tonight’s JPWest Media Player of the Game Jack Junker after @missionfootball win over Santa Margarita pic.twitter.com/YLLhxA8gaw
— JPWest Media (@JPWestMedia) August 23, 2025
On his touchdown, Junker said, “It was big. I wasn’t pleased with how our offense played today. We need to be a lot better going forward, but it was good to get the win. Feels great.”
Junker has quietly but clearly been one of the best Class of 2027 receivers in California since his first days of high school football.
Playing one of the absolute toughest schedules in the country, Junker had 24 catches for 316 yards as a freshman and 41 catches for 606 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore. After earning All-Trinity League Honorable Mention as a freshman, he was named First Team All-Trinity League in 2024 as well as an All-State Sophomore by Cal-Hi Sports.
Junker isn’t the biggest or longest receiver at 5-10, but he’s a strong, athletic route-runner with consistent hands and he thrives in pressure situations. He’s a currently 3-star recruit ranked 91st at his position within his class and holds offers from Sacramento State and Miami of Ohio per 247Sports. Based on his first two seasons of high school football, there are not 90 receivers ahead of him in his class right now. Look for his stock to rise in the eyes of scouts sooner than later.