Cade Mault scored every point in Santa Barbara High’s 13-10 Friday night win over Westlake, doing it with skills he taught himself. The junior soccer player caught an 85-yard touchdown pass, kicked field goals from 49 and 43 yards, converted the extra point and picked up a first down on a fake punt.
No one taught Mault how to kick or punt, according to the report. He built those skills himself while playing soccer, and now the school’s football team relies on him for kicking, punting and more. The scoreboard gives the blunt version: all 13 Santa Barbara points came from one player.
A player learning on his own
Mault had made all four of his field-goal attempts that season and hadn’t missed a point-after-touchdown attempt. Against Westlake, he also showed he could contribute beyond the kicking game, catching the long touchdown pass and advancing the ball on a fake punt.
His coach, Nathan Mendoza, offered a concise explanation of the trust behind those decisions: “We believe in him,” Mendoza said. The coach’s confidence matters on a team where Mault’s work has extended from kicking to punting and, on Friday night, a scoring catch and a first down.
That work sits alongside a demanding soccer schedule. Mault practices soccer four times a week from 6 to 9 p.m. and plays club soccer on weekends. He’s a junior and is committed to Cal Poly, and the report says soccer is his sport. Football opportunities could open up as he develops, but that possibility remains just that; the article doesn’t say he has chosen football over soccer.
The work behind the points
Mault’s older brother, Kai, was an All-Southern Section receiver for Santa Barbara and now plays baseball for UC Davis. A younger brother plays football and lacrosse. The family’s sports commitments span different teams and games, but Friday’s result centered on Mault’s unusual range for Santa Barbara High.
Mault also has a 3.9 grade-point average. Mendoza hopes he continues playing football for at least one more year. That hope comes from the coach; the report identifies soccer as Mault’s sport and describes football opportunities as something that may develop.
Other families in the report
The article also mentioned the Fernandez family of San Pedro. Nick plays for Cal Poly and had knee surgery. His brother Joaquin injured his leg Friday night against Carson and was transported by ambulance.
Eric Sondheimer, the Los Angeles Times prep sports columnist and author of the piece, posted, “Prayers for the Fernandez family to heal up. Good people.” Sondheimer said he had been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column. In the report’s account, Mault’s self-taught ability, his soccer schedule and a coach’s belief meet on a high-school football field; the points came from the player who learned the job himself.
- cade mault
- santa barbara high
- high school football
- kicking
- punting
- westlake high
- cal poly
- soccer