Verbum Dei High School became the only Catholic school to win a CIF-Southern Section football title in 2006 when it defeated La Salle 32-10 in the Division XI (Mid-Valley) championship game Dec. 9 at Compton Centennial High School.

Playing tough defense that stifled recent playoff opponents, the Eagles also received a solid game from quarterback Curtis Wilson who ran for three touchdowns and passed for a fourth.

Wilson scored on two 1-yard first quarter runs for a 12-0 lead, then passed 26 yards to Reginald Dunn for a 20-0 lead at the half. The Lancers rallied in the third quarter on Jeff Knowles' 33-yard field goal and a David Baier TD run of 37 yards, but Verbum Dei pulled away in the fourth on a 19-yard run by Wilson and a 28-yarder by Dunn.

Sean Merritt led all rushers with 143 yards on 15 carries for the Eagles. Dunn rushed for 97 yards while Wilson rushed for 53 and passed for 132. For La Salle, Baier gained 199 yards rushing and Nathan Bury had 57.

For Verbum Dei, which ended the year 10-4, the victory avenged a 37-36 loss Oct. 21 at La Salle in October, a game that decided the Camino Real League title. La Salle, which started its season with five straight losses, had won eight in a row coming into the title game, including a 24-14 win over Bishop Diego in the semifinals.