Undoubtedly the biggest game in high school football this week is Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco, a Friday night matchup of California superpowers. The Monarchs and Braves enter the contest at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in our national Top 10 rankings.
Mater Dei comes into this contest with a 6-0 overall record and 1-0 in Trinity League play. The Monarchs opened league play just last week with a 21-13 road win over JSerra Catholic, a result that added to a resume of impressive wins that also include Bishop Gorman (MV), Mililani (HI), and in-state Centennial.
On offense the Monarchs, led by four-star junior quarterback Elijah Brown, come into the game averaging 34.5 points. The Mater Dei ground game is led by the running back duo of Jordan Davison and Nathaniel Frazier, while Marcus Brown, Jordon Onovughe, Marcus Harris, and Jack Ressler are names to know at receiver.
Defensively, Mater Dei has allowed only 61 points all season and only 20 in the past three weeks combined. Leading the way on that side of the ball is linebacker Nasir Wyatt with a team-high 6 sacks. Leviticus Su’a, Jeilani Davis, Daryus Dixson, and Charles McDonald are other key names on defense.
St. John Bosco also comes into this contest undefeated at 6-0, as well as 1-0 in Trinity League play after a 49-3 rout of Servite last week. Outscoring opponents a combined 291-31 on the year, the Braves are not lacking for impressive wins, either – they’ve beaten teams including Allen (TX), Central Catholic (OR), and Kahuku (HI).
The Braves offense comes into this game averaging a phenomenal 48.5 ppg, led by senior quarterback Pierce Clarkson. Cameron Jones and Chauncey Sylvester are the top two options at running back, while DeAndre Moore, Israel Polk, and Eric Denham are the top three receivers.
St. John Bosco’s defense has allowed only 31 total points to opponents this season, with no team having found the end zone against the Braves in more than two weeks. Leading that group is five-star edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, and Vaka Hansen, Deven Bryant, Marcelles Williams and Tamal Johnson are key contributors as well.
Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco appears to be about as even a matchup as two teams could possibly be at the moment. I’ll say that Mater Dei wins a very close contest due to a late score, solidifying the Monarchs as the top team in high school football.
Prediction: Mater Dei 28, St. John Bosco 27
