Mater Dei faced Centennial in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Monarchs took a 43-36 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Huskies. The loss put an end to the Monarchs' undefeated start to the season.
Mater Dei's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who picked up 165 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Dixon-Wyatt's longest reception was for an incredible 71 yards. The team also got some help courtesy of Ryan Hopkins, who threw for 261 yards and two TDs while picking up 11.3 yards per attempt.
Even if they lost, Mater Dei's defensive line still kept up the pressure with three sacks. The team can thank two different players for their defensive prowess: Sosene Schuster and Ezekiel Su'a, who each picked up one sack apiece. Mater Dei got some further help from CJ Lavender Jr.: he made nine total tackles and snagged an interception.
Malaki Davis produced another solid effort rushing for 102 yards and three touchdowns for Centennial. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Davis a new career-high. Centennial also got a significant boost from Dominick Catalano, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 88 yards.
Having lost for the first time this season, Mater Dei fell to 2-1. As for Centennial, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-1.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Mater Dei will face off against Bishop Gorman at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Gaels' defense has only allowed six points per game this season, so the Monarchs' offense will have their work cut out for them. As for Centennial, they will square off against Rancho Cucamonga at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Huskies will be up against the Cougars' rather soft defense (which has allowed 28 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
