As vastly different as the 2020 California high school football season has been, the ending point is quite familiar. Even if it is in April 2021.
All eyes, computer screens, binoculars, smart phones and TV cameras will be focused on Santa Ana Stadium at 7 p.m. Saturday when
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and
St. John Bosco (Bellflower) tangle to unofficially decide which is the best team not only in Southern California, but also the state and perhaps even the nation.
Just like it's been the last five years. Only no one is Christmas shopping.
The two national elites have been sparring, jabbing and throwing haymakers since 2016 to officially decide the Southern Section's Division I champion, which has parlayed into national ramifications, rankings and even championships.
St. John Bosco was crowned 2019 MaxPreps National Champion, while Mater Dei won it in 2017 and was second in 2018 and 2019. Heading into the fall of 2020, MaxPreps football editor Zack Poff had the Monarchs ranked No. 2 in the country and the Braves No. 3.
St. John Bosco takes the field before its season opener with Sierra Canyon.
File photo by Louis Lopez
But California was one of 15 states to move football to 2021 due to the pandemic, erasing both programs from national-title consideration. Evaporation of the entire season in the state also seemed a distinct possibility, but politicians, health officials, coaching organizations, youth sports advocates and the California Interscholastic Federation finally were able to agree on a six-week campaign with no playoffs.
Nothing in the short spring sample of nine games — five from Bosco and four by Mater Dei — has lessened their reputation nationally, according to Poff. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) and Westlake (Austin, Texas) finished 1-2-3 in the final fall rankings.
"They (Mater Dei and Bosco) would both be right there in the mix no doubt," Poff said. "And with so many top young players on both sides, whoever wins Saturday has a real good shot to open the fall as preseason No. 1."
Which team will it be?
That's almost impossible to pick, just like it has been for the last 10 meetings since 2014, a year after Bosco, with quarterback
Josh Rosen leading the charge, won its first state Open Division title.
Josiah Zamora (13) greets Cooper Barkarte (18) after a big catch.
File photo by Heston Quan
The teams have split the past 10 games, with the cumulative score being St. John Bosco 295, Mater Dei 287.
Since 2016, they've faced off twice each season with the Monarchs winning five of eight games total, but splitting the four section crowns — Bosco winning in 2016 and 2019 and Mater Dei claiming 2017 and 2018 titles. Each year those Southern Section champs went on to beat De La Salle (Concord) in the state Open Division title game.
Since 2004, Mater Dei has won 11 of the 20 meetings, but since Jason Negro took over Bosco in 2010, the Braves own a 9-6 edge. Mater Dei won six straight meetings starting in 2004 and the Braves won six straight starting in 2011.
History is simply a point of interest. Here are some more pertinent facts for the current season and Saturday's game.
• Bosco has outscored its opponents 266-91 (average score 53-18), Mater Dei's margin is 174-40 (44-10).
• Bosco averages 503 yards of offense per game (290 rushing, 213 passing), Mater Dei averages 418 (210 rushing, 208 passing).
• The teams have played four common Trinity League opponents with Mater Dei beating JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), 52-3, Orange Lutheran, 49-7, Servite (Anaheim), 24-17 and Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 49-13. Bosco beat the same opponents in order: 66-14, 55-0, 38-28 and 65-28.
• After graduating generational quarterbacks in 2020 — MaxPreps 2019 co-National Players of the Year in Bosco's
DJ Uiagalelei (now at Clemson) and Mater Dei's
Bryce Young (Alabama) — both teams are led by remarkably young, but polished signal-callers.
The Monarchs start freshman
Elijah Brown, who has completed 60-of-84 passes for 770 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception. Bosco has split time between sophomore
Pierce Clarkson and junior
Katin Houser with almost identical numbers, combining on 50-of-73 completions for 838 yards, 12 touchdowns and no interceptions. Both can run if nobody is open, combining for 258 yards and two scores.
St. John Bosco sophomore quarterback Pierce Clarkson has thrown for more than 400 yards and six touchdowns without an interception.
File photo by Louis Lopez
• Top rushers: St. John Bosco —
Jabari Bates (324 yards, 8.5 average, four TDs) and
Rayshon Luke (267, 14.8, 4). Mater Dei —
Raleek Brown (301, 7.2, 5) and
Marceese Yetts (276, 6.6, 2).
• Top receivers: St. John Bosco —
Jode McDuffie (12 catches, 267 yards, 4 TDs) and
Chedon James (11, 211, 4); Mater Dei —
Josiah Zamora (14, 157, 3) and
CJ Williams (13, 184, 3).
• Top tacklers: St. John Bosco —
Sione Hala (25 tackles),
Andrew Simpson (20) and freshman
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (20). Mater Dei —
Shoes Brinkley (15),
Leviticus Su'a (12) and
Sione Moa (12).
• Of all the numbers, none is more remarkable than this: 59.
That is the total number of players in Saturday's game who either have three-star recruiting rankings by 247Sports, or who have received an FBS scholarship offer. Of those, 31 belong to Bosco and 28 to Mater Dei. Only 14 of them are seniors.
When legendary Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson (314 wins, 85 losses, two ties according to Cal-Hi Sports record book) was asked this week to take in all that talent and how Saturday's game would shake out, he told Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times:
"It's their big men against my big men and their skills against my skills. … I think it's going to be like any other St. John Bosco-Mater Dei game in recent years. It's going to be a great high school football game."
Mater Dei's Elijah Brown is the fourth freshman to start at quarterback for the Monarchs, joining Todd Marinovich, Matt Barkley and JT Daniels.
File photo by Heston Quan
