The high school football playoffs are heating up. On Friday, fans will be treated to a rematch of two of the top teams in the nation when No. 1 ranked Mater Dei and No. 4 St. John Bosco meet again in the playoffs.
Here’s a preview of what may be the biggest high school game of the year.
Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco (Part 2)
Mater Dei (12-0)
Last week the reigning national champion Monarchs crushed Los Alamitos (Calif.) 52-0 to advance. Sophomore phenom running back Jordon Davison led the charge once again, posting 124 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. Overall, Mater Dei is still undefeated this season and hasn’t won by any fewer than 10 points since they last faced Bosco back in early October.
St. John Bosco (11-1)
Meanwhile, the Braves’ only loss this year was in that first matchup with Mater Dei. In the last round, they cruised past Mission Viejo (Calif.), 41-6. Senior quarterback Pierce Clarkson only threw nine passes but three of them went for touchdowns on his way to a 149.3 QB rating.
In the first matchup between these teams, Mater Dei held St. John Bosco scoreless in the second half on their way to a 17-7 victory. It was mostly a defensive slugfest, highlighted by six total interceptions thrown by the quarterbracks.
However, both teams did have some success running the ball. The Braves were led by Junior running back Cameron Jones, who posted 108 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. As for the Monarchs, Jordon Davison managed 114 and a score of his own on 22 attempts.
Getting a quarterback going would be ideal this time around, but whoever runs the rock more effectively might have the advantage.