Two of the top-five teams in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 rankings have advanced to the next round of the CIF Southern Section Football Playoffs, setting up big-time games this weekend.
Here’s a preview of both Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.
Mater Dei (11-0) at Los Alamitos (9-2)
Mater Dei: This past week the Monarchs defeated JSerra Catholic at home, 54-14. Junior quarterback Elijah Brown threw two touchdown passes and Sophomore running back Jordon Davison rushed for three more. Mater Dei remains undefeated this season and most of their victories have been comfortable. They haven’t won by fewer than eight points since Week 2 against Nevada heavyweight Bishop Gorman.
Los Alamitos: To get here, the Griffins had to get past Long Beach Poly, which they did in a 52-42 win at home last week. While there are two losses on their schedule, the last one was at the beginning of September against Arizona powerhouse Basha. Since then, they’ve been steamrolling everybody. Before their matchup with Poly they had outscored their opponents 394-132 over their last seven games, and have USC commit Malachi Nelson under center.
Watch live: NFHS Network
St. John Bosco (10-1) at Mission Viejo (10-1)
St. John Bosco: In their sectional matchup, the Braves beat Orange Lutheran by a score of 49-14. Senior quarterback Pierce Clarkson led the charge with five touchdown passes and a 141.2 QB rating. Bosco’s only loss this season came against Mater Dei in early October. They have dominated everybody else this year, winning all their other games by at least 27 points.
Mission Viejo: To advance, the Diablos defeated Centennial last Friday night in a 31-28 thriller. Senior receiver Edward Schultz scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. For the season, Mission Viejo’s only loss was against Long Beach Poly (35-30) back in Week 3.
Watch Live: NFHS Network
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