Mater Dei St. John Bosco – Syndication Server

USA TODAY Sports Super 25 football recap: St. John Bosco tops No. 1 Mater Dei in epic showdown

Dramatics at the Rose Bowl will certainly create a shift in the next Super 25 football rankings.

The Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) was the setting for the CIF Southern Section Football Division I Championship between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, two of the best teams in the state and country — No. 1 vs. No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 rankings.

It had been 78 years since the iconic Southern California stadium hosted the championship game, and in the words of the legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson, the outcome had only one acceptable response: Whoa, Nelly!

The game started off much like the first matchup back on October 7—which Mater Dei won, 17-7—with both teams showing signs of momentum while mistakes kept either from building anything substantial heading into halftime.

Score at the half: 7-7.

It was a different tone in the final 24 minutes, though.

Behind resilient quarterback play from Pierce Clarkson—who missed the second half of the first game and had a scare in this one as well—and an impressive defensive effort, St. John Bosco fed off the Monarchs’ mistakes. The tie quickly shifted to a 24-13 Braves’ lead.

Mind you, when you’re within sight of Hollywood, the only fitting way to end such a game would be dramatically. And both teams didn’t miss a beat in the script as the fourth quarter progressed.

Overtime seemed like the destined outcome, but alas, Mater Dei landed just short of a two-point attempt, needing another possession and a miracle to keep the undefeated season intact.

In the end, however, it wasn’t meant to be for the top team in the country.

And scene: St. John Bosco 24, Mater Dei 22.

It’s the first time since 2019 that the Braves have beaten the Monarchs, with that epic comeback now having company with the 2022 championship game storyline.

As for the Super 25 rankings, the victory will weigh heavily on how the best teams in the country rank on Tuesday. And, of course, it raises a few questions…

Until then, here is how the rest of the action unfolded on Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

USA TODAY Sports Super 25 Scoreboard

1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)

Result: lost to St. John Bosco (Calif.) 24-22

2. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)

Season complete

3. Central (Miami, Fla.)

Result: defeated Norland (Fla.) 34-20

4. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

Result: defeated Mater Dei (Calif.) 24-22

5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)

Season complete

6. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)

Result: defeated Cardinal Newman (Fla.) 49-16

7. St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

Result: defeated Blanche Ely (Fla.) 35-7

8. Duncanville (Texas)

Result: defeated The Woodlands (Texas) 35-3

9. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.)

Season complete

10. North Shore (Houston, Texas)

Result: defeated Cinco Ranch (Texas) 49-21

11. Westlake (Austin, Texas)

Result: defeated San Benito (Texas) 44-7

12. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

Result: defeated Cardinal Gibbons (Fla.) 31-20

13. Guyer (Denton, Texas)

Result: defeated Byron Nelson (Texas) 59-41

14. Lipscomb Academy (Nashville, Tenn.)

Idle

15. Katy (Texas)

Result: defeated Summer Creek (Texas) 35-7

16. Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.)

Result: defeated O’Connor (Ariz.) 56-26

17. Langston Hughes (Fairburn, Ga.)

Result: defeated Woodward Academy (Ga.) 56-28

18. Lakeland (Fla.)

Result: defeated Lake Minneola (Fla.) 41-6

19. Serra (San Mateo, Calif.)

Result: defeated Archbishop Mitty (Calif.) 41-14

20. Southlake Carroll (Texas)

Result: defeated McKinney (Texas) 42-35

21. Colquitt County (Norman Park, Ga.)

Result: defeated North Gwinnett (Ga.) 52-17

22. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)

Result: defeated Gahanna Lincoln (Ohio) 31-7

23. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)

Result: defeated American Leadership Academy (Ariz.) 31-25

24. Buford (Ga.)

Season complete

25. Edgewater (Orlando, Fla.)

Result: lost to Jones (Fla.) 52-7

A top showdown at the Rose Bowl: Preview of Mater Dei-St. John Bosco rematch

A look at the championship clash between two of the top high school football teams in the country.

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.

Mater Dei decides not to play St. John Bosco at SoFi Stadium

Well, so much for that idea.

The top two high school football teams in the country might have played at the home of the LA Rams and LA Chargers later this season. However, one school has put the kibosh on the whole enterprise.

According to Eric Sondheimer at the Los Angeles Times, Mater Dei (Santa Ana) has decided not to play their matchup against St. John Bosco (Bellflower) at SoFi, though their opponents were willing.

Mater Dei's decision not to play at SoFi is a huge lost opportunity for high school football. It's the school's decision. St. John Bosco willing to play there. I'm sure next year Bosco would be willing to give up a home game, too. Loss for the kids who graduate this year.

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) September 14, 2022

Obviously, playing in an NFL stadium would have offered a much larger audience than these teams are normally accustomed to. SoFi Stadium has a capacity of 70,000 people and can get up to 100,000 for special events.

Odds are the Monarchs didn’t want to give up any advantage they might get from playing on their home field. So instead of playing on the big stage in Inglewood, they’ll host the Braves in Santa Ana on Friday, Oct. 7.

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