SoCal Rivals St. John Bosco, Mater Dei in Showdown Again with National Title on Line
SoCal prep football heavyweights St. John Bosco and Mater Dei — the top two teams in the HSFA national rankings — will once again square off in the D1 CIF Southern Section finals, in a Black Friday bonanza at the famed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The team that claims that title will likely earn the High School Footbal National Championship. Either Mater Dei and Bosco has won five of the last six HSFA national titles.
The 2023 stage was set for this third consecutive rematch Friday night (Nov. 17) when St. John Bosco defeated Centennial/Corona, 43-42, at the Coliseum, and Mater Dei bounced Sierra Canyon, 42-14, at SantaAna Stadium.
So St. John Bosco (11-1) will play the Monarchs (11-1) in the Division 1 championship for the the third season in a row. The game is Friday, Nov. 24th the day after Thanksgiving at the Coliseum. These prep powerhouses met in the CIF Southern Section’s top-division football championship game in 2013 and from 2016–'19.
Next Friday’s game could be a bitter battle after Mater Dei lost to St. John Bosco 28-0 on Oct. 13.
Under Nov. 18 Friday night lights, Mater Dei senior quarterback Elijah Brown (NDS No. 10 QB, No. 135 overall), a Stanford commit, completed 13 of 19 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Monarchs senior running back Ajon Bryant rushed for 110 yards including touchdown runs of one and 55 yards.
See Hall of Football's 2024 Prep recruit rankings
Mater Dei first-year head coach Frank McManus said Friday’s game continued to improve since the team was crushed by St. John Bosco last month.
“We’re almost where we need to be,” McManus said. “We’ll have a good week of practice next week and get ready for the next game. I’m excited about the opportunity to play (St. John Bosco) again.”
No. 13 Sierra Canyon finished 11-1. The Trailblazers were CIF-SS Division 2 champions last season. Trailblazers' junior quarterback Wyatt Becker, who committed to Utah on Wednesday, completed 20 of 41 passes for 251 yards and one touchdown. Junior running back Dane Dunn rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Mater Dei had a 28-7 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, Brown threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Brown and Trenton Dunn scored on a one-yard run to make it 42-7, and the game moved to a running clock (due to 35-point lead).
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No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Nevada) is still in the national championship hunt. On Nov. 21, Gorman will face No. 173 Liberty for the Class 5A Division I championship at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Gaels are looking for their 13th state title in the last 14 years.
No. 4 Chaminade-Madonna Lions (Florida) scored a big 48-0 victory over the Avant Garde Academy Sharks. Next, the Lions (10-0) clash with the Cardinal Newman Crusaders (West Palm Beach, FL) on Friday, Nov. 25. The Crusaders enter the match with a 11-0 record after their 14-6 non-league win over Benjamin (Palm Beach Gardens, FL).
HSFA Week 13 National Prep Rankings
The High School Football America 300, powered by NFL Play Football, is determined using HSFA's proprietary algorithm.
|
Rank |
Team & State |
Record |
Last Week |
|
1 |
St. John Bosco (California) |
(10-1) |
1 |
|
2 |
Mater Dei (California) |
(10-1) |
2 |
|
3 |
Bishop Gorman (Nevada) |
(11-0) |
3 |
|
4 |
Chaminade-Madonna (Boca Raton Florida) |
(10-0) |
4 |
|
5 |
IMG Academy (Florida) |
(9-0) |
5 |
|
6 |
St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida) |
(10-1) |
6 |
|
7 |
St. Joseph's Prep (Pennsylvania) |
(9-1) |
7 |
|
8 |
Mill Creek (Georgia) |
(11-0) |
8 |
|
9 |
DeSoto (Texas) |
(10-0) |
9 |
|
10 |
Buford (Georgia) |
(10-1) |
10 |
|
11 |
Colquitt County (Georgia) |
(11-0) |
11 |
|
12 |
Massillon Washington (Ohio) |
(13-0) |
12 |
|
13 |
Sierra Canyon (California) |
(11-0) |
13 |
|
14 |
St. Edward (Ohio) |
(12-1) |
14 |
|
15 |
Cocoa (Florida) |
(10-1) |
15 |
|
16 |
American Heritage (Plantation Florida) |
(8-1) |
16 |
|
17 |
North Shore (Texas) |
(11-0) |
17 |
|
18 |
Walton (Georgia) |
(11-0) |
18 |
|
19 |
Duncanville (Texas) |
(9-1) |
19 |
|
20 |
Corona Centennial (California) |
(9-2) |
20 |
|
21 |
Center Grove (Indiana) |
(11-1) |
21 |
|
22 |
Good Counsel (Maryland) |
(9-1) |
22 |
|
23 |
Norland (Florida) |
(11-0) |
23 |
|
24 |
Miami Central (Florida) |
(8-3) |
24 |
|
25 |
Archbishop Hoban (Ohio) |
(11-1) |
25 |
|
26 |
Kahuku (Hawaii) |
(10-2) |
26 |
|
27 |
Westlake (Austin Texas) |
(11-0) |
27 |
|
28 |
Central (Phenix City Alabama) |
(11-0) |
28 |
|
29 |
Lincoln (San Diego California) |
(11-0) |
29 |
|
30 |
DeMatha (Maryland) |
(9-1) |
30 |
|
31 |
Liberty (Arizona) |
(9-1) |
31 |
|
32 |
Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) |
(9-1) |
32 |
|
33 |
Serra (San Mateo California) |
(11-0) |
33 |
|
34 |
Saraland (Alabama) |
(11-0) |
34 |
|
35 |
Loyola Academy (Illinois) |
(12-0) |
35 |
|
36 |
Toledo Central Catholic (Ohio) |
(13-0) |
36 |
|
37 |
Mount Carmel (Chicago Illinois) |
(11-1) |
37 |
|
38 |
Corner Canyon (Utah) |
(12-1) |
38 |
|
39 |
Butler (North Carolina) |
(11-1) |
39 |
|
40 |
Carrollton (Georgia) |
(10-1) |
40 |
|
41 |
East St. Louis (Illinois) |
(9-2) |
41 |
|
42 |
St. Frances Academy (Maryland) |
(5-5) |
42 |
|
43 |
McCallie (Tennessee) |
(10-1) |
43 |
|
44 |
Aledo (Texas) |
(11-0) |
44 |
|
45 |
Edgewater (Florida) |
(11-0) |
45 |
|
46 |
Ben Davis (Indiana) |
(11-1) |
52 |
|
47 |
Jones (Orlando Florida) |
(8-3) |
51 |
|
48 |
Centennial (Arizona) |
(9-1) |
47 |
|
49 |
Basha (Arizona) |
(9-1) |
48 |
|
50 |
Chandler (Arizona) |
(8-2) |
49 |
|
51 |
Venice (Florida) |
(9-2) |
54 |
|
52 |
Mililani (Hawaii) |
(10-1) |
53 |
|
53 |
St. Thomas More (Louisiana) |
(10-0) |
55 |
|
54 |
Belleville (Michigan) |
(12-0) |
56 |
|
55 |
Gainesville (Georgia) |
(11-0) |
59 |
|
56 |
Katy (Texas) |
(10-1) |
58 |
|
57 |
St. John's College HS (Washington DC) |
(5-5) |
46 |
|
58 |
Destrehan (Louisiana) |
(10-0) |
62 |
|
59 |
South Oak Cliff (Texas) |
(9-2) |
63 |
|
60 |
Highland (Arizona) |
(8-2) |
64 |
|
61 |
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Georgia) |
(13-0) |
65 |
|
62 |
Summer Creek (Texas) |
(10-1) |
66 |
|
63 |
Bixby (Oklahoma) |
(10-0) |
67 |
|
64 |
Atascocita (Texas) |
(9-2) |
68 |
|
65 |
Baylor (Tennessee) |
(9-2) |
69 |
|
66 |
Brownsburg (Indiana) |
(9-1) |
57 |
|
67 |
De La Salle (California) |
(9-2) |
71 |
|
68 |
Folsom (California) |
(9-2) |
72 |
|
69 |
Clay-Chalkville (Alabama) |
(10-0) |
73 |
|
70 |
Thompson (Alabama) |
(9-1) |
74 |
|
71 |
Homestead (Florida) |
(8-1) |
75 |
|
72 |
Benedictine (Georgia) |
(11-0) |
76 |
|
73 |
Columbus (Miami Florida) |
(9-2) |
77 |
|
74 |
Male (Kentucky) |
(11-1) |
78 |
|
75 |
Servite (California) |
(7-5) |
95 |
|
76 |
Long Beach Poly (California) |
(10-2) |
50 |
|
77 |
Byron Nelson (Texas) |
(11-0) |
80 |
|
78 |
Lakeland (Florida) |
(8-3) |
81 |
|
79 |
Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) |
(9-4) |
89 |
|
80 |
Orange Lutheran (California) |
(5-6) |
70 |
|
81 |
Santa Margarita (California) |
(5-6) |
79 |
|
82 |
Providence Day (North Carolina) |
(11-1) |
84 |
|
83 |
South Florence (South Carolina) |
(12-0) |
85 |
|
84 |
Grimsley (North Carolina) |
(12-0) |
86 |
|
85 |
Northwestern (South Carolina) |
(11-1) |
87 |
|
86 |
Imhotep Charter (Pennsylvania) |
(11-0) |
88 |
|
87 |
Archbishop Spalding (Maryland) |
(9-2) |
91 |
|
88 |
Granite Hills (El Cajon California) |
(11-0) |
173 |
|
89 |
Lake Travis (Texas) |
(8-2) |
125 |
|
90 |
Carlsbad (California) |
(10-1) |
61 |
|
91 |
Southlake Carroll (Texas) |
(10-1) |
94 |
|
92 |
Vandegrift (Texas) |
(10-1) |
60 |
|
93 |
Langston Hughes (Georgia) |
(9-2) |
96 |
|
94 |
St. Augustine (Florida) |
(10-0) |
97 |
|
95 |
Treasure Coast (Florida) |
(8-2) |
98 |
|
96 |
Seminole (Sanford Florida) |
(9-2) |
99 |
|
97 |
Rome (Georgia) |
(10-1) |
100 |
|
98 |
Armwood (Florida) |
(10-1) |
101 |
|
99 |
Buchholz (Florida) |
(11-0) |
102 |
|
100 |
Skyridge (Utah) |
(11-2) |
114 |