Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) showcased its dominance in high school football with a commanding 59-14 victory over No. 2 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), making a strong case for their No. 1 ranking. This marked the first time since 2010 that a team led by Jason Negro, St. John Bosco’s head coach, experienced a running clock.

The loss was the Braves’ most substantial since their 49-24 defeat to Mater Dei in the 2017 Southern Section Division 1 championship. The Monarchs surged to an early lead, capitalizing on a forced fumble from Daniel Odom during Bosco’s opening drive. Dash Beierly quickly connected with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on a 35-yard touchdown via a flea-flicker, giving Mater Dei a 7-0 edge. Mater Dei’s momentum only grew from there, amassing 34 points in a stellar second quarter.

Jordon Davison’s early score pushed the lead to 17-0 in the second quarter. Beierly followed with a 40-yard touchdown run before Aaryn Washington intercepted Bosco’s freshman quarterback Koa Malau’ulu, returning it for another score. By halftime, the Monarchs held a commanding 45-0 lead, with Beierly amassing 309 passing yards, four touchdowns, and a rushing score.

Mater Dei will conclude their regular season against No. 15 Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) on Nov. 1. The Lancers also impressed with a 38-0 shutout victory over Servite (Anaheim, Calif.).

In Texas, No. 8 North Shore (Houston) edged No. 16 Atascocita (Humble) 27-23 in a nail-biter. With six seconds left, Kaleb Bailey threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Quanell Farrahkan Jr., sealing North Shore’s ninth consecutive victory over Atascocita. Bailey’s 35-yard pass to Cameron Smith set up the winning play, after Smith’s incredible juggling catch. The Eagles played without star running back Tory Blaylock until the fourth quarter.

No. 6 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) required overtime to clinch a 14-13 victory over previously unbeaten East St. Louis (Ill.). A blocked PAT on East St. Louis’s overtime score opened the door for IMG, who won on Ty Hawkins’s fourth-down touchdown pass to Eric Mcfarland III.

Meanwhile, Dia Bell led American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) to a thrilling 42-38 win over No. 21 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), overcoming a 38-28 deficit in the fourth quarter. Bell completed 19 of 22 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns, along with 117 rushing yards and an additional score.

No. 20 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) and No. 24 DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) both claimed Saturday victories. Bergen Catholic secured their seventh straight win with a 28-17 triumph over St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.). DeMatha staged a second-half comeback against St. John’s (Washington, D.C.), ultimately winning 31-15 after trailing 7-0 at halftime.