Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) once again asserted its dominance in high school football. Ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25, they surged to an emphatic 59-14 win over St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), marking the first time since 2010 that the Braves faced a running clock under head coach Jason Negro.
The game was Bosco’s largest defeat since the Monarchs triumphed over them 49-24 in the 2017 CIF Southern Section Division 1 title game.
Mater Dei’s senior quarterback, Dash Beierly, delivered a stellar performance, completing 20 of 28 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns, while adding a 40-yard rushing touchdown. The Monarchs will conclude their regular season this Friday against No. 15 Orange Lutheran (Orange).
Following the defeat, Bosco slid to No. 8 and will seek redemption in their next game against JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano).
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) joins the MaxPreps Top 25, landing at No. 17 after a resounding 35-7 victory over Clearwater Central Catholic (Clearwater, Fla.). The Panthers, on a four-game winning streak, face a high-stakes matchup against No. 5 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) this Friday. Their three prior losses came against top-ranked teams, No. 1 Mater Dei, No. 4 Duncanville (Texas), and No. 15 Orange Lutheran, with a combined margin of only 17 points.
In Texas, No. 7 North Shore (Houston) earned its biggest victory of the season, edging out Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 27-23 with a last-minute touchdown from Kaleb Bailey to Quanell Farrahkan Jr. The loss dropped Atascocita to No. 19 as they prepare to face Channelview (Texas) on Friday.
No. 20 Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah) will commence postseason play this week, hosting Westlake (Saratoga Springs) on Friday. The defending 6A state champions have been on a seven-game win streak, the last four without their standout quarterback, Helaman Casuga, who was injured in a tight 21-14 victory over Mountain Ridge (Herriman, Utah) on September 20.
MaxPreps Top 25 football rankings
1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 1
Last week: Beat St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 59-14
This week: Friday vs. No. 15 Orange Lutheran (Orange)
2. Milton (Ga.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 3
Last week: Beat Johns Creek 56-0
This week: Friday vs. Roswell
3. Duncanville (Texas)
Record: 7-0 | Last week: 4
Last week: Beat Horn (Mesquite) 52-7
This week: Friday vs. Mesquite
4. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Record: 8-1 | Last week: 5
Last week: Beat Desert Pines (Las Vegas) 61-0
This week: Friday at Coronado (Henderson)
5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Record: 6-1 | Last week: 6
Last week: Beat East St. Louis (Ill.) 14-13
This week: Friday at No. 17 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)
6. Carrollton (Ga.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 7
Last week: Idle
This week: Friday at Douglas County (Douglasville)
7. North Shore (Houston)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 8
Last week: Beat Atascocita (Humble) 27-23
This week: Friday vs. King (Houston)
8. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)
Record: 8-1 | Last week: 2
Last week: Lost 59-14 to Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
This week: Friday vs. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano)
9. Mission Viejo (Calif.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 9
Last week: Beat Edison (Huntington Beach) 49-24
This week: Friday vs. Los Alamitos
10. North Crowley (Fort Worth, Texas)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 10
Last week: Beat Boswell (Fort Worth) 67-0
This week: Friday vs. Mansfield
11. Archbishop Spalding (Severn, Md.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 11
Last week: Beat Loyola Blakefield (Towson) 56-3
This week: Saturday at Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore)
12. Buford (Ga.)
Record: 8-1 | Last week: 12
Last week: Beat Mountain View (Lawrenceville) 49-7
This week: Friday at Mill Creek (Hoschton)
13. Boyle County (Danville, Ky.)
Record: 9-0 | Last week: 13
Last week: Beat Wayne County (Monticello) 55-0
This week: Friday vs. Frederick Douglass (Lexington)
14. Lakeland (Fla.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 14
Last week: Beat Kathleen (Lakeland) 47-6
This week: Idle
15. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
Record: 7-2 | Last week: 15
Last week: Beat Servite (Anaheim) 38-0
This week: Friday at No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
16. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.)
Record: 8-2 | Last week: 17
Last week: Beat Cardinal Gibbons (Fort Lauderdale) 62-17
This week: Idle
17. St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)
Record: 6-3 | Last week: NR
Last week: Beat Clearwater Central Catholic (Clearwater, Fla.) 35-7
This week: Friday vs. No. 5 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
18. Venice (Fla.)
Record: 8-1 | Last week: 18
Last week: Beat Sarasota 76-0
This week: Friday at Riverview Sarasota (Sarasota)
19. Atascocita (Humble, Texas)
Record: 7-1 | Last week: 16
Last week: Lost 27-23 to North Shore (Houston)
This week: Friday at Channelview
20. Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah)
Record: 9-1 | Last week: 19
Last week: Idle
This week: Friday vs. Westlake (Saratoga Springs)
21. Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.)
Record: 7-1 | Last week: 20
Last week: Beat St. Joseph Regional (Montvale) 28-17
This week: Saturday vs. Seton Hall Prep (West Orange)
22. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
Record: 8-0 | Last week: 22
Last week: Beat Monte Vista (Danville) 42-7
This week: Friday at California (San Ramon)
23. Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
Record: 7-2 | Last week: 23
Last week: Beat Norco 60-21
This week: Friday at Chaparral (Temecula)
24. DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.)
Record: 7-1 | Last week: 24
Last week: Beat St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) 31-15
This week: Friday vs. Bishop McNamara (Forestville)
25. DeSoto (Texas)
Record: 6-2 | Last week: 25
Last week: Beat Cedar Hill 63-24
This week: Friday vs. Skyline (Dallas)
