Mater Dei Holds Off St. Thomas Aquinas in National Showdown
The Monarchs win a top-five clash 28-21 and tighten their grip on the No. 1 spot in the national rankings.
Mater Dei held off a fourth-quarter rally from St. Thomas Aquinas to win 28-21 on Friday night at the Santa Ana Bowl, tightening the Monarchs grip on the No. 1 spot in the national high school football rankings.
Wide receiver Marcus Chen caught two touchdown passes and the Mater Dei defense forced a goal-line stand with under three minutes to play. St. Thomas Aquinas running back Tavon Starks rushed for 145 yards and a score in the loss.
"We knew it would take 48 minutes," Mater Dei head coach Bruce Rollinson said. "That is a championship football team over there."
Mater Dei improved to 12-0 and remains the favorite for a second straight national title.
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