No. 11 Oaks Christian at No. 23 St. Bonaventure
Oaks Christian has won three straight after a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Murrieta Valley on Sept. 23. The Lions will travel to face the Seraphs from St. Bonaventure, who have lost two of their last three contests. St. Bonaventure will attempt to counter an Oaks Christian offense that has scored an average of 48.63 points per game. Junior quarterback Matt Corral leads the Lions’ offense, completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,474 yards and 18 touchdowns with just two interceptions. His go-to receiver is sophomore Mycah Pittman, who has caught 43 passes for 1,114 yards and nine touchdowns. The Lions will look to keep that connection alive and thriving against a Seraphs team that is in need of a win.
No. 1 Mater Dei vs. No. 12 Servite (at Angel Stadium)
Angel Stadium will harken back to its days as the home of the Los Angeles Rams on Friday when undefeated, top-ranked Mater Dei faces Trinity League rival Servite. The Friars fell to No. 8 Orange Lutheran last week and face a tougher test in Mater Dei, which is riding high after a close win over No. 2 St. John Bosco. Servite will run into a buzzsaw of an offense that has scored 422 points in eight games, but has an even better defense that has allowed just 8.75 points per contest. Sophomore quarterback J.T. Daniels (2,775 yards, 41 touchdowns, two interceptions) has completed 79 percent of his passes as the leader of the Monarchs’ powerful offense, which will face a Friars defense that surrendered 70 points to St. John Bosco and 42 to Orange Lutheran.
No. 24 St. Francis at No. 19 Cathedral
Two undefeated records are on the line with this Friday matchup. Fresh off a white-knuckle win over Salesian, the Phantoms meet an even better opponent in St. Francis, which has proven it can come away victorious in close battles. Led by quarterback Michael Bonds (100-of-157 passing, 1,510 yards, 18 touchdowns, three interceptions), the Golden Knights will look to notch their biggest win against a Cathedral squad that has posted shutouts in two of its last three contests and allows just 13.25 points per tilt. Only one team — likely the one with the stronger defense (St. Francis has quite a unit itself, allowing 15.375 points per game) — will exit undefeated.
No. 9 Chaminade at No. 22 Bishop Amat
Chaminade hasn’t lost a game in October and has won all but one contest all season. It meets a Bishop Amat squad that has won three of its last four, including a 38-21 triumph over Crespi last week. The Lancers will take the field for the final time in the regular season looking for their seventh win, and perhaps their biggest victory since defeating JSerra Catholic in early September. They’ll do so largely on the back of junior running back Dominic Barrera, who has rushed for 629 yards and five touchdowns on 137 carries. Amat will have to compete with a Chaminade offense that has scored 303 points in eight games, with much of the credit due to junior running back TJ Pledger, who has rushed for 1,271 yards and 17 touchdowns on 157 carries.
No. 3 Corona Centennial at No. 17 Norco
Norco hasn’t lost since the middle of September, but it faces a major hurdle in Centennial. Led by running back Miles Reed (174 carries, 1,408 yards, 23 touchdowns), the Huskies boast one of the most potent offenses in the Southern Section, averaging 53.75 points per game. They’ll meet a defense that has allowed just over 25 points per game, but also hasn’t met an offense like Centennial’s. Junior running back Travis Dye powers the Cougars’ offense, which will attempt to match the Huskies touchdown for touchdown in what should be a high-scoring affair.
