As far as regular season games go, Friday night’s Trinity League matchup between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, two of the best teams in the country, is as good as it gets.
USA Today has Mater Dei ranked third in the nation. St. John Bosco is ranked 10th. And at Cerritos College on Friday, what’s being billed as the “game of the year” thus far will kickoff at 7:30 p.m.
Mater Dei boasts a 7-0 record and a dynamic quarterback in J.T. Daniels, who already has set the school record with 40 touchdowns. His completion percentage is north of 80 percent and he averages 377.1 yards a game.
Mike Moschetti, the head coach of La Mirada — which lost to Mater Dei 48-0 in September — told the Los Angeles Times that Daniels reminds him of “Tom Brady and Joe Montana in one.”
“I’ve never seen a high school quarterback with his poise,” he said. “We did a million different things on defense. We dropped nine and blitzed everybody, and he knew exactly what to do.”
Daniels’ favorite targets are the St. Brown brothers — Osiris and Amon-ra. Their stats are nearly equivalent, with the duo combining for 1,257 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Mater Dei averages nearly 60 points a game and boasts explosive packages both in the air and on the ground. The Monarchs, though, will be tested by St. John Bosco in a matchup that could determine the fate of the Trinity League this season.
The Braves have claimed the last five Trinity League championships, winning 23 consecutive league games. They have also won their last six matchups against Mater Dei, not dropping a game since 2010.
If any team were equipped to slow down Mater Dei, it would be St. John Bosco. Defensive end Jacob Callier and safety Jalen Woodbey keys a Braves defense that is allowing just 10.5 points a game.
On offense, quarterback Re-al Mitchell is a dual threat who is likely the fastest player on the team. He is third on the team in rushing with 457 yards and second with eight rushing touchdowns. He can also zip the ball, completing passes at a 66 percent clip for 1,286 yards and 13 touchdowns. Berkeley Holman and Terrell Bynum are his two favorite targets.
But Mater Dei is also stellar on defense, giving up just seven points a game. For two high-scoring teams that average upwards of 40 points on a weekly basis, a low-scoring game could be in the books.
Regardless, the game is sure to be a dandy with a packed house watching two of the best teams in the country.
Said St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro to High School Football America: “Honestly, this is one of the reasons why we coach at a school like Bosco, because it gives us an opportunity to play in games like this.”
The game will be televised on Fox Sports West.
Prep2Prep's Eric He will be covering the game. Follow him on Twitter @erichesports for live coverage.
