Top-ranked Mater Dei and Paraclete each rankings won their season-opening football games by wide margins last weekend, while defending state champion St. John Bosco lost an overtime heartbreaker in Florida.

Mater Dei, No. 1 in Division 1, posted a 31-7 triumph over Bishop Amat at La Puente on Aug. 25. The Monarchs --- also the No. 1-ranked team in the U.S. on MaxPreps’ pre-season “Xcellent 25” rankings --- will host the No. 2 team, Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, on Sept. 1 at Santa Ana Stadium (scheduled to be televised on Fox Prime Ticket).

Paraclete (No. 1 in Division 5) doubled the score on visiting Serrano 48-24 in Lancaster. But St. John Bosco (No. 2 in D-1, and No. 4 nationally) fell 9-3 in overtime to St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale (No. 5 in the U.S.) when Aquinas scored the game’s only touchdown in the extra period.

Among other Division 1 teams, Serra of Gardena (fourth) was edged by L.A. City Schools power Narbonne 17-14; fifth-ranked Chaminade easily beat Oaks Christian 47-10; and J.Serra (No. 7) outscored Corona del Mar 45-27.

In Division 5, St. Joseph of Santa Maria (No. 4) was defeated by Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks (a D-2 school) 41-22, but tenth-ranked Salesian overcame Verbum Dei 28-9. Crespi, ranked ninth in Division 3, blanked Sylmar 13-0.

Division 6’s St. Paul (fourth) downed Venice 34-10, and Bishop Diego (ninth) stopped Desert Pines (Las Vegas) 9-0. La Salle (No. 3 in D-8) was beaten by Arcadia 20-10.

Last week’s results also included:

St. Genevieve 63, Poly (Sun Valley) 0; Loyola 52, Fairfax 7; Alemany 36, San Fernando 7; Cathedral 27, Santa Fe 3; Servite 35, Norco 21; Santa Margarita 56, Downey 0; St. Bonaventure 26, El Camino Real 10; Cantwell-Sacred Heart 40, Glendale 6; Damien 20, Chino 10; Webb 44, St. Pius X-St. Matthias 7; Agoura 41, St. Monica 0; Mary Star 40, Don Bosco Tech 23; Santa Clarita Christian 36, St. Bernard 12; Villanova 76, Bright Star 14 (8-Man).

            This week’s games, in addition to Mater-Dei-Bishop Gorman, include the following:

            Aug. 31: Mira Costa at St. Francis, Chaminade at Mount Point View.

Sept. 1: La Salle at Monrovia, Santa Margarita at Loyola, St. Pius X-St. Matthias at Montclair, Santa Clara at St. Bernard, Glendora at Damien, St. Paul at Montebello, Duarte at Mary Star, Crean Lutheran at St. Anthony, Bishop Amat at Loyola Academy (Chicago), Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) at Birmingham, Calabasas at Salesian, Manual Arts at Verbum Dei, Alemany at J.Serra, Cathedral at Arcadia, Bishop Diego at Arroyo Grande, Righetti at St. Joseph (Santa Maria), Carnegie (Riverside) at Don Bosco Tech, Lawndale at St. Bonaventure, Servite at America Fork (Utah), Lynwood at Bishop Montgomery, Santa Clara at St. Bernard.

Sept. 2: St. Monica at Xavier Prep, St. Genevieve at Heritage Christian, Punahou (Hawaii) at Serra, Garces Memorial (Bakersfield) at St. John Bosco, Paraclete at Helix Charter (San Diego).