St. John Bosco's football team prays before the game. (PHOTO COURTESY BOSCOFOOTBALL TWITTER)
Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, the nation’s and the Southland’s No. 1 and 2 teams (in varying order), posted impressive shutout wins on the road in Week 2 of the high school football season.
But Bishop Diego, which had taken over the top spot in Division 4, suffered a home loss, 27-3, to St. Bonaventure. And in an interdivisional matchup, Chaminade (No. 8 in D-1) won its first game in a big way, 49-3 over Paraclete (No. 3 in D-3) at Lancaster.
National No. 1 (by Maxpreps) St. John Bosco ripped Garces Memorial 56-0 at Bakersfield, piling up a 42-0 halftime bulge. Next up for the 2-0 Braves: a home game Aug. 31 against high-powered Mililani of Hawaii, which has averaged 44 points a game in winning its first three.
Local No. 1 (by the CIF-SS) Mater Dei ran past the country’s 12th-ranked team, Bishop Gorman, 42-0 at Las Vegas. The Monarchs — who last year ended Gorman’s 55-game winning streak with a 35-21 win at Santa Ana — were never threatened, as transfer quarterback Bryce Young threw four touchdown passes.
Mater Dei’s record (1-1) was negatively impacted by an opening forfeit loss to Bishop Amat. The Monarchs won the game 42-14, then discovered afterward that one of its new players had used up his eligibility; Mater Dei reported the violation, resulting in the forfeit.
Elsewhere in Division 1, No. 6 Serra of Gardena (1-0) won its opener, 41-22 over Serra of San Mateo; No. 7 Santa Margarita (1-1) lost 30-20 at Mission Viejo; No. 9 J.Serra (2-0) won 49-21 at Calabasas; and Servite (2-0) edged Norco in a 37-32 thriller.
Among last week’s ranked teams in Division 2, No. 3 Alemany (2-0) beat Charter Oak 33-3; No. 7 Cathedral (2-0) beat Arcadia 33-10; and No. 10 Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (0-1) lost its season opener, 23-13 at St. Francis of Mountain View.
In D-4, No. 10 Crespi (2-0) hammered Taft 64-0. St. Paul (No. 9 in D-5) went to 2-0 by defeating Lompoc 31-13. But St. Genevieve (No. 3 in D-10) feel to (1-1) after losing 49-14 at Simi Valley.
Last weekend also found Loyola winning its opener, 51-7 over Fairfax; Bishop Amat moving to 2-0 by beating Paramount 21-6; and Salesian edging La Salle 7-6.
Other results: Mira Costa 27, St. Francis 22; Linfield Christian 63, Santa Clara 0; Bishop Montgomery 20, South/Torrance 14; Warren 49, St. Anthony 14; Mary Star of the Sea 56, Whittier Christian 9; Damien 42, Claremont 7; Garey 24, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 12; Bolsa Grande 42, Don Bosco Tech 27; St. Joseph/Santa Maria 35, Pioneer Valley 19; St. Pius X-St. Matthias 35, Webb 7; Verbum Dei 48, Manual Arts 18; St. Bernard 22, Santa Clarita Christian 21; Xavier Prep 42, St. Monica/Santa Monica 0.
In eight-man football, St. Michael’s Prep beat St. Joseph Academy 46-28, and Fresno Christian downed Villanova Prep 46-30.
Mike Nelson is the former editor of the Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).
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