The stage is set, the curtain raised, battle lines drawn — etcetera, etcetera — for the biggest game of the high school football season in Southern California and perhaps in the country.
Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, the two highest ranked prep teams locally and nationally, each won big over the weekend, setting up their head-to-head showdown Oct. 25 at Parish Family Stadium in Bellflower that will decide the Trinity League title and, most likely, the top seed in the Division 1 playoffs starting two weeks later.
The top-ranked Monarchs blanked Santa Margarita 45-0, and the second-ranked Braves clobbered Orange Lutheran 63-6. n the other Trinity League game, Servite (loser by one point to St. John Bosco) defeated J.Serra 34-21.
Entering their game this Friday, both Mater Dei and St. John Bosco are 8-0 overall and 3-0 in league play. The other Trinity League contests this week have Servite (5-3, 1-2) at Santa Margarita (3-5, 0-3), and Orange Lutheran (4-4, 1-2) at J.Serra (5-3, 1-2).
In the Mission League, Bishop Amat ran its league-leading record to 3-0 by beating Serra 20-13. Alemany edged Chaminade 35-28 in overtime, and Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks held off Loyola 29-23. This week, Bishop Amat (7-1 overall, winners of five straight) hosts Notre Dame (6-2, 2-1); Loyola (3-4, 1-1) hosts Chaminade (3-5, 1-2); and Serra (4-4, 0-3) is at Alemany (6-1, 1-2).
The discrepancy in Alemany’s and Loyola’s loss totals is due to each team taking a league loss as a result of their cancelled game of the previous week as a result of fires and smoke. The schools could not agree on a date to reschedule, and the Mission League principals voted Oct. 19 that each team take a loss to be counted in league play but not in their overall records.
A Del Rey League showdown is set for Oct. 25 in Santa Fe Springs, with St. Anthony (5-4, 3-0 in league) at St. Paul (6-2, 2-0). The Saints rallied to beat St. Genevieve 20-14 in overtime while the Swordsmen whipped Harvard-Westlake 49-7.
La Salle (5-3, 0-2) defeated Victor Valley 50-32 in a non-league game, and will host St. Genevieve (4-4, 0-2) this week,
The first week of Angelus League play saw Cathedral dominate Salesian 51-0, while Crespi outscored St. Francis 42-35. This week Cathedral (4-4, 1-0) is at Crespi (5-3, 1-0), and St. Francis (6-2, 0-1) is at Salesian (1-7, 0-1).
In the Santa Fe League, St. Pius X-St. Matthias remained unbeaten by toppling St. Bernard 34-19, and Verbum Dei beat Don Bosco Tech 38-20. St. Pius X-St. Matthias (7-0, 1-0) hosts Verbum Dei (2-6, 1-0) and Bosco Tech (1-7, 0-1) is at St. Bernard (3-4, 1-7) this week.
Mary Star took charge of the
Camino Real League race by handing St. Monica/Santa Monica its first loss, 34-19, and Cantwell-Sacred Heart outlasted Bishop Montgomery 41-32. On Oct. 25, Mary Star (7-1, 1-0) hosts Cantwell-Sacred Heart (6-2, 1-0), and St. Monica (6-1, 0-1) is at Bishop Montgomery (1-7, 0-1).
Elsewhere:
Baseline League: Damien (4-4, 1-2) lost 46-14 to Rancho Cucamonga, and this week plays at Etiwanda (5-3, 2-1).
Marmonte League: St. Bonaventure (5-4, 1-2) fell 48-13 to league leader Oaks Christian (4-4, 2-0), and this week is idle.
Non-league: Paraclete defeated Bishop Diego 44-13. This week Paraclete (6-3) is idle, and Bishop Diego (3-5, 0-2) is at Moorpark in a Camino League affair.
Eight-Man Football, St. Michael’s was beaten 65-22 by Sage Hill in an Express League game, and Villanova lost 61-6 to Cate in a Mt. Pinos League game. This week St. Michael’s (6-2, 2-2) hosts Avalon (4-3, 3-0); Villanova (3-2, 0-1) is at Thacher; and Santa Clara (3-1) is at Lancaster Baptist.
