Last year’s top two finishers will begin the season where it left off. Mater Dei and North Shore finished among the top of several polls at the closing of the season. Both schools are coming off incredible runs to its state championship with returning key players and abundance of new talent.
The Monarchs and Mustangs want be the only teams looking for national attention.
The Monarchs got off to a great start in its opening game by roughing up rival No 14 Corona Centennial, 43-12. Mater Dei held a 35-0 advantage at the half. However, the road to the national want be easy. By seasons end, Mater Dei will have faced six nationally-ranked teams.
The remainder of the season could get interesting when the Monarchs travels to Arizona to face Centennial, one of the state’s top teams. The following week it will host national top ten St. Francis Academy of Maryland at John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. St. Johns College High school will follow the week after. Finally, it will close out a grinding schedule against rival No. 3 St. John Bosco and JSerra Catholic.
No. 2 North Shore will attempt to take down the No. 18 Katy Tigers for the third time in two seasons in a home game on Thursday night on ESPNU. Westfield and last year’s Division II Finalist Beaumont Westbrook will look to unseat the Division I champion.
No. 3 St. John Bosco dominated No. 21 Dematha, 36-7 in its first contest of the season. As rival Mater Dei, the Braves will have its work cut out as it takes on national rank schools with capable resumes.
Rank School City, State
1 Mater Dei Santa Ana, CA
2 North Shore Houston, TX
3 St. John Bosco Bellfower, CA
4 IMG Academy Bradenton, FL
5 Duncanville Duncaville, TX
6 St. Frances Academy Baltimore, MD
7 St. John’s College Washington, DC
8 Lakeland Lakeland, FL
9 St. Louis Honolulu, HI
10 Miami Central Miami, FL
11 St. Thomas Aquinas Ft. Lauderdale, FL
12 Lake Travis Austin, TX
13 Gonzaga Washington, DC
14 Centennial Corona, CA
15 Narbonne Harbor City, CA
16 Eastside Catholic Sammamish, WA
17 John Curtis River Ridge, LA
18 Katy Katy, TX
19 Bishop Gorman Las Vegas, NV
20 St. Joseph’s Prep Philadephia, PA
21 Dematha Hyattsville, MD
22 JSerra Catholic San Juan Capistrano, CA
23 Allen Allen, TX
24 Saguaro Scottsdale, AZ
25 De La Salle Concord, CA
