Calif. —One of the biggest rivalries in California high school football delivered an all-time classic Friday night when Mater Dei slipped past St. John Bosco late for a 36-35 win at Santa Ana Stadium
The only thing missing were the shiny, unblemished records that are a common feature headed into this season-ending Trinity League showdown. And while the outcome will help determine the seeding heading into the postseason, the game didn’t carry the same weight as it often does when one or both of these teams enter the game with national title aspirations.
Both teams entered the game 7-2 overall and 3-1 in Trinity League play, and Mater Dei led much of the way after jumping on their visitors quickly right out of the gate. St. John Bosco fumbled on its first play from scrimmage, and Mater Dei’s Montana Toilolo pounced on it at the Braves’ 25. Two plays later, the Monarchs scored on a 19-yard jaunt by Paytyn Guess less than a minute into the game.
From there the two teams traded blows like the two heavyweights they are with St. John Bosco pulling even at 7-all before rallying again at 14-all to answer another Mater Dei tally. Even Mater Dei’s halftime lead of 21-14 only stood until the two teams returned from their respective corners after the half with the Braves drawing even at 21-all in the third quarter.
But then the flow of the fight started to favor St. John Bosco in the late middle rounds with the Braves eventually scoring 21 straight points to lead 35-21 with the Monarchs appearing to be on the ropes at that point.
But then Mater Dei landed a couple of counter-punches of its own to pull within 35-28 and, finally, 35-34 on a 12-yard Russell Sekona-to-Tristan Brown pass and catch with under a minute to play. At that point, the Monarchs decided to take their destiny into their own hands and go for the knockout. Sekona found Tyler Fritz on a 2-point conversion pass and the 36-35 lead.
The Monarchs defense held from there to preserve the come-from-behind win in a game they had actually controlled much of the way early on.
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Final — Mater Dei 36, St. John Bosco 35
And Mater Dei holds on for the comeback win in a game they led much of the way to begin. It’s an instant classic in this storied series.
Under a minute to play, and Mater Dei scores to make it a one-point game at 35-34. Then the Monarchs make a gutsy choice to go for two, and they convert to retake the lead!
St. John Bosco, 35, Mater Dei 28
Mater Dei cuts back into Bosco’s lead.
St. John Bosco 35, Mater Dei 21
Suddenly, St. John Bosco is up two touchdowns on Mater Dei. It’s 35-21.
Around 11 minutes to play in the game.
They head to the fourth quarter.
St. John Bosco 28, Mater Dei 21
And St. John Bosco scores its second touchdown of the third stanza, and for the first time all night, the Braves have the lead.
Mater Dei 21, St. John Bosco 21
And St. John Bosco has evened it up in the third quarter.
And the third quarter is under way.
The first half is in the books.
Mater Dei 21, St. John Bosco 14
Back and forth game here, and at the 1:25 mark, Mater Dei is back out front.
6:28 to play in the first half.
Mater Dei 14, St. John Bosco 14
St. John Bosco answers with a 64-yard scoring play.
Mater Dei 14, St. John Bosco 7
And on a 23-yard pass play, Mater Dei surges back into the lead with a little over eight minutes to play until halftime.
Mater Dei down to the Braves’ 20 with a first down.
Mater Dei on the move into St. John Bosco territory at the 49.
The second quarter is under way.
First Quarter — Mater Dei 7, St. John Bosco 7
And the first quarter comes to a close.
Mater Dei 7, St. John Bosco 7
And despite the early miscues with a fumble and turnover on downs, St. John Bosco finishes a drive to pull even at 7-all with the first quarter about to wrap up.
Bosco goes for another fourth down in Mater Dei territory, and this time they convert down to the Monarchs’ 22.
St. John Bosco in business again with a first down at Mater Dei’s 39.
4:19 to play in the opening period.
St. John Bosco drove it all the way to Mater Dei’s 15 where they went for a fourth down. The Monarchs’ defense is up to the challenge and gets the stop to turn the ball over on downs.
Mater Dei 7, St. John Bosco 0
St. John Bosco was on offense first. They fumbled on the first play of the game, and Mater Dei pounced on it at the Braves’ 25. The Monarchs take just two plays to score from there. We’re only 44 seconds into this one, and Mater Dei has the lead.
They are under way!
And it’s just about time! They’re conducting the coin toss in Santa Ana.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.
Preview
Who: St. John Bosco at Mater Dei
When: 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. local
Where: Santa Ana Stadium, Santa Ana, California
Livestream: NFHS Network
St. John Bosco enters the matchup ranked in the national Top 20 and brings an experienced offense led by junior quarterback Koa Malau’ulu. A three-year starter, Malau’ulu has thrown for nearly 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. He also has considerable experience against Mater Dei, having passed for 700 yards and four touchdowns in three previous meetings with the Monarchs.
Malau’ulu will have plenty of help from a talented supporting cast that includes running back Maliq Allen and wide receiver D.J. Tubbs. Allen has been a particularly important component of the Braves’ offensive attack, scoring four touchdowns in a 40-14 victory over JSerra earlier this month.
Mater Dei counters with a much younger quarterback in freshman Paytyn Guess, who showed considerable promise in last week’s 52-38 victory over Orange Lutheran. Guess threw for 150 yards and accounted for two touchdowns as the Monarchs extended their winning streak to three games. Running back Asir Nembhard, wide receiver Gavin Honore and a supporting cast that includes defensive back Isaiah Danns and linebacker Michael Davis give Mater Dei plenty of additional talent on both sides of the ball.
The Monarchs have found their offensive rhythm in recent weeks, scoring 131 points during their three-game winning streak. Their victory over Orange Lutheran was particularly impressive, considering they had to navigate a lengthy weather delay before eventually pulling away. Bosco, meanwhile, bounced back from its loss to Santa Margarita with a dominant 54-7 victory over Servite last week.
Defensively, there is reason to believe this one could be decided by a handful of critical plays. Both teams have allowed exactly 167 points through nine games, an average of just over 18 points per contest. Bosco has shown the ability to produce explosive offensive performances, while Mater Dei has demonstrated an ability to respond when games become difficult.
The rivalry has produced some memorable postseason encounters, and Friday’s meeting marks the 18th matchup between the programs since 2016. Seven of those meetings have come in the postseason, underscoring just how frequently these two Southern California powers have found themselves competing for championships.
Neither team can afford to overlook the importance of this one. With both still firmly in the hunt for a CIF Southern Section championship and a California Open Division title, the winner will carry considerable momentum into the postseason.
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KENDALL WEBB
Kendall began covering high school sports in East Texas as a high school student in the late 1980s. He served as the sports editor for the Gladewater Mirror early in his career while attending Kilgore College where he received an Associate of Arts with a major in journalism. He later completed his Bachelor of Journalism at The University of Texas at Austin. Webb later founded the College Football America Yearbook, publishing an annual edition every year from 2011 through 2022. Webb added a Master of Liberal Arts with a major in journalism from Harvard University in 2023, simultaneously completing a Graduate Certificate in Digital Storytelling. He has also written for The Sporting News and remains a passionate fan of sports at all levels. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2026.
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