No. 2-ranked Mater Dei rallies from 14 down to beat No. 6 Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — A bend-but-don’t break mentality helped Santa Ana Mater Dei snatch a season-opening victory from the jaws of defeat, 24-21 over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman on Friday night.
“The kids believed,” coach Bruce Rollinson said. “We calmed them down at halftime. My coaches did a great job in the second half.
“People ask me all the time, ‘When are you going to retire?’ Why would I? There’s a lot of guys not doing anything on Friday night and I get to do this. It’s not a bad way to earn a living.”
Rollinson called the matchup of nationally ranked teams a “good learning game.”
St. John Bosco High quarterback Pierce Clarkson passed for three touchdowns and ran for another in a 52-14 victory over Texas powerhouse Allen.
After the Monarchs rallied from a two-touchdown deficit, senior kicker Andre Medina gave them their first lead with 3:37 left on a 25-yard field goal.
“That kicker never played a varsity football game,” Rollinson said. “He’s a former soccer kid. I think he should go put all his money on red tonight. He was just ice.”
With their defense on the field clinging to a three-point lead, the Monarchs came up with a 13-yard sack on third and 12 that pushed the Gaels out of field goal range.
“[Eric] Johnson is a master,” Rollinson said of his defensive coordinator. “He just threw caution to the wind on two series and we blitzed every play. We got the job done when we were supposed to get the job done.”
Mater Dei had to outscore the Gaels 24-7 after falling behind 14-0 in the first 10-plus minutes. Mater Dei didn’t force a punt until the 11:01 mark of the second quarter.
How The Times’ top 25 high school football teams fared Friday.
The crowd at Fertitta Field serenaded the Monarchs to an “o-ver-rated” chant. Mater Dei was ranked No. 2 while Bishop Gorman sat at No. 6
Bishop Gorman was aided by a fiery defensive attack that didn’t allow Mater Dei junior quarterback Elijah Brown to find his rhythm early. Brown eventually was able to stand in the pocket and deliver strike after strike, battling back from several sacks in the first quarter.
Senior receiver Jordan Onovughe was his biggest target, reeling in their first touchdown on a twirling, back-pylon grab with 5:51 to go in the first half. He made a similar catch with less than a minute left before halftime to bring them to within striking distance. But whatever energy that mustered was zapped on the next play when Brown was intercepted in the end zone with just nine seconds left.
That wasn’t the only momentum loss for Mater Dei. Senior defensive lineman RJ Fineanganofo batted a Bishop Gorman pass at the line, hauling it in for an interception that looked as if it would yield points on the return, but Fineanganofo was stripped of the ball inside the 10-yard line, allowing the Gaels to recover.
Sophomore receiver Marcus Harris made the game-tying snag for Mater Dei just as the fourth quarter opened.
On the ensuing drive, the Monarchs defense provided several opportunities for the cold Gaels, committing penalty after penalty, including roughing the passer. Still, the defense was able to get off the field without giving up points, forcing a missed field goal with 6:53 left in regulation.
Devin Samples rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown in 33 carries in Long Beach Poly’s 17-3 victory over Gardena Serra on Friday night.
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