Top-ranked Mater Dei leaves no doubt, throttles No. 2 St. Frances Academy

Bryce Young, who set a school record for passing a week ago, decided to use his legs on Saturday night in the biggest game of the 2019 season.

The Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) senior quarterback rushed for 104 yards and four touchdowns, leading his team to a convincing 34-18 victory over St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Md.) in a showdown of the top two ranked teams in the nation Saturday night.

Young, the top-rated dual threat quarterback in the country, also completed 19 of 30 passes for 250 yards, but that was largely between the 20s. It was his scrambling ability in the red zone that made all the difference. He came in with just 12 rushes for 37 yards and one touchdown in three lopsided victories.

But with the heavy pressure from the talented St. Frances Academy defensive front, Young scored on runs of 1, 11 and 13 yards in the first half alone as the top-ranked Monarchs (4-0) won the premier game of the Trinity League vs. USA Showcase at St. John Bosco in Bellflower (Calif.).

They also broke St. Frances Academy's 26-game win streak, one which it outscored opponents by an average score of 45-6. On this late Saturday night — it started at 10:30 p.m. EST — the second-ranked Panthers, who featured 16 players with FBS scholarship offers, were never really in it.

Last week, Young, a USC commit, set a school record by completing 31 of 37 passes for 528 yards and seven touchdowns in a 71-21 win at Centennial (Peoria, Ariz.). His yardage total was better than the long lineage of great Mater Dei quarterbacks, that included Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart (2004) and John Huarte (1964), along with Matt Barkley and JT Daniel, the MaxPreps Player of the Year in 2017.  

On Saturday, he showed off his arm on the game’s first scoring drive, completing eight passes for 81 yards, then completed the 97-yard drive with a one-yard plunge, giving the Monarchs a 7-0 lead. After a three-and-out and short punt, Young needed just three plays to go 40 yards, starting with a 25-yard completion to Cameron Leofa, and then he finished it off with an 11-yard TD run, making it 14-0 with 5:50 left in the first.

St. Frances Academy (3-1) showed some life, especially Blake Corum, who busted off a run of 35 yards and a catch and run of 24 yards to key a 64-yard scoring drive, capped by a 2-yard TD run by Osman Savage. The extra point missed. 

That was primarily the first-half highlight for the Panthers, who committed two turnovers that Mater Dei turned into 10 points, including a Young 13-yard run just before the half to make it 24-6. By then, both teams had rushed for exactly 115 yards, but Young had passed for 142 compared to just 26 for SFA.

When the Monarchs took the second half kickoff and marched right down the field 80 yards in five plays, capped by Young’s niftiest run, a 37-yard touchdown, they led 31-6 and this one was pretty much done.

Corum, a Michigan commit who was brilliant all night, ripped off a 54-yard touchdown run to make it 31-12. He added a 43-yard gain late that set up the game's final score in the final minutes, another short TD run by Savage, and finished with 186 yards rushing.

But the Monarchs had just too many offensive weapons. Young also completed 19 of 30 passes for 250 yards and his receiving corp of CJ Williams, Josiah Zamora, Kody Epps and Cristian Dixon were sure handed and effective all night against a defense that had allowed just 45 points over its last 13 games. Marceese Yetts also ran the ball effectively.

The Monarchs defense was also impressive against an offense that averages more than 500 yards per game. Junior linebacker Raesjon Davis and Andrew Fa'atoalia forced and recovered fumbles. Mater Dei's special teams were good also, especially kicker Race Mahlum who booted field goals of 32 and 39 yards.

The victory likely sets up yet another No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, as the Monarchs are scheduled to play Trinity League rival and current No. 3 St. John Bosco Oct. 25 on the same Panish Family Stadium.

This is the third straight season Mater Dei has broke major win streaks. In 2017, they busted a 55-game streak by Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), and last season the ended IMG Academy's 40-game streak.