Mater Dei DL Semi Taulanga loves Utah culture, Polynesian pipeline to NFL

3-star Utes commit jokes he may change positions after scoring first prep TD as a tight end in the Monarchs' 59-14 victory over St. John Bosco

Mater Dei DL Semi Taulanga leads the Monarchs in pregame exercises before the Monarchs' 59-14 win over St. John Bosco at Santa Ana Stadium on Oct. 25, 2024 / Photo: Heston Quan

SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA — Semi Taulanga wasn't embarrassed to admit: He didn't know the play.

A couple hours after catching his first varsity touchdown as a tight end, the 6-foot, 300-pound defensive lineman for Mater Dei, the nation's No. 1 team, confessed he still didn't know the name of the play call.

It didn't matter because the Utah commit caught a 1-yard touchdown from Dash Beierly, one of four he threw all night, in a downright shocking 59-14 win over arch-Trinity League rival St. John Bosco Friday at Santa Ana Stadium.

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Taulanga's touchdown was one of several new wrinkles the Monarchs (8-0) put in, including a 35-yard flea-flicker touchdown from Beierly to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on Mater Dei's first offense play.

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Taulanga has played tight end a couple times before, including in a previous season, thus they changed his number permanately to 89 so he could be eligible. Still, this wasn't a play the future Ute had ever practiced, he said.

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"I got in the huddle, I didn't know the play so they told me to run the route," Taulanga said. "I ran the corner and looked back. I didn't think Dash was going to throw the ball to me. But as soon as he put the ball in the air I knew I had to catch it."

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He did and was mobbed by teammates because it was not only his first varsity catch, but also his first touchdown. Taulanga is more known for clogging up the middle on defense while recording 71 career tackles, 9.5 sacks and an interception. On Friday, he had three tackles, two which were solo.

"I didn't want to celebrate too much and get a (unsportsmanlike) penalty," he said after the touchdown. "I kept my celebration pretty simple."

Taulanga hopes to be celebrating much more, starting with a Trinity League crown if the Monarchs can win a home game Friday against a very capable Orange Lutheran team, which is ranked fourth in the Southern Section and the state.

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From there, Mater Dei hopes to win another CIF Southern Section Division I title which would all but assure them a spot in the CIF Open Division title game, which it won last season, 2021, 2018 and 2017.

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That would be a perfect send off to Utah, which Taulanga said is a perfect fit because of the school's connection to his faith and the football programs long lineage of Polynesian players that have made it to the NFL.

He has 12 offers overall including BYU, San Jose State and UCLA, which he all made official visits to. He committed to the Utes on July 27.

Asked if the Utes might considering look at him at tight end, Taulanga shrugged: "You never know," he said. "They saw the game."