Mater Dei versus St. John Bosco history lesson: Every score since 1966, game summaries since 2015

A heated high school football series dominated by Mater Dei early, now has evened out with twists and turns even during season

St. John Bosco (left) and Mater Dei during coin flip at the LA Memorial Coliseum in the 2023 CIF Southern Section Division 1 final. Mater Dei prevailed 35-7. / Photo: Heston Quan

It’s the hottest ticket in high school sports. Certainly in California. Unquestionably in Southern California. Even with the World Series, college football and the NBA going all week. 

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St. John Bosco versus Mater Dei is synonymous with elite high school football. Some believe it resembles a college game with between 50-70 future FBS players on combined 150-man rosters. This season is no different.

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As has been the case at least five other times since 2018, this game pits the No. 1 versus No. 2 teams in the nation, according to one of a couple national outlets. This season both SBLive Sports and MaxPreps have Mater Dei (7-0) No. 1 and St. John Bosco (8-0) No. 2. 

• ST. JOHN BOSCO AT MATER DEI: At a glance

The teams kickoff 7 p.m. Friday at the Santa Ana Stadium, Mater Dei’s off-campus home field. 

A sea of Monarchs and Braves during a 2022 game at Santa Ana Stadium, where Mater Dei prevailed 17-7 / Photo: Heston Quan

Here is capsule look at the games since 2015 when these two programs catapulted to the top of the national heap (SEE ALL SCORES OF EVERY GAME AT THE BOTTOM).

2016

Mater Dei 26, St. John Bosco 21, Oct. 21, Cerritos College: The Monarchs broke a six-game losing streak to Bosco, the longest win streak for the Braves in 43-game history of the series, by scoring 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. A 75-yard punt return for touchdown by Amon-ra St. Brown ignited Mater Dei early, TD pass from J.T. Daniels to Osiris St. Brown and 1-yard TD run by Shakobe Harper clinched it late.

St. John Bosco 42, Mater Dei 28, Dec. 3, Angels Stadium: The Braves ran the Monarchs into submission as Terrance Beasley rushed for 145 yards and one score, and Demetrious Flowers (129) and QB Re-al Mitchell (131 yards) rushed for two TDs each in a Southern Section D1 championship route. Daniels passed for 289 and two scores, but Jaiden Woodbey, S. Blaylock and Tyrel Thomas each at interceptions for the Braves.

Demetrious Flowers of St. John Bosco rushed for 129 yards, one of three SJB players, to rush for more than 100 yards in a 42-28 win over Mater Dei in 2016. / Photo: Heston Quan

2017

Mater Dei 31, St John Bosco 21, Oct. 13, El Camino College: Daniels not only completed 18 of 24 for 326 yards and two touchdowns, but he rushed eight times for 97 yards. Eight of his passes were caught by Amon-ra St. Brown for 206 yards and both touchdowns. It offset an impressive game from sophomore QB DJ Uiagalelei (12 of 22, 257 yards and touchdowns to Colby Bowman and Joshua Delgado.

Mater Dei 49, St. John Bosco 24, Dec. 2, Cerritos College: Nearly 12,000 fans showed up for this Southern Section D1 final and Daniels continued one of the finest seasons in school history — considering the long lineage of top QBs at Mater Dei that's saying a lot — as he completed 19 of 26 for 299 yards and five touchdowns, three to junior Bru McCoy. Many believe this was Mater Dei's finest team and iby outgaining the Braves, 464-301, the Monarchs went out and made its case. A three-TD flurry in the fourth added icing on the cake.

2018

St. John Bosco 41, Mater Dei 18, Oct. 13, Santa Ana Stadium: Jake Bailey (six catches, 161 yards) caught three of Uiagalelei's five touchdown passes in the first of four tremendous QB showdowns between he and Bryce Young, who was 23 of 41 for 309 yards and two touchdowns, one to Bru McCoy (nine catches, 114 yards).

Mater Dei 17, St. John Bosco 13, Nov. 23, Cerritos College: In perhaps the biggest upset in the series, Bosco, the No. 1 team in the country, the Mater Dei defense gave up a measly 200 yards against an offense that averaged 52 points and 455 yards per game. Harper and McCoy scored touchdowns and Nick Lopez kicked a field goal and two PATs.

2019

Mater Dei 38, St. John Bosco 24, Oct. 25, Pannish Family Stadium: Young set the tone for his Player of the Year season by accounting for 334 yards and five touchdowns as the Monarchs raced to a 24-10 halftime lead and never looked back on Bosco's beautiful new stadium. Kody Epps had 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns.

St. John Bosco 39, Mater Dei 34, Nov. 30, Cerritos College: In perhaps the greatest game in the series, Uigalelei's Hail Mary pass was knocked away in the end zone to complete another turnaround from the regular season game. The last duel between two of the state's greatest prep quarterbacks, Uiagalelei completed 26 of 38 passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns, two each to Kris Hutson and Logan Loya. Young was 25 of 41 for 405 yards and five touchdowns but he was sacked five times and threw three interceptions, one by Hutson.

Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson and St. John Bosco's Jason Negro always shook hands before and after games. / Photo: Heston Quan

2021

Mater Dei 34, St. John Bosco 17, April 17, Santa Ana Stadium: Though the game had no playoff or title implications of any kind, freshman quarter Elijah Brown led the Monarchs to one of the more important game in the series. After the pandemic postponed the entire fall season, Brown threw for 203 yards and four touchdowns, two to CJ Williams. Jabari Bates rushed 10 times for 126 yards and a touchdown for the Braves.

Mater Dei 42, St. John Bosco 21, Oct. 1, Pannish Family Stadium: Back to normal in the fall between the nation's top-two ranked teams, Brown was brilliant again completing just 13 passes, five for touchdowns and 263 yards as the Monarchs scored 21 unanswered points in the secodn half. Bosco's tandem QBs Katin Houser and Pierce Clarkson combined to throw for 389 yards but turnover and penalties thwarted the Braves' attempt for a comeback. The playoff rematch, for the only time since 2015, was thwarted by Servite, which defeated St. John Bosco 40-21 in the Southern Section semifinals.

2022

Mater Dei 17, St. John Bosco 7, Oct. 7, 2022, Santa Ana Stadium: A defensive stalemate, the Monarchs won for the third straight time in the series finished off with a late 38-yard touchdown run by sophomore RB Jordon Davison (22 carries, 114 yards). Future UCLA RB Cameron Jones rushed for 108 yards and Bosco's only touchdown. Jelani Davis had 13 tackles and Sabien Brown and Daryus Dixson had interceptions in Mater Dei's talented defensive backfield.

St. John Bosco's Cameron Jones (20) about to be taken down by Jeilani Davis (5) in Mater Dei's 17-7 win on Oct. 7, 2022. / Photo: Heston Quan

St. John Bosco 24, Mater Dei 22, Nov. 25, Rose Bowl: In an iconic venue, the Braves turned around a disappointed regular-season loss six weeks earlier as Davison was stopped one-yard short on a 2-point conversion try by Vertonio Weatherton with 3:08 left to preserve the win. It was Mater Dei's first loss since the 2019 section title game. Clarkson threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers, including a 72-yarder to Deandre Moore. It was the first varsity loss for Elijah Brown (21 of 30, 291 yards, two TDs), who had won his first 29 games. It was also the last game in the legendary 34-year career of Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson (339-86-2).

2023

St. John Bosco 28, Mater Dei 0, Oct., 14 Pannish Family Stadium: Not so stunning that Bosco, coming off a stunning loss in Hawai, previailed, but shutting out the Monarchs for the first time 2011. Jones rushed 21 times for 134 yards and caught a 17-yard touchdown from first-year starting quarterback Caleb Sanchez, The Braves defense, led by state Defensive Player of the Year Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Epi Sitanilei Usumalil and Maxwell Amasio, Peyton Woodyard and Tay Lockett, was everywhere.

Mater Dei 35, St. John Bosco 7, Nov. 24, 2023, LA Memorial Coliseum: As has been the case often in the series, the Monarchs turned the tables from the game six weeks earlier as Elijah Brown closed out his career with touchdown passes to Tomuhini and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and the defense did the rest, including a pick 6 from Abduall Sanders. Bosco was held to 14 yards rushing and 201 yards of total offense.

Mater Dei running back Jordon Davis is off to the races during the Monarchs 35-7 win over St. John Bosco for the 2023 CIF Southern Section Division I championship at the LA Memorial Coliseum. / Photo: Heston Quan

MATER DEI VS. ST. JOHN BOSCO HISTORY

YEAR	MATER DEI	ST. JOHN BOSCO
1966	42	6
1967	34	7
1977	29	3
1979	21	7
1980	10	7
1984	10	13
1985	27	3
1990	48	21
1991	35	7
1997	40	8
1998 (playoffs)	20	13
1999	28	0
2000	41	7
2001	38	28
2002	27	28
2003	24	17
2004	34	7
2005	20	0
2006	28	7
2008	35	6
2009	42	14
2010	31	10
2011	3	24
2012	19	27
2013	2	24
2013 (playoffs)	7	34
2014	25	28
2015	21	42
2016	26	21
2016 (playoffs)	28	42
2017	31	21
2017 (playoffs)	49	24
2018	18	41
2018 (playoffs	17	13
2019	38	24
2019 (playoffs	34	39
2021 spring game	34	17
2021 fall	42	21
2022	17	7
2022 (playoffs)	22	24
2023	0	28
2023 (playoffs)	35	7
TOTAL WINS	30	13
TOTAL POINTS (AVG.)	1,174 (27.3)	747 (17.4)
LONGEST WIN STREAK	8	6
MOST POINTS GAME	49 (2017 playoff)	42 (2015, 2016 playoff)
x SHUTOUT	1	2
WINS SINCE 2015	9	5
POINTS SINCE 2015	391	329
H2H PLAYOFF WINS