High School

Mater Dei dominates St. John Bosco to win CIF Division 1 championship: Live updates recap

The Monarchs' defense is impenetrable and outscores the Bosco offense on its own

Mike Swanson

Mater Dei left no doubt Friday night against St. John Bosco at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

Mater Dei grabbed two pick-sixes on defense and cruised to a 35-7 win over St. John Bosco in the Division 1 CIF Southern Section championship game.

Abduall Sanders and Zabien Brown each had a pick-six for the Monarchs, and Zeus Venegas led a dominant performance by the defensive line.

Read below for our live-updates recap from the Division 1 Southern Section final between Mater Dei (12-1) and St. John Bosco (11-2).

California high school football playoffs scoreboard

CIF football playoff brackets

FINAL: Mater Dei 35, St. John Bosco 7

FOURTH QUARTER UPDATES

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Incomplete pass from Caleb Sanchez on fourth down and that should do it with about five minutes left. Mater Dei ball leading 35-7.

TOUCHDOWN MATER DEI! Monarchs get their second pick-six of the day as Zabien Brown returns the interception 12 yards for a score. It's 35-7 Mater Dei with 8:47 left.

TOUCHDOWN MATER DEI! Big man Tomu Topui scores on a 15-yard screen pass and it's 28-7 Monarchs with 9:02 left.

FUMBLE! Bosco forces the punt, then fumbles the return. Mater Dei ball on the Bosco 27, leading 21-7.

THIRD QUARTER UPDATES

On to the fourth, Mater Dei ball leading 21-7, with a fourth and 1 on its own 30. Viliamu-Asa with an amazing tackle on second down.

TOUCHDOWN BOSCO! That sign of life has arrived. After a fantastic third-down catch by Tommy Maher earlier in the drive, Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa makes a juggling TD grab. It's 21-7 Mater Dei with 1:53 left.

TOUCHDOWN MATER DEI! Elijah Brown hits Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 44-yard touchdown pass and the Monarchs take what feels like an insurmountable 21-0 lead with 3:50 left in the quarter. Braves offense desperately needs to start showing some life.

If you like punting, this is the game for you.

Bosco still can't get anything going. It's Mater Dei ball on the Monarchs' 47 with 6:14 left in the quarter, leading 14-0.

The Braves get a first down on a nice run and then catch, but then has to punt. Mater Dei ball on its own 28 with 9:39 left in the quarter, up 14-0. 

We're back! Bosco starts the second half from its own 21.

HALFTIME STATS

Each team has only 65 yards of total offense. St. John Bosco holds a 5-4 edge in first downs, and Mater Dei won the time of possession battle 12:20-11:40. Other than the score, it's been a very even game dominated by defense, especially Max Amasio for Bosco and Zeus Venegas for Mater Dei.

SECOND QUARTER UPDATES

Mater Dei just misses a big play from Elijah Brown to Marcus Harris on third down and we head to halftime with the Monarchs leading 14-0:

Bosco gets a 33-yard play from Tommy Maher but ends up having to punt after drawing a false start penalty on fourth and 3. Mater Dei up 14-0 with 4:10 left in the half.

TOUCHDOWN MATER DEI! Jordon Davison cuts through the defense for a 10-yard TD run to make it 14-0 Monarchs with 6:41 left in the half.

Fourth and 2 coming up for Mater Dei on the Bosco 12.

FIRST QUARTER UPDATES

And that's a wrap on the first quarter. Mater Dei's defense picks up its struggling offense and leads 7-0 heading into the second quarter with the ball.

TOUCHDOWN MATER DEI! Abduall Sanders grabs a 51-yard pick-six and Mater Dei takes a 7-0 lead with 2:13 left. What a momentum swing. 

And Mater Dei kicks it right back to Bosco after another three-and-out. Bosco ball on the Mater Dei 46 with 2:51 left. A Max Amasio sack forced the punt.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS! Mater Dei ball on its own 28 with just over four minutes left in the quarter after a pass breakup on fourth down. Still 0-0.

Penalties killing Mater Dei early. Bosco in Mater Dei territory with less than seven minutes left.

Roughing the passer keeps Bosco's drive alive:

Three-and-out on the first drive of the game, and St. John Bosco will start on its own 21.

And away we go! Nice return by Marcus Harris and Mater Dei starts on its own 38.

We're almost there! Mater Dei will get the ball first after Bosco defers.

PREGAME VIEWING

SBLive's Tarek Fattal breaks down the matchup:

PREGAME READING

St. John Bosco (11-1) beat Mater Dei (11-1) in last year's final at the Rose Bowl, 24-22, and defeated the Monarchs in Trinity League play earlier this season, 28-0.

Despite being shut out by Bosco earlier this season, Calpreps.com predicts Mater Dei to win 28-17 Friday night.

Since 2011, Bosco leads the series 11-8, but Mater Dei owns the all-time series 29-13 since the teams first played in 1966.

Mater Dei and St. John Bosco clash in CIF Southern Section Division 1 final, again

Look: What are St. John Bosco, Mater Dei football players most thankful for?

California high school football playoff scores, CIF Section title updates (11/24/2023)

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(Feature photo by Myckena Guerrero)

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-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports

Published
Mike Swanson, SBLive Sports
MIKE SWANSON

Mike Swanson is the VP of Content for High School On SI. He's been in journalism since 2003, having worked as a reporter, city editor, copy editor and high school sports editor in California, Connecticut and Oregon.

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