SANTA ANA — The big play. There’s nothing quite like it. A missed tackle. A blown coverage. Speed to burn. Anyway you get it, however it happens, it can change the tenor of a game in a heartbeat.
Three big plays by Mater Dei in the first half of its quarterfinal game on Friday were the difference as the top-seeded Monarchs scored a 33-13 quarterfinal victory over Sierra Canyon at Santa Ana Stadium.
Big moments? There was sophomore tight end Mark Bowman, who slipped behind the secondary to haul in a Dash Beierly pass and carry into the end zone for a 43-yard score and a 6-3 lead. And there was Bowman again, who found some space in a seam and took a relatively short pass 60 yards for a 20-3 lead.
Sandwiched in-between, there was Oregon-bound Jordon Davison, who took a handoff and sprinted 77 yards out of the backfield untouched.
The hits kept on coming in the second half. After a relatively benign 2-yard score from Beierly that capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive to open the third quarter, the ensuing possession for Sierra Canyon ended with another Mater Dei touchdown.
Freshman Troy Bishop blocked Ashton Zamani’s punt and freshman Mykel Ramos returned it 32 yards for a 33-10 lead.
Take away the big plays and it’s a much closer game. But it’s Mater Dei (11-0), the No. 1 team in the country. They do what they do.
Mater Dei will play next week in the semifinals at Centennial of Corona.
“This was not our best win,” said Bowman after the Monarchs were penalized 15 times for 139 yards and committed two turnovers. “Even though we didn’t play our best, you can see the result. It’s a compliment to the coaching staff and how well we play together.”
It ended the season for Sierra Canyon (9-3), which went into the game No. 12 in the CalPreps national power ratings, but it was the clear underdog.
“They’re the No. 1 team in the nation for a reason,” said Sierra Canyon coach Jon Ellinghouse, who started only five seniors – two on defense – against the Monarchs. “We’re a young school, second year in Division 1, we’re climbing the ladder. In the last 12 months we’ve played every team from the Trinity League. Our goal is to win games like this. This is where we want to be.
“We learned some lessons.”
The Trailblazers actually led in the first quarter. Madden Riordan’s interception of Beierly on Mater Dei’s first play – the first pick Beierly has thrown this season – gave them possession at the Monarch 35. They eventually had first-and-goal at the 10, but Mater Dei’s defense rose to the occasion and the Trailblazers settled for Zamani’s 21-yard field goal.
In a moral victory, Zamani added a 33-yard field goal with 4:59 remaining for the game’s final score.
Sierra Canyon drove 80 yards in the first half on 10 plays to pull to within 20-10 on Dane Dunn’s 12-yard run.
Dunn carried 15 times for 62 yards. Wyatt Baker finished the game with 15 carries for 72 yards, and he completed 12 of 32 passes for 100 yards and an interception. The defense sacked Breierly three times, with Mikhal Johnson, Ronen Zamorano, and the tandem of Jonah Nadley and Richard Wesley doing the honors.
The numbers were better for Mater Dei. Beierly completed 11 of 21 passes for 194 yards, an interception and touchdowns of 43 and 60 yards to Bowman.
Bowman caught five passes for 121 yards, Davison ran seven times for 111. Davison spent the second half with his ribs wrapped. Coach Raul Lara said it was precautionary.
