Mater Dei football
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Mater Dei beat Valor Christian 38-22, rushing for 271 yards and two touchdowns Friday night at.
The 3-0 Monarchs now host Centennial, which beat them twice last season.
Background
Mater Dei is a Southern California high school football power that opened the 2026 season 3-0. Its win over Valor Christian of Colorado came with a run-heavy offense and three different quarterbacks seeing action. The next game is framed as a measuring stick because Centennial beat Mater Dei twice last season, including in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals.
How it unfolded
- Sep 4, 2026Mater Dei rushed for 271 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-22 win over Valor Christian of Colorado at Santa Ana Stadium, improving to 3-0.
- Sep 9, 2026The Los Angeles Times previewed Corona Centennial (1-1) vs. Mater Dei (3-0) at Santa Ana College, noting the Monarchs' motivation after losing to Centennial twice last season.
- Sep 11, 2026Mater Dei is scheduled to host Centennial on Friday, Sept. 11.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- The Los Angeles Times' Eric Sondheimer picked Centennial to win, writing that running the ball successfully will be the key for both teams.
- Caution
- The same preview noted Centennial has had blocking issues because of injuries, while quarterback Jaden Jefferson and receiver Quentin Hale give fans a reason to watch.
Still unverified
A Courier & Press video headline says No. 1 Memorial defeated No. 4 Mater Dei 52-21 in SIAC high school football; the material does not make clear whether this refers to the same Mater Dei program, and it is not dated.