Column: Bellflower St. John Bosco pummels Concord De La Salle, 56-33, for the CIF Open Division state title

Steam is shooting up from Wyatt Davis’ covered head, making him look like some comic book hero with unknown superpowers.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman is standing in the middle of a frigid and frosted Hornet Stadium (temperature in the low 30s) after Bellflower St. John Bosco defeated Concord De La Salle, 56-33, on Saturday night in the CIF state championship Open Division bowl game.

“Every hit hurt,” he said. “It was that cold. The field started to freeze up after halftime. I can’t feel my arms right now.... I’m pretty cold, but woo...”

If you want to know why St. John Bosco (13-2) proved itself the best high school football team in California over the six weeks of the postseason, it’s because the Braves could not be stopped running the football.

They pummeled the De La Salle defense for 357 rushing yards, including 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Terrance Beasley. Demetrious Flowers had 91 yards rushing and three touchdowns. It was the same story line against Santa Ana Mater Dei and Corona Centennial earlier this season. St. John Bosco’s offensive line, led by the Ohio State-bound Davis, provided better protection than a Secret Service detail.

“We did a great job running the ball,” Coach Jason Negro said. “That’s demoralizing when you can’t stop it.”

There also was the performance of junior quarterback Re-Al Mitchell, whose season-long development proved the wisdom of Negro and offensive coordinator Chad Johnson in their belief that he’d become a top player. Mitchell completed 18 of 20 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns.

De La Salle (11-2) put up a good fight, even threatening the Braves late in the third quarter when they closed to within 42-27. Junior running back Kairee Robinson rushed for 202 yards and scored two touchdowns.

But the Braves had too much athleticism, too much depth and too much speed.

You have to remember very few teams ever beat De La Salle, the school that once had a 151-game win streak. St. John Bosco, however, also defeated the Spartans in 2013, leaving Negro with a 2-0 record against De La Salle. And to beat Centennial, Mater Dei and De La Salle in consecutive games is tough to do.

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The St. John Bosco Braves win in frigid conditions.

“I’m proud of my program,” he said. “No one has done that in the country to play those three teams the way we did.

”It was a great weekend for state championship football in California. Southern California teams swept the five games in Sacramento, but overall, it was South 7, North 6. And seven of the 12 games (leaving out the Open Division) were decided by five points or less.The lesson is no matter what the predictors or analysts say, once you’ve reached a final in week 16, the odds are pretty good you’ve proven you belong.

This was another season in which offensive numbers were staggering. The spread offense isn’t just leading to big passing days. It’s creating opportunities for teams with size and speed to run the ball effectively, no matter how cold it gets.

“Dude, it’s freezing out here,” Negro said late Saturday night.

Yes it was, and Davis showed he might do just fine if he gets to play in a Michigan or Ohio snow storm.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Twitter: latsondheimer