Football: Second-half domination pushes Mater Dei to victory
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The infamous streak between Orange County’s biggest rivals remains intact.
Senior running back Jaron Hytche rushed for 199 yards and had two touchdowns as Mater Dei (4-2, 1-0) extended its unbeaten streak over Servite (3-3, 0-1) to 20 consecutive games with a 42-21 victory in front of a 10,000-strong crowd at Cal State Fullerton on Friday night.
Mater Dei dominated the second half, holding Servite to 57 total offensive yards in the final 24 minutes. The Monarchs then cushioned their lead with a couple of touchdown runs by Jordan Allen, who finished with 55 yards and three touchdowns on the night.
Quarterback Matt Barkley completed 21 of 25 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He took advantage on a inconsistent Friar defense that had trouble tackling all night.
Servite’s Cody Fajardo connected on 14 of 23 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown even though he was pressured most of the night by Mater Dei’s swarming pass rush. Greg Portis finished with 155 yards and two touchdowns in 21 carries.
Christian Maldonado had a stellar game for Mater Dei. He blocked a Servite field goal attempt in the first quarter and recovered a second-half fumble that essentially ended the Friars’ comeback hopes.
The Friars entered the game as the favorite after beating Edison last month, a team Mater Dei lost to two weeks ago. Servite hasn’t beaten Mater Dei since 1988.
Check out my live blog for a complete rundown of tonight’s game.
-- Austin Knoblauch
