Mater Dei Holds On to Win Season’s First

It was a victory that Mater Dei High School football Coach Bruce Rollinson will savor for the rest of his life. The tears in his eyes were testimony to that.

Rollinson, the player, lost only one game in two years at Mater Dei in the 1960s. Rollinson, the coach, was beginning to wonder if he would ever win a game.

But Mater Dei defensive end Gerard Rice made the big play with about a minute remaining to preserve a 21-14 victory over Edison Thursday night before 4,400 in LeBard Stadium.

Rice tackled Edison quarterback Donnie Smith for a four-yard loss on Mater Dei’s 30-yard line, giving Mater Dei its first victory of the season after three losses. Edison is 2-2.

“I had no idea what they were going to do,” Rice said. “I thought they might run up the middle. They only needed about a foot for the first down.”

Trailing 21-14, Edison began a drive from its 32 with Smith completing four consecutive passes. But two attempts to gain one yard for a first down at Mater Dei’s 26-yard line failed.

“That play works nine times out of 10,” said Dave White, Edison coach. “The kid did a good job of reading the play and stopping us for a loss.”

Mater Dei took control in the third quarter by scoring two touchdowns for a 21-7 lead, and wasted another scoring opportunity early in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Armando Lopez set up both of the Monarchs’ touchdowns with fumble recoveries.

For Rollinson, the victory was like a breath of fresh air.

“I was feeling the pressure,” he said. “This was a game I’ll never forget. I didn’t write the script. I tried to be patient. I was getting letters of support, and the parents kept assuring me that everything was going to be all right. But yeah, I was feeling the pressure.”

Smith couldn’t make the big play on the ground, but there was nothing wrong with his arm. He completed 27 of 35 passes for 255 yards, setting a school record for most completions in a game.