Clifford Helps Mater Dei Keep Title Hopes Alive With Victory

Taking a page from an opponent and a friend, Mater Dei High School’s Kealii Clifford took matters onto his legs Thursday, rushing for 155 yards, scoring four touchdowns and leading his team to a 35-24 Angelus League victory over Servite at Santa Ana Stadium.

The victory clinched second place for Mater Dei. The Monarchs will share the championship if St. Paul upsets Bishop Amat tonight.

Servite came into the game having won the past three meetings between the teams, in large part because of Derek Brown. Three years ago, as a sophomore, Brown rushed for 334 yards and scored four touchdowns. Last season, he ran for 246 yards and scored five touchdowns.

After that performance, then-Mater Dei coach Chuck Gallo said: “I’m oh-so-happy to see him graduate. I’d pay for his college education.”

Brown is gone, as is Gallo. Clifford, a senior who has started at running back since he was a sophomore, knew this would be his last chance to win one against Servite.

He had performed well in games against Servite--rushing for 65 yards and two touchdowns last season--but always there was Brown.

“I wouldn’t exactly say I was overshadowed by him, but hey, Derek was Derek, he was hard to ignore,” Clifford said. “We’re friends. We met at a track meet. I wasn’t trying to show him up, but wanted to prove myself the way he had.”

It didn’t take long for that. Clifford ran for 19 yards on Mater Dei’s first play from scrimmage. That drive eventually stalled, but a second went 43 yards and ended with quarterback Danny O’Neil completing a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Terry Flannigan.

Mater Dei (6-4 overall, 3-1 in league) recovered a Servite fumble on the ensuing kickoff and drove another 30 yards with Clifford scoring from a yard out.

Servite (3-7, 1-3), meanwhile, was having all kinds of problems. The Friars’ offense didn’t enter Mater Dei territory in the first half.

Mater Dei took a 21-0 lead by halftime, the final first-half score coming on a 19-yard pass from O’Neil to Clifford. O’Neil completed 10 of 13 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

His second came late in the third quarter on an eight-yard pass to Clifford, who caught three passes for 37 yards.

Servite rallied for two touchdowns midway through the fourth quarter--the first a 10-yard pass from quarterback Rob Walker to John Garrigan, the second a five-yard pass to John Kroll--and followed each with a two-point conversion to pull to within 28-16.

But Clifford ended any thoughts of a miracle comeback when he scored on a seven-yard run with 1:47 left.

Servite score on a a seven-yard from Walker to Garrigan and added another two-point conversion with 29 seconds left in the game.