Mater Dei Stops Servite Three Yards Shy of Victory

Mater Dei High School defeated Servite, 28-24, Friday night when it stopped Friar quarterback Scott Jones at the three-yard line on the game’s final play.

And really, that’s how the game should have ended--win or lose on the final play.

Faced with a fourth-and-goal at the Mater Dei nine-yard line with 14 seconds left, Jones rolled to his left, saw an opening and darted toward the goal line. For an instant, it seemed he would score.

But Mater Dei defenders closed in on him and smothered him at the three, ending a thrilling Angelus League opener before 7,000 at Cerritos College.

“That was some serious high school football,” someone said to Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson in the midst of a noisy postgame celebration.

When Derek Sparks ran around right end for a one-yard touchdown with 3:32 left, it seemed Mater Dei had finally shed itself of Servite. It was Mater Dei’s first--and only--lead, and it did not come without a price.

Sparks was belted by Servite’s Billy Ray after a 39-yard gain to the Friar one. He lay motionless while trainers attended him, finally staggering to the sidelines after several minutes.

One play later, though, he was back in the game.

“(Sparks) said, ‘I’ll tell you what, I’m going in again,”’ Rollinson said. “I said ‘All right, let’s go.’ We were going to hand it to him until he got it in the end zone.”

Sparks, who suffered bruised ribs on Ray’s tackle, gained 129 yards in 20 carries for Mater Dei (4-2 overall, 1-0 in league play).

The Friars (3-3, 0-1) led, 17-7, and 24-14, and appeared to be in command until the fourth quarter.

But Mater Dei rallied. An eight-yard run by David Gonzalez on the final play of the third quarter brought the Monarchs back to 24-17.

A 42-yard field goal by Cliff Roberts was wide left with 6:26 remaining, ending one Mater Dei scoring threat.

Sparks’ touchdown run was set up by an interception by Leland Sparks, his cousin, who also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Billy Blanton in the first quarter.

Servite took over on its own 24 with 3:25 left. A 43-yard pass play from Jones to Michael Hill and a 10-yard flip to Mike Wallock while in the grasp of a defender were the two biggest gains of the Friars’ drive.

But the drive grinded to a halt at the Mater Dei nine. Jones missed three straight passes, including a lob for Hill in the end zone that slipped off his fingertips, to set up fourth down.

Jones completed 15 of 26 passes for 179 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran for a four-yard touchdown.