SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION I PLAYOFFS : Mater Dei Avenges Last Year’s Loss by Beating Quartz Hill, 34-8

The long drive from Orange County to the Antelope Valley was well worth it for Mater Dei.

The Monarchs defeated Quartz Hill, 34-8, in a first-round Division I playoff game Friday night at Quartz Hill.

Mater Dei will play Fontana next Friday.

Last year in the semifinals, Quartz Hill routed Mater Dei, 37-7. This time, on the Rebels’ home field, Mater Dei (10-1) came prepared.

Nearly 2,000 Monarch fans saw a great game on a chilly night.

--Monarch nose guard Josh Coggins sacked Quartz Hill quarterback Jake Haro four times, part of a seven-sack attack that limited the Rebels to 94 yards in total offense.

--Mater Dei quarterback Billy Blanton completed 11 of 13 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns, all of the scores to senior David Knuff, before taking a seat with a 27-6 lead in the third quarter.

--Knuff caught six balls for 78 yards and three scores, then played quarterback, completing two of two passes for 63 yards and another touchdown, this one a 33-yarder to Roger Morante to extend the lead to 34-6.

“I don’t think we could beat them 10 out of 10 times,” Quartz Hill Coach John Albee said after finishing a 7-4 season. “They had, by far, a better team than last year’s.”

The game was never close. After junior Niki Sualua scored on a 36-yard run on Mater Dei’s opening drive and Blanton hooked up with Knuff for the first of their three scoring passes, Quartz Hill recovered a Mater Dei fumble on the Monarch 34.

From there, Rebel senior tailback Erik Thomas (62 yards on 17 carries) scored on a 16-yard run to make the score 14-6, Mater Dei.

But the Monarchs came right back with another Blanton-to-Knuff score to make it 21-6 at halftime.

Mater Dei ran the ball successfully on a team that allowed only 80 rushing yards per game. Behind Sualua, who gained 78 yards on seven carries, the Monarchs gained 144 yards on the ground, part of a 334-yard offensive performance.

Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said the team viewed the film from last year’s game Thursday.

“We didn’t even show them the second half of film,” Rollinson said. “We shut it off at halftime and told them never to let a second half like that ever happen again.”