Blanton Leads Mater Dei to Victory

Mater Dei High quarterback Billy Blanton stood there, blood trickling from his broken nose, grinning.

Behind him was a 35-21 victory over Loyola in the semifinals of the Southern Section Division I playoffs Friday. Ahead, a showdown against No. 1-seeded Eisenhower in the championship game at Anaheim Stadium next Friday.

As good as the future looks, Blanton wanted to look back, only for a moment.

“This feels so good,” said Blanton as he wiped away some blood. “I don’t think we have ever been so fired for a game. We feel vindicated.”

And why not? Loyola was the one blemish on an otherwise perfect season.

The Cubs (10-3), defending Division I champions, had dealt Mater Dei (12-1) its only defeat, 28-20, in an Angelus League game. This was the pay back, and a crowd of 9,000 at Santa Ana Stadium saw Blanton make certain the debt was paid.

He completed 13 of 24 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. He made a key play in the fourth quarter, scrambling 19 yards for a first down that pretty much settled matters.

“I tell you what, the bigger the game, the better Billy plays,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “He was outstanding.”

By halftime, Blanton had 203 yards and two touchdowns passing.

“The offensive line was giving me the time,” Blanton said. “Last time, they put a lot of pressure on me. This time, we kept a back in to block and I had all day.”

The Monarchs got Loyola down and kept the Cubs there. They led, 14-0, by the end of the first quarter on 40-yard touchdown run by Nickey Sualua and a 26-yard touchdown pass from Blanton to David Knuff.

It was 28-7 at halftime, the Monarchs scoring on four of their five possessions.

Loyola made a brief rally in the second half. Wide receiver Charles Smith threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Darren Jenkins off a lateral to cut the deficit to 28-14.

The Cubs got to the Mater Dei 16 on their next possession, but a sack by Sualua put them back on the 28 and John Stonehouse missed a 45-yard field goal.

Loyola never challenged again.

Mater Dei finished with 437 yards.