Flynn, Mater Dei’s Brash Leader, Is a Gambler at Heart

It was Friday night in the Southern Section Division I semifinals and Mater Dei quarterback John Flynn was improvising again.

Trailing Lancaster Antelope Valley, 5-0, the Monarchs had a second and 24. Something had to be done. Flynn side-stepped defenders and ran for 17 yards, going head-to-head with a linebacker.

Michael-John Rzeznik caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Flynn two plays later, and the Monarchs went on to win, 15-11.

Another successful night.

It was last year at the Guns N’ Roses/Metallica concert and Flynn was improvising again.

His group had 13 tickets, two on the floor, 11 in nose-bleed country. Something had to be done. Flynn side-stepped the security guards and led his friends, one-by-one, to nearby empty floor seats, using the two prime-seat ticket stubs.

Rzeznik caught a drum stick a few minutes later.

Another successful night.

“John knows when he has to get the job done,” Monarch Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “Whether it’s picking up blitzes or finding the hot receiver or scrambling to get a couple extra yards.”

Or getting his buddies within serious decibel levels.

No matter the chore, Flynn is out in front. From playoff ecstasy to heavy-metal heaven, he takes the lead and everyone knows who’s calling the shots.

A year ago, Flynn was a safety-first sophomore, thrown into the starting lineup. Caution was the catch-phrase.

Today, he’s a brash leader, taking chances with the Monarchs’ future. He has gambled and won, and helped lead the Monarchs into Friday’s championship game against Rialto Eisenhower at Anaheim Stadium.

The change was inevitable. It was Flynn’s nature.

“When John was a freshman, I attended a religious service the freshman team was having,” Rollinson said. “There was a young man who was speaking during the service and he was struggling for the right words. John turned around and quietly said, ‘Just relax and it will come.’ The boy looked at John and seemed reassured. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a freshman. Maybe this kid is something special.’ ”

That sort of leadership has taken the Monarchs to where they are today.

It’s hard to tell from the numbers, but Flynn has put together three successful games to put the Monarchs in the final.

Flynn has thrown for only 274 yards in the three playoff games, but he has come up big when it mattered the most.

He threw game-winning touchdown passes against Santa Fe Springs St. Paul and Long Beach Poly. Both came late in the fourth quarter.

“I tell John that big games call for big players to make big plays,” Rollinson said. “He eats that stuff up.”

Flynn completed five consecutive passes on that drive to start the second half against Antelope Valley. His touchdown pass to Rzeznik gave the Monarchs the lead. Two plays earlier, Flynn had that 17-yard scramble, which picked the Monarchs off the floor.

“That one hurt a little,” Flynn said. “My eyes were pretty wide after that hit. But I had to take the extra yards. How many times have you seen a measurement that was inches short? I knew I could get more yards.”

That is Flynn’s best asset. He’s sure of himself.

Flynn doesn’t quite seem to fit the mold at Mater Dei. The program prides itself on uniformity. But he swaggers to the line of scrimmage and inspects the defense, almost daring them to stop him.

He’s a bit of a free spirit, as well. It was Flynn who organized the Guns N’ Roses/Metallica night, purchasing the tickets for his friends. Flynn also isn’t afraid to speak his mind.

“It’s stressful being the quarterback here,” Flynn said. “If the team does well, then everyone thinks you had a good game, no matter how you did. If the team doesn’t do well and you make a mistake, you’re out there. Everyone knows what you did.”

Rollinson has come to believe in Flynn.

A year ago, Flynn watched as junior quarterback Derrek Uhl struggled to move the Monarchs’ offense. Pressure? Mater Dei was coming off a Division I championship. Quarterback Billy Blanton had set Orange County records for yards and touchdown passes.

Big cleats to fill and those shoes were handed to Flynn in the ninth game when Uhl was benched.

Flynn completed 11 of 14 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-3 victory over El Toro.

“John was probably nervous that night, but he didn’t show it,” Rzeznik said. “Instead, he came in and threw a touchdown pass the first time we had the ball.”

Flynn directed the Monarchs to three victories. They lost to Eisenhower in the Division I quarterfinals.

“There really wasn’t as much on my shoulders last season,” Flynn said. “It was pretty much, ‘Don’t turn the ball over.’ This year, they expect big plays.”

Flynn has provided them, although he had to win the job first. In August, Rollinson said the quarterback position was open. He said four starts didn’t warrant just handing Flynn the job.

So Flynn earned it.

“The kid is tough,” Rollinson said. “He’s not going to knock down a garage door with his arm strength, but he knows exactly what he’s doing.”

And others seem to follow.

Division I Facts and Figures

MATER DEI

Starting Lineup

OFFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 17 John Flynn 6-1 173 Jr RB 5 Joey Trampush 6-2 216 Jr RB 26 Steve Bodnar 5-10 170 Jr WR 22 M.-John Rzeznik 6-1 179 Sr WR 9 James Krup 6-1 163 Sr TE 95 Leie Sualua 6-3 223 Sr OT 79 Matt Motherway 6-4 242 Jr OG 51 Brian Wiehardt 6-3 216 Sr C 76 Joel Gonzalez 6-0 240 Jr OG 55 Michael Lopez 5-11 239 Sr OT 59 John Houston 6-4 245 Sr PK 8 Brandon Smallwood 5-11 155 Sr

*

DEFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DL 56 Brandon Gamboa 6-0 252 Sr DL 82 Derrick Ford 6-1 222 Sr DL 95 Leie Sualua 6-3 223 Sr LB 91 Peter Silvey 6-2 210 Sr LB 44 Mike Rovira 5-11 240 Sr LB 42 Jason Rivera 5-10 204 Sr LB 20 Carl LeVecke 6-0 179 Sr DB 46 Kevin Braga 5-10 165 So DB 36 Jason Lundstrom 5-10 160 Jr DB 33 Robbie Tritz 5-11 163 Jr DB 22 M.-John Rzeznik 6-1 179 Sr P 8 Brandon Smallwood 5-11 155 Sr

*

SEASON RESULTS (12-1)

21: Servite: 0

7: Esperanza: 33

49: Santa Ana: 6

41: La Canada St. Francis: 7

21: Riverside Ramona: 6

17: San Clemente: 7

19: Capistrano Valley: 15

28: Mission Viejo: 11

41: Dana Hills: 0

42: El Toro: 0

Playoffs

17: Santa Fe Springs St. Paul: 14

17: Long Beach Poly: 14

15: Lancaster Antelope Valley: 11

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RIALTO EISENHOWER

Starting Lineup OFFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. QB 12 Glenn Thompkins 5-10 165 Sr RB 18 Julius McChristian 5-10 190 Sr RB 34 Marlon Farlow 5-11 190 Sr WR 26 R.J. Soward 5-10 165 So WR 30 Demond Birks 5-8 170 Sr TE 45 Arthur Lloyd 6-4 195 Sr OT 76 Ricky Austin 6-4 300 Sr OG 71 Jeff Bailey 6-2 225 Sr C 63 Ruben Velasquez 5-10 215 Jr OG 60 Monty Tevega 6-3 250 Sr OT 65 Chris Lee 6-4 285 Sr PK 14 Aaron Okayama 5-10 165 Sr

*DEFENSE

Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DL 60 Monty Tevega 6-3 250 Sr DL 76 Rick Austin 6-4 300 Sr DL 65 Chris Lee 6-4 285 Sr DL 32 Donny Daulton 6-1 215 Sr LB 23 Bernard Hadnot 6-1 165 Sr LB 10 J.C. McKee 6-0 170 Jr LB 18 Julius McChristian 5-10 190 Sr LB 12 Glenn Thompkins 5-10 165 Sr DB 43 Walter Ford 5-10 170 Sr DB 26 R.J. Soward 5-10 165 So DB 34 Marlon Farlow 5-11 190 Sr P 14 Aaron Okayama 5-10 165 Sr

SEASON RESULTS (13-0)

12: Long Beach Poly: 6

33: San Bernardino Cajon: 13

41: Canyon Springs: 19

22: Pasadena Muir: 14

15: Newhall Hart: 14

28: Redlands: 6

21: Fontana: 11

42: Victorville Victor Valley: 6

46: Hesperia: 13

49: Apple Valley: 0

Playoffs

48: Palmdale: 7

37: Los Angeles Loyola: 19

7: Encino Crespi: 3