HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / DIVISION I FINAL : Big Day Arrives for Bishop Amat, Mater Dei

High school football in the Southland has grown in popularity in the 1990s, and games such as tonight’s Division I championship matchup between La Puente Bishop Amat and Santa Ana Mater Dei are one reason.

Such games have helped improve attendance and gate revenues for the vast CIF Southern Section. The increased attention, however, has created dilemmas.

Tonight’s game, for example, was scheduled for Cerritos College, but section officials hastily moved it to Anaheim Stadium to accommodate the expected crowd of 25,000.

“It doesn’t make sense to hold a game at a stadium that holds 12,000 when you know twice as many people want to attend,” said Dean Crowley, Southern Section commissioner. “Although our operating expenses will greatly increase, we never want to turn people away.”

Kickoff was also moved from the normal 7:30 p.m. start to 7:40 because of a request by Channel 13, which is televising the game live. At least two radio stations will carry live broadcasts.

Last week’s semifinal between Mater Dei and Los Alamitos was also moved to Anaheim Stadium, and a crowd of 30,065--fifth largest in section history--attended. Mater Dei and Rialto Eisenhower drew 33,204 in the title game three years ago.

As of Friday afternoon, 13,000 tickets had been sold and more will be available today at the stadium ticket office. Each team is 13-0 and has a lofty ranking.

Bishop Amat has been the area’s top-ranked team by The Times all season and Mater Dei is No. 2. The schools are also traditional parochial powerhouses with large followings. This will be their first meeting since 1991, when Mater Dei won the regular-season finale, 24-6, to end an eight-game losing streak in the series.

The game features many of the area’s most highly recruited players. Atop the list is Bishop Amat’s Daylon McCutcheon, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound running back who has rushed for a school-record 2,265 yards and 26 touchdowns. As a defensive back, he has eight interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.

Defensively, the Lancers have held their opponents to a touchdown or less in nine games. Kory Minor, 6-3, 230, leads the team with 20 sacks, and Tom Gurrola, 5-10, 205, has 10.

Mater Dei, which ended Los Alamitos’ record 47-game unbeaten streak last week, is making its third appearance in the Division I championship in the last four years. The Monarchs defeated Rialto Eisenhower, 35-14, in 1991, but were routed by the same team last year, 56-3.

Coach Bruce Rollinson was not optimistic about his team’s chances earlier this week.

“Daylon McCutcheon is the best player we’ve ever faced, and Bishop Amat may be the best team we’ve ever seen,” he said.

Mater Dei is big and deep. Quarterback John Flynn has passed for 2,546 yards and 26 touchdowns, and running back Steve Bodnar has 1,723 yards and 26 touchdowns. The holes are opened by an offensive line that averages 6-3, 257.

“Have you seen their size?” Bishop Amat Coach Tom Salter said. “We haven’t faced anybody like them all season.”