Mater Dei Chosen as Nation’s Top Team

After being unranked much of the season by USA Today, Mater Dei was named the national publication’s No. 1 team Monday.

“We’re almost stunned,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “We have no experience in this. This wasn’t something we prepared for. It’s another coat of icing on the cake. I also like the fact that it gives us national recognition. The kids have worked hard and they deserve this.”

Miami Southridge had been ranked No. 1 before losing to Pensacola Washington on Saturday night, 16-7, in the Florida Class 6A State Championship game in Daytona Beach. Southridge, which had many of its players suffering from the flu, dropped out of the top 25 with its loss.

Mater Dei (14-0) jumped to second after its 28-21 victory over then-top-ranked La Puente Bishop Amat in the Southern Section Division I title game. The Monarchs’ semifinal victory over No. 8 Los Alamitos moved Mater Dei to 15th.

Concord De La Salle (13-0), which finished the season as the state’s top-ranked team by Cal-Hi Sports, finished as USA Today’s second-ranked team.

Rollinson said he is aware that the national championship is only mythical since there is no national championship tournament.

“I’m going to take it, though,” he said. “It looks good on the resume.”

Will the school celebrate its mythical national championship?

“We’re just going to have a great banquet and get ready for next year,” he said. “The highlight film might be a little longer now.”

USA Today is expected to give Mater Dei more good news today. The Monarchs’ boys’ basketball team probably will be USA Today’s top-ranked team when the rankings are released.

Mater Dei had been ranked No. 2, but No. 1 Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha lost Friday to No. 7 Philadelphia Roman Catholic, 71-70. It is believed USA Today never has ranked a school first in football and boys’ basketball at the same time.