ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREP EXTRA : Perry Back With Big Play as Mater Dei Wins

The Los Angeles Rams may never come back to Orange County, but the son of a Ram made his big return Friday night at Hawthorne High.

Rod Perry Jr., son of former Ram assistant coach and player Rod Perry Sr., scored a 25-yard touchdown on his first play back in a Mater Dei uniform to begin the Monarchs’ 31-7 rout of Hawthorne before 3,000.

The defending Southern Section Division I champion Monarchs (3-0) had no trouble extending their winning streak to 17 games, including two victories over the Cougars (2-1).

Perry, a junior, enrolled at Sugar Land (Tex.) after his father took a job with the Houston Oilers, but returned this week. Perry, who injured his right foot, needed medical and Southern Section clearance to play in his first game.

“I’ve been dreaming about playing for Mater Dei since the summer started,” Perry said. “I couldn’t think of a better way to come back. Wow! what a great feeling.”

Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said before the game that he would use Perry in a limited role. That role turned out to be when the Monarchs needed a big play in the first quarter. On the eighth play of the opening drive, Stremick threw a short pass on a crossing pattern to Perry, who used a pick from his teammate to turn the play into a 25-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

It was Perry’s only catch of the game.

Hawthorne, which uses single-back coverage, had trouble running around Monarch obstacles throughout the first half.

“They ran picks all night,” Hawthorne Coach Dan Robbins said. “They blocked our defensive backs and, as long as the ball isn’t in the air, it’s legal.”

Stremick completed seven of 17 passes for 149 yards with one interception. Mater Dei running back Mike McNair had 43 yards and two touchdowns in nine carries.

The Monarchs scored twice more in the second quarter on Mike Fishbeck’s 26-yard field goal and on McNair’s five-yard scoring run.