Monarchs Make Most of Moment

Long Beach Poly, a team made up primarily of sophomores and juniors, figures to be tough again next year. But unbeaten Mater Dei, the state’s top-ranked team, proved it was the team of the moment Friday by scoring a 42-13 victory before 10,000 fans at Santa Ana Stadium.

The Monarchs (13-0) will face the winner of tonight’s other Southern Section Division I semifinal, Los Angeles Loyola at Fontana, next Friday in the championship game at the Coliseum. It will mark Mater Dei’s second appearance in the title game in the past three years, and fourth this decade.

“I give all the credit to our coaches, who are the best in the state,” Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “They had us extremely well prepared for Poly tonight.”

Poly ends its season at 9-4.

In a showcase for two of the state’s outstanding wide receivers, Mater Dei’s Rod Perry Jr. outshone Long Beach’s Ken-yon Rambo. Perry, who has had a tremendous run in the playoffs, caught seven passes for 178 yards Friday. His two second-quarter touchdowns blew open a close game.

Rambo was held to one reception for 29 yards.

“We had read in the papers how we hadn’t faced defensive backs as good as theirs,” Perry said. “David [Castleton] and I knew we would be getting single coverage most of the game and prepared for it.”

Castleton was nearly as productive as his teammate, catching five passes for 71 yards and one touchdown.

Employing the hot passing hand was Nick Stremick, who completed 15 of 24 for 298 yards and four touchdowns.

“When they talk about the great quarterbacks in the county,” Stremick said, “They speak of the ones who are big or throw far. All I know is, I’m the winningest quarterback so far.”

As the game unfolded, it became clear that if either quarterback was given time to throw, the secondaries would be in for a long night.

Mater Dei made better use of its receivers and took advantage of two Jackrabbit turnovers.

The Monarchs took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards, scoring on a two-yard run by Mike McNair.

Poly answered immediately. On its second play, at its own 27-yard line, quarterback Chris Lewis lofted a pass to Larry Croom, who got behind defender James Farley at the 50 and ran into the end zone untouched.

But the first sign of trouble for the visiting Jackrabbits came with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter, when punter Scott Johnson got a bad snap from center and fell down at the Poly 23.

A five-yard penalty moved Mater Dei back to the 28. A screen pass from Stremick to McNair, who took it in for a touchdown, put the Monarchs ahead, 14-7.

“We knew they had a high-powered offense,” Rollinson said. “We’d have liked to have covered better on their first touchdown. But we also had a high level of confidence driving 80 yards on our first series.”

The next 12 minutes belonged to Stremick and Perry.

With 8:36 to play in the half, Stremick found Perry streaking down the right sideline. He split two defenders and hauled in a 47-yard touchdown pass.

On Poly’s next possession, Mater Dei’s defense rose to the occasion. Linebacker Kevin Mitchell intercepted a Lewis pass at the Monarch 40 and returned it five yards.

Lewis struggled through an 11-for-32 passing night with one touchdown and two interceptions.

Mater Dei reached Poly’s 43. From there, Stremick, seeing that Perry was still receiving single-man coverage, signaled for him to run the same post pattern he ran for the first touchdown. It worked again, as Perry beat Marques Anderson and caught his second scoring pass.

Poly had two chances to cut into the lead. The Monarchs stopped one drive at their 18, breaking up a fourth-down pass. Rambo was denied a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown when Poly was cited for clipping.