Mater Dei Survives Scare in First Half

Los Alamitos was the last team to defeat Mater Dei (in 1995), and for a half of Friday’s Division I quarterfinal playoff game it looked like the Griffins might do it again.

But the top-ranked Monarchs, trailing after the first half, shut out the Griffin offense and got three second-half touchdowns from tailback Mike McNair to roll to a 40-23 victory before an estimated 10,000 at Santa Ana Stadium.

The 12-0 Monarchs, who have now won 26 in a row, move on to the semifinals against La Puente Bishop Amat, which beat Rialto Eisenhower, 19-14.

Los Alamitos ends the year 9-3.

McNair, who was held to only 46 yards in the first half in nine carries, had 166 yards in 20 carries in the second half and scored on runs of 51, five and 37 yards.

Mater Dei stayed in the game because of a tremendous first half by wide receiver Joey Boese.

He followed Los Alamitos’ first touchdown--a one-yard run by Bernard Riley--with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. His 46-yard punt return set up a 17-yard touchdown pass by quarterback John Leonard to Alex Romero. Lastly, his 71-yard touchdown catch-and-run on a flanker screen tied the score, 20-20, near the end of the first half.

“Joey was great in the first half, and Mike was great in the second half,” Coach Bruce Rollinson said.

Los Alamitos had an answer for every Mater Dei score in the half. Along with Riley’s run, Griffin wide receiver Keenan Howry--who caught seven passes for 170 yards--had a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zach Blazek (who finished with 236 yards passing), and while on defense returned a McNair fumble 93 yards for a touchdown.

Mike Hill’s 38-yard field goal with one second left in the first half gave the Griffins their final lead, 23-20.

“They have a very high-powered offense,” Rollinson said of Los Alamitos. “But I thought if we kept it close in the first half our conditioning would tell in the second half.”

Griffin Coach John Barnes said the Monarchs were able to wear his team down, even though they had four sacks to go with the fumble recovery.

“I’m very proud of this team,” Barnes said. “At the beginning of the year I thought it would be a 5-5 team, and we made it to the second round of the playoffs.

“Mater Dei is very tough. Not unbeatable, but tough. We get everybody back next year. I told Bruce this was the year to get us because it won’t happen like this next year.”