Mater Dei, Poly Tie Up the 1990s

The last high school football season of the 1990s ended with two of the most dominant teams of the decade playing to a 21-21 tie in the Division I championship game.

Santa Ana Mater Dei cemented its status as the program of the ‘90s by winning a share of its ninth title, its fourth in six years and its fifth of the decade.

Long Beach Poly won a share of its 11th title, the Jackrabbits’ second title in three years.

The tie, the fourth in a major division championship game, left neither the teams nor fans entirely satisfied. It is likely to spur a call by league representatives for the reinstitution of overtime in championship games.

The Division II final was marred by controversy when Diamond Bar defeated Upland, 17-14, with the benefit of a fifth down during its game-winning drive.

Both schools lobbied for the Southern Section to declare them co-champions. The section, while acknowledging the mistake by officials, said it could not reverse the result.

The playoffs were also marred by a violent incident that followed Loyola’s first-round victory over Fontana at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. A Fontana player punched a Loyola assistant coach during the postgame handshake and a melee ensued. Thirteen Fontana players were suspended from school, four face expulsion and five are facing criminal charges.

That incident, however, could not overshadow a season of outstanding performances by teams and individual players.

Among them:

* Jermaine Marshall of Malibu Kilpatrick, which lost in the Division XII final to Lancaster Paraclete, set a state record by rushing for 3,586 yards. His 57 touchdowns were two shy of the state record.

* Cathedral quarterback Robert De La Cruz passed for a state-record 65 touchdowns, breaking his mark of 61 set last season.

* Bloomington won its fourth consecutive title by defeating Barstow, 36-20, for the Division VIII championship. Bloomington is the first school to win four titles in a row since Temple City in 1970-73.

* And La Verne Bonita won its first title since 1945 by defeating Brea Olinda, 24-14, in the Division IX final. The Bearcats finished 14-0.