Mater Dei’s Game Will Be at Alemany

Mater Dei will play its second-round Southern Section Division I football playoff game at Mission Hills Alemany Friday night after Alemany agreed to spend $15,000 for portable bleachers that will seat an additional 2,000.

Mater Dei had appealed to the Southern Section office to have the game moved from Alemany’s stadium, which seats less than 3,000. Monarch Coach Bruce Rollinson said he expected between 3,000 and 4,000 to follow his team this week.

On Monday, Mater Dei Athletic Director Gary McKnight toured Alemany’s stadium and was satisfied that the game could go on as scheduled, according to Bill Clark, a section associate commissioner.

“The policy calls for the schools to meet and review the facility,” Clark said. “I talked to Gary and to Alemany. Alemany told me that after the visit he seemed comfortable with what they were going to do.”

LANCERS FIND A HOME

Orange Lutheran will play Banning in a second-round Division XI playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Brea Olinda High School, Lancer Coach Jim Kunau said Monday.

The Lancers don’t have their own stadium and couldn’t use their regular home field at Brea on Friday because the Wildcats are hosting West Covina South Hills in a Division IX game.

Kunau said Banning officials at first refused his request to move the game to Saturday, but then agreed to the change.

FILLING BIG SHOES

One performance not to be overlooked in Fountain Valley’s 28-20 loss to top-seeded Long Beach Poly on Friday was the play of senior left tackle Matt Mehdizadeh.

Mehdizadeh played in place of Scotty Lang, who died during a practice four days before the Barons’ first-round Southern Section Division I playoff game.

“Matt took [Lang’s death] really hard--they were friends,” sophomore quarterback Casey Clark said. “I think he played good. He didn’t give up any sacks or anything.”

Fountain Valley players wore Lang’s No. 75 on one side of their helmets, replacing the word “Barons.” Student leaders from both schools met at midfield before the game and held hands in a moment of silence, and both teams gathered after the game to pray.

“They played their hearts out all four quarters,” said Poly running back Hershel Dennis, who scored four touchdowns and gained 94 yards in 18 carries. “They were breaking me up [physically].

“They were way better than we saw in film. They really surprised me.”

Despite eight turnovers, the Barons lost by only eight points and outgained the unbeaten Jackrabbits, 254-204.

LOOKING UP

After struggling through most of the decade, Santa Ana athletic teams have pleased Saint Athletic Director Frank Alvarado this season.

“It’s a culmination of three really good years of hard work with our freshmen for us to become a viable, competitive unit at Santa Ana,” Alvarado said.

The Saints defeated host Westminster, 34-20, in the final game of the regular season to advance to the Southern Section Division VI football playoffs against Villa Park.

Though the Saints lost, 38-28, Alvarado said Santa Ana’s 6-5 record will set a positive tone at the school for the rest of the year.

“We anticipate that this will be our best overall year on record in this decade,” he said.

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Staff writers Martin Henderson and Eric Sondheimer contributed to this story.