Alemany Can’t Overthrow This ‘90s Monarchy

Matt Grootegoed of Mater Dei High does just about everything but carry the water bottles and tape his teammates’ ankles.

“We’ve had some great players, and Matt Grootegoed could go down in history as one of the greatest,” Coach Bruce Rollinson said.

There won’t be any arguments from Alemany High, which knew what Grootegoed was capable of doing but felt helpless nonetheless Friday night in a Southern Section Division I quarterfinal at Alemany.

Grootegoed, Division I player of the year last season, ran for three touchdowns and returned an interception 68 yards for another to help Mater Dei (10-2) come away with a 45-14 victory.

The Monarchs, seeking their fifth Division I title this decade, play Eisenhower in the semifinals next Saturday.

It’s pretty easy to understand why the coaches at USC, UCLA, Washington and Stanford would be doing cartwheels if the 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior selected one of them as his college choice.

“The guy is going to play on Sundays someday,” assistant coach Scott Marshall of Alemany said.

It was Grootegoed’s interception with 1:40 left before halftime that left Alemany (8-4) feeling devastated.

The Indians trailed, 17-7, but were driving at the Mater Dei 31. Quarterback Casey Clausen tried to connect with running back De’Andre Scott, who was lined up wide, on a quick slant pattern.

Grootegoed, who was called for pass interference on the same play on Alemany’s opening possession, wasn’t fooled this time. He took the inside angle on Scott, intercepted the pass and took it back for a touchdown to give the Monarchs a 24-7 halftime lead.

“That was an unbelievable play,” Coach Jim Bonds of Alemany said. “Casey put speed on that throw. He just stepped in. He’s going to be playing for a long time.”

Mater Dei’s strategy was to put its two best defensive backs--Grootegoed and Junior Palacios--on Scott and Derek Goodman, the Indians’ most dangerous threats.

Goodman caught a 59-yard touchdown pass and Scott scored on a 74-yard reception but most of the night they were marked players.

Aiding the secondary was a furious pass rush. Linebacker Brown Faavae was in on three sacks and forced Clausen to fumble with a big hit in the first quarter.

Palacios rushed for 173 yards in 19 carries. Matt Leinert completed eight of 11 passes for 159 yards. Grootegoed rushed for 81 yards in 13 carries.

Clausen, who helped Alemany make the Southern Section playoffs the last two years after the school failed to qualify throughout the 1990s, completed 14 of 29 passes for 181 yards.

“We knew they’d come after me,” said Clausen, who has committed to Tennessee. “They’re the best.”