Mater Dei Coach Backs Away From Controversy

Coach Bruce Rollinson emphasized after Mater Dei’s 24-17 loss to Fresno Clovis West on Saturday that he does not have a quarterback controversy on his hands.

Senior Matt Grootegoed, Rollinson said, is the starter.

And that’s notable, because Grootegoed nearly transferred to Fountain Valley over the summer to ensure he could play quarterback.

But junior Matt Leinert displayed all the promise Rollinson gushed about earlier. In fact, it was no contest between Leinert and Grootegoed.

Grootegoed completed four of eight passes for 54 yards. He was sacked four times and finished with 12 carries for 33 yards. He also fumbled once.

Leinert, a junior, was 11 for 18 for 129 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked twice, and finished with four carries for nine yards.

Both quarterbacks directed six series--Grootegoed with four in the first half, Leinert with four in the second half. With Grootegoed, the Monarchs gained 126 yards (and three points); they gained 199 yards (and 14 points) with Leinert.

Also notable is that Grootegoed began last season as the starting quarterback, but moved to running back in Week 4 and went on to rush for 1,283 yards and 20 touchdown to earn Times Orange County back of the year recognition.

Rollinson said the game’s biggest play was an incomplete pass thrown by Leinert in the second quarter. He hit Nick Stroffe with what would have been at least a 27-yard gain, and maybe a 47-yard touchdown pass, but Stroffe dropped the ball.

“We would have gone up, 17-7,” Rollinson said. “That was a drive-stopper.”

It also was Leinert’s first incompletion after connecting on his his first seven passes.

Mater Dei went into the game ranked No. 4 nationally, according to one publication, and has a game looming in two weeks against Concord De La Salle, which will be looking to win its 90th consecutive game.

“They’re not a distraction,” Rollinson said of the rankings. “We lost a preseason game. That’s all we did. We lost Game 3 last year [to De La Salle] and still finished No. 2. Our goals are still achievable.”

ANOTHER HONOR

The Huntington Beach Union High School District voted 5-0 recently to name the gymnasium at Edison High after longtime former Athletic Director Dave Mohs, making it the fourth major honor afforded Mohs since he died of cancer in 1996.

According to Don Levy, a retired teacher at Edison who co-sponsored the measure involving the Charger gym, Mohs’ name now is attached to the annual Orange County volleyball all-star games, the annual Orange County girls’ fall volleyball tournament and a $300 scholarship awarded annually at Newport Harbor High.

SWITCHING SCHOOLS

Three more basketball players have changed schools, it was revealed last week.

Brea Olinda Coach Bob Terry said that Curtis Levine, a 6-foot senior guard, has returned to the Wildcats. Levine enrolled at Brea as a freshman, then played the last two seasons at Sonora, where he made 73 three-pointers, Terry said. He was a first-team all-Freeway League pick last season.

Ryan Meyer and Jason Greer, starting guards at Kennedy, are now at Heritage Christian, according to Patriot Coach Mark Berokoff.

ANYBODY OUT THERE?

If the big crowd that packed the stands for Bob Johnson’s coaching debut at Mission Viejo Thursday night was excited, it sure didn’t show it.

Late in the first quarter of Mission Viejo’s 21-18 loss to Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, the Diablos’ public address announcer told the crowd, “You know, you are allowed to cheer at a football game.”

PRESS BOX VACANCY

San Clemente has one of the few uncovered press boxes in the county, but that didn’t stop a homeless person from hunkering down under the table for a few weeks.

A blanket and a few other items were found in the press box. San Clemente Athletic Director Jon Hamro said he was confident the person had moved on.

Staff writers Paul McLeod and Dave McKibben contributed to this story.