Mater Dei Sinks Servite

It’s rare a Santa Ana Mater Dei football team feels it isn’t getting respect and even more rare when the Monarchs are underdogs. Win five Southern Section titles in 11 years as Mater Dei has done and you’ll usually enter a game a respected favorite. Not so against Anaheim Servite.

Servite has its best team in nearly two decades, one that seemed destined to end a 13-game winless streak against Mater Dei that includes a 0-0 tie in 1992. This was supposed to be one of the weaker Mater Dei teams in years, one Servite should handle without a problem. But showing a drive to prove it still belongs among Southern California’s elite, Mater Dei rolled to a 24-7 victory Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton and moved into a first-place tie with Bellflower St. John Bosco in the Serra League.

“We felt challenged going into this game,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “We felt that perhaps we weren’t getting enough respect. There were some comments made and everyone was saying that this was not one of the best Mater Dei teams in years, but now we’re sitting at 7-1 and in first place.”

The Monarchs (7-1, 3-0 in league play), ranked No. 9 by The Times and No. 4 in the Division I poll, dominated the line of scrimmage and executed an option-based veer offense to perfection. Quarterback Jason Forcier, a sophomore, had 191 yards and a touchdown in 17 carries.

The Mater Dei defense allowed a 68-yard touchdown on Servite’s second play from scrimmage, then allowed only 182 yards the rest of the game.

Running back Rafael Rice added 62 yards and two touchdowns in 15 carries for Mater Dei, which gained 402 total yards, 318 rushing.

Servite (7-1, 2-1), No. 8 in The Times’ rankings and No. 3 in the Division I, crossed into Mater Dei territory just three times after its early score.

Forcier ran 62 yards out of the option on the first play of the game to set up a 22-yard field goal by Jerry Corona and a 3-0 Mater Dei lead. Servite answered with a 68-yard run by Conor Martin.

-- Peter Yoon

L.A. Loyola 7, Santa Margarita 0 -- Bo Renaud rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown with 44 seconds to play in the first quarter in 20 carries for the host Cubs (6-2, 1-2) in a Serra League victory at Glendale High.

Loyola, despite 165 yards of offense and two missed field goals, kept its playoff hopes alive.

The Eagles (5-3, 0-3) were without running back Ashton White, who sat out for the second consecutive week because of a sore knee. White, who has rushed for 805 yards and eight touchdowns, was replaced by Chase McWhorter, who rushed 13 times for 28 yards. Santa Margarita had 106 yards of offense.

-- John Klima