No. 1 vs. No. 2 in Santa Ana
It’s Week 5 of the high school football season, and there might not be a better matchup all season -- or postseason -- than tonight’s nonleague game between Santa Ana Mater Dei (4-0), ranked No. 1 in the state by CalHiSports.com, and No. 2-ranked Corona Centennial (5-0) at 9,200-seat Santa Ana Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
“It’s a big game,” Centennial Coach Matt Logan said. “They’re one of the top programs in the state, if not the nation.”
It’s the first time Mater Dei and Centennial, ranked Nos. 5 and 16 in the nation by StudentSports.com, have played each other in football, and it was fortuitous scheduling.
Centennial has become, perhaps, the top program in the Inland Empire in terms of producing high-powered offenses. Logan’s shotgun formation has brought out the best in Arizona-bound quarterback Matt Scott and standout running back Ryan Bass, who has rushed for 882 yards and scored 15 touchdowns.
“To me, the sign of a good football coach is consistency within the program,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “You have a lot of one-and-dones, they put together one or two great years and you don’t hear from them again. Year in and year out, [Logan] is putting a high quality product on the field.”
Mater Dei was predicted to have an outstanding team based on a summer in which the Monarchs were the talk of passing leagues, and junior quarterback Matt Barkley has lived up to expectations, completing 66% of his passes while throwing for 1,280 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Logan said he doesn’t think Centennial has ever faced a quarterback as impressive as Barkley.
“He doesn’t make mistakes,” Logan said. “He’s super accurate and has the ability to read [coverages] real well.”
Centennial’s no-huddle offense has been effective in wearing down teams in the fourth quarter, but one surprise has been Mater Dei’s quickness on defense. The Monarchs dominated Huntington Beach Edison, 42-14, last week.
In other big games this week, Anaheim Servite ranked No. 9 in the state, plays at No. 10 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Friday, and No. 3 Concord De La Salle plays at Mission Viejo on Saturday in a nationally televised game.
Times staff writer Martin Henderson contributed to this report.
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