Mater Dei has another big-time quarterback at the helm

What a difference a summer makes. At this time last year, Santa Ana Mater Dei was scrambling to find a replacement at quarterback for Matt Barkley, the Gatorade national player of the year.

Now the Monarchs have a quarterback in Max Wittek, who looked better than Barkley at times Saturday in helping Mater Dei win the championship of the Dana Point Dana Hills seven-on-seven passing tournament.

Yes, the 6-foot-4 Wittek is that good, which is why he’s going to follow Barkley to USC in 2011.

“He’s thrown some footballs that your average kid can’t get there,” Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “I liked his composure the most and I liked the composure of the team. Nobody was rattled. These passing league games are a tipped ball here or a dropped ball there. He’s shown great leadership and made the big throws.”

The Monarchs defeated Los Alamitos in the final. Long Beach Poly and Corona Roosevelt were the other semifinalists in the 12-team tournament.

What was noteworthy about the Monarchs’ performance is that they have found another top receiver to join USC-bound Victor Blackwell as a target for Wittek. That’s junior Sedric Hill, who made several important catches Saturday.

Mater Dei has opened up its offense for Wittek, who didn’t win the starting job until last fall and was just beginning to reach peak form when the season ended.

Wittek did have two passes intercepted by Richard Turner, a transfer from Long Beach Poly.

Athlete to watch

Bryce Treggs is his name, and there wasn’t a better two-way player at Dana Hills than the junior from Bellflower St. John Bosco.

Whether playing receiver or safety, Treggs’ speed and skills were impressive.

“He’s a difference-maker,” Coach Jason Negro said.

Stanford has already offered him a scholarship.

Linebackers galore

Long Beach Poly is loaded with top linebackers, so why move your team’s best pass rusher to the position?

The answer is to turn him loose.

The Jackrabbits have moved 6-3, 225-pound defensive end Corey Waller to linebacker, but he’s expected to play at a variety of spots on the field.

“One down he could be a defensive end, another down an inside linebacker, and another down outside linebacker,” defensive coordinator Jeff Turley said.

Whatever position he plays, Waller is a baller.

Coach Raul Lara had to remind him to only tap the opposing ballcarrier because it was touch football, not tackle.

But Waller said, “I’m trying not to cause my team to get any penalties, but if this is pads, you already know I’m coming with a bang.”

Los Al is for real

For Los Alamitos to play so well in a passing competition is a warning for this fall, because the Griffins expect to have top lines on offense and defense.

Dylan Lagarde handled the quarterback duties, and once the pads come on, he can hand off the ball to running back Nick Richardson, who rushed for 1,906 yards last season, and will have lineman Ben Wysocki protecting him. Wysocki has scholarship offers from Stanford and UCLA.

Growing pains

Huntington Beach Edison was last summer’s unbeatable team in passing competitions. Now the Chargers are rebuilding, and their quarterback was left-hander Chase Favreau, a transfer from Mater Dei.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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