Mater Dei High School kicks off their football season with a victory in Florida.
Mater Dei High School, the No. 1-ranked high school football team, kicked off their season with a thrilling 26-23 victory over Ft. Lauderdale Aquinas in Florida. The team's coach, Raul Lara, led Mater Dei to this win.
The game was delayed by an hour due to lightning, but once it started, Mater Dei showed their prowess. After falling behind 3-0 in the first quarter, they scored 26 consecutive points, demonstrating their resilience and determination.
Quarterback Ryan Hopkins had a stellar second quarter, throwing three touchdown passes. Chris Henry Jr. was on the receiving end of two of these passes, covering 22 and 82 yards respectively. Gavin Honore also made a significant contribution with a 62-yard touchdown reception.
Defensively, Mater Dei was equally impressive. Shaun Scott added pressure at the linebacker position, while Tomuhini Topui registered a sack. Danny Lang led the secondary with two pass breakups.
Unfortunately, Bishop Montgomery, Mater Dei's next opponent, has faced setbacks, with five transfers deemed ineligible.
Three other Trinity League teams - Santa Margarita, JSerra, and Servite - all lost their nonleague openers on Friday. However, another Trinity League team, St. John Bosco, secured a win in Florida on Friday night. Orange Lutheran, another member of the Trinity League, also triumphed in their game against Miami Northwestern.
Reagan Loki threw two touchdown passes for Orange Lutheran, and Nico Bland caught two touchdown passes in the same game.
Meanwhile, Aquinas, Mater Dei's previous opponent, has won six straight Florida state titles.
As Eric Sondheimer follows Mater Dei's progress, it will be interesting to see how they fare against Bishop Montgomery in their upcoming home match.
