Mater Dei football dominates rival Servite in Trinity League opener
Elijah Brown throws five TD passes for the No. 1-ranked Monarchs.
Mater Dei wide receiver Jack Ressler, left, gets a lift by a teammate as he celebrates scoring a touchdown against Servite in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
SANTA ANA – The No. 1 team in the nation played like it.
Mater Dei thumped Servite 49-0 on Friday in the Trinity League football opener for both teams Friday at Santa Ana Stadium.
Mater Dei, ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps.com and others and No. 1 in the Orange County Top 25, is 6-0 overall. Servite (4-2 overall) is No. 4 in the county rankings.
Mater Dei running back Jordon Davison, right, muscles his way through hole in the Servite defense as Servite free safety Saxon Churchwell tries to bring him down in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite quarterback Leo Hannan (9) is able to get rid of the ball before being brought down by Mater Dei defensive lineman Semi Taulanga in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown, right, runs for big yardage on a keeper as he is chased by Servite defensive lineman James Campbell, left, in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei running back Nathaniel Frazier takes a punt return deep into Servite territory to set up another Monarch score in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite quarterback Camren Hughes, center, is sacked by Mater Dei quarterback Josh Valle, right, and outside linebacker Ramere Davis, left, in the second quarter in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei’s Ajon Bryant, right, is able to keep his grip on the ball for the reception in the first quarter against Servite in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei wide receiver Jack Ressler, left, gets a lift by a teammate as he celebrates scoring a touchdown against Servite in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei defensive back Jeilani Davis picks off a pass against Servite in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei wide receiver Marcus Harris (10) catches a touchdown pass as Servite strong safety Beau Jako, right, tries to defend in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei fans do a little cheer before the start of the Trinity League football game against Servite in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite quarterback Camren Hughes scrambles out of the pocket trying to gain some yardage against Mater Dei in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite running back Quaid Carr (21) is tripped up by Mater Dei linebacker Abduall Sanders (32) and linebacker Tanner Williams, right, in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Service fans cheer on their team during the Trinity League football game against Mater Dei in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown, spots Ajon Bryant in the open and connects with a pass against Servite in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei coach Frank McManus, right, shakes hands with Servite coach Chris Reinert at the end of their Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei coach Frank McManus signals to his team during the Trinity League football game against Servite in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei coach Frank McManus keeps an eye on his team during the Trinity League football game against Servite in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite fans engage in a little wishful thinking before the start of the Trinity League football game against Mater Dei in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Mater Dei running back Jordon Davison runs up the middle to score a touchdown against Servite in the first quarter in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servitie coach Chris Reinert gets ready to run onto the field with his team before the start of the Trinity League football game against Mater Dei in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite quarterback Camren Hughes fires a pass against Mater Dei in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Service coach Chris Reinert assesses the situation during the Trinity League football game against Mater Dei in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Servite running back Gavin Gutierrez, right, tries to get by Mater Dei outside linebacker Dailon Clanton in a Trinity League football game in Santa Ana on Friday, September 29, 2023. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
The Monarchs scored touchdowns on all seven of their possessions.
Senior quarterback Elijah Brown threw five touchdown passes and completed passes to nine different teammates. He completed 21 of 26 passes for 303 yards without an interception.
Senior running back Ajon Bryant had five receptions for 69 yards. Marcus Brown caught two of Elijah Brown’s touchdown passes, and Marcus Harris, Jack Ressler and Jonah Smith caught the others.
Backup quarterback Reagan Toki threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt in the fourth quarter.
Mater Dei had five sacks, four in the first half. Linebacker Ramere Davis had 2.5 sacks, junior linebacker Nasir Wyatt had one and senior lineman Zeus Venegas had one. The Monarchs defense held Servite to minus-21 yards rushing (sacks are applied to rushing yardage in high school football).
Mater Dei leads Servite in their decades-long series 45-17-2.
Postgame with Mater Dei QB Elijah Brown. He threw 5 TD passes in Mater Dei’s 49-0 win over Servite …. pic.twitter.com/aCOXoKsKSE
Mater Dei first-year head coach Frank McManus was happy with the results, especially because the team struggled somewhat in a 20-7 win last week over St. Frances Academy in Baltimore.
“I think our offensive guys tried to build a little more confidence coming out of Baltimore,” McManus said, “and I think they succeeded.”
As for the defense, McManus said, “They’re playing really well. They’re on top of it.”
Elijah Brown said the offensive unit played closer to its potential this week.
“If we just play as one, no one can really stop us, “ said Brown who committed to Stanford. “Great coaching and great play calling (in this game). The offense was working as a team today.”
Mater Dei and Servite continue Trinity League play next week. Mater Dei plays JSerra at Santa Ana Stadium on Friday, Oct. 6. Servite plays at St. John Bosco on Friday, Oct. 6.
Mater Dei scored touchdowns on all four of its first-half possessions.
A 40-yard completion from Elijah Brown to Bryant led to a 1-yard touchdown run by junior running back Jordan Davison for a 7-0 lead. It was Davison’s sixth rushing touchdown this season.
The Monarchs’ second touchdown, late in the first quarter, was a 9-yard pass from Elijah Brown to Harris. Nate Frazier took a short pass and turned it into a 64-yard gain on that brief possession.
Their third touchdown came on a 16-play, 74-yard drive that took 5 minutes and 50 seconds. A 7-yard touchdown pass from Elijah Brown to Ressler finished the drive.
Mater Dei’s Jelani Davis set up the fourth and final Monarchs touchdown of the first half. Davis returned an interception from the Mater Dei 47 to the Servite 15. Three plays later Elijah Brown connected with Marcus Brown for a 6-yard touchdown and a 28-0 halftime lead.
Brown threw touchdown passes to Smith and a second one to Marcus Brown in the quarter.
