Action shots from CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship football game between Mater Dei High Schoiol and St. John Bosco High School at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson will coach his final game. Mater Dei quarterback Elija - Source: Getty

Mater Dei vs Bishop Gorman rivalry explored ahead of massive showdown on Friday

Modified Sep 06, 2024 18:01 GMT

High school football powerhouses Mater Dei and Bishop Gorman will face off at the Santa Ana Bowl in California on Friday. Ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the SBLive/SI Top 25 rankings, these programs have dominated the national high school football scene over the past decade.

Bishop Gorman, the defending national champion, has claimed four mythical national titles (2014, 2015, 2016, 2023), while Mater Dei boasts six (1994, 1996, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021). This upcoming game will be crucial, potentially deciding the national champion early in the season.

Mater Dei enters the contest with a 1-0 record, while Gorman is 2-0. Mater Dei holds a narrow advantage in this rivalry, having won four of their last seven meetings. Their most recent clash in 2022 saw Mater Dei narrowly defeat Bishop Gorman 24-21, ending Bishop Gorman’s impressive 55-game winning streak.

This match is also the 14th time since 2000 that the top two high school teams met in which, Mater Dei has been on 8 of these occasions since 2017

MaxPreps lists 39 players rated three stars or higher by 247Sports, with Bishop Gorman featuring 20 such athletes and Mater Dei with 19. Star players include five-star wide receivers Chris Henry Jr. (Mater Dei, Ohio State), Derek Meadows (Bishop Gorman, LSU), and Oregon commits, including Mater Dei’s Jordon Davison, Nasir Wyatt, and Kodi Greene. Gorman’s own future Duck is offensive lineman Alai Kalaniuvalu.

Mater Dei vs Bishop Gorman: Revisiting the thrilling 2022 showdown

The most memorable battle that Mater Dei and Bishop Gorman had took place on Aug. 26, 2022, at Fertitta Field. In the presence of around 5,000 spectators, Bishop Gorman, standing at No. 6 then, first got double lead of 14 points over Mater Dei, No. 3, but slumped in the end.

Mater Dei scored ten points in only the last ten minutes (4th quarter). The winning big-time was given to the kicker Andre Medina on a 25-yard field goal, which made Mater Dei win a 24-21 score as the last possession of Gorman was a turnover on downs.

Bishop Gorman quarterback Micah Alejado, now playing for Hawaii, connected on touchdown passes to future college stars Elija Lofton (Miami) and Trech Kekahuna (Wisconsin), putting Gorman up 14-0. Alejado’s third touchdown, to Zachariah Branch (USC), extended Gorman’s lead to 21-7 in the third quarter.

Mater Dei's quarterback Elijah Brown responded with three touchdown passes, leading the Monarchs’ rally. Running back Jordon Davison, now an Oregon commit, contributed 88 rushing yards in the victory.

Bishop Gorman finished the 2022 season with a 14-1 record, earning a No. 4 national ranking. Mater Dei went 12-1 and was ranked No. 2, falling only to eventual national champion St. John Bosco in the playoffs.