Mater Dei’s offense has been dominant this season. Take the 55-8 win over Kahuku on Sept. 9, for instance, when four-star quarterback Elijah Brown threw for four touchdowns and elite running back Jordon Davison rushed for two more. Or the week before, when Brown threw for a whopping seven touchdowns.
On Friday, the defense took care of both sides of the ball. St. Frances Academy’s (Baltimore) defense prevented the Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) offense from getting going at all, not allowing a single offensive score through the first three quarters, but two big touchdowns from the Monarchs’ defensive end helped them maintain a lead through most of the game and remain undefeated against a very tough opponent with a 20-6 victory.
The first touchdown for either side came near the beginning of the second quarter when a scramble for possession resulted in five-star edge rusher Nasir Wyatt corralling the loose ball and taking it home. That 7-0 score would hold through halftime.
NASIR WYATT with the Scoop n Score for @MDFootball❕|/
Monarchs lead St. Frances Academy 7-0 early in 2nd Qtr 🏈
🎥 @On3USC @On3Recruits pic.twitter.com/ahXzxmqMaU
— Scott Schrader (@Scott_Schrader) September 22, 2023
St. Frances tied up the game about seven minutes into the third quarter and then got a stop to get back possession. Their drive was halted immediately and brutally, as the Panthers were reminded that it’s not just Mater Dei offense that has made them the No. 1 team on the Super 25 throughout the season.
Already deep in their own territory, the Panthers gained just four yards before four-star Monarchs cornerback Chuck McDonald picked off a pass and returned it to the end zone to take the lead.
4-Star 2025 Cornerback CHUCK MCDONALD III with the PICK 6 for Mater Dei❕🔥🔥
Monarchs lead St. Frances Academy 14-7 with 2:55 left in 3rd Qtr 🏈
🎥 @On3USC @Chuck20fficial pic.twitter.com/poVPBd0QrA
— Scott Schrader (@Scott_Schrader) September 23, 2023
Brown rushed in an insurance touchdown in the fourth quarter, but those two defensive scores were enough to hold the lead. As strong as St. Frances’ defense was, holding Mater Dei’s offense to a single touchdown, the Monarchs’ defense was no less stringent, giving up only one touchdown of their own. Even while the Monarchs scored a season-low 20 points, they got the win and improved to a record of 5-0.
The Panthers are now 1-5, but that has been a symptom of scheduling arguably the toughest schedule in the nation. Four of the losses have been to teams ranked in the top-10 — two of whom are ranked among top-3 teams — and the fifth was to an East St. Louis (Ill.) program that briefly appeared in the Super 25 this season.
There’s good news for St. Frances: This is their last game against a nationally ranked team until mid-November. The Panthers will have a chance to rack up some wins and gain momentum ahead of their matchup with IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), currently ranked No. 4 in the Super 25.
As for the Monarchs, they continue to set the pace for the nation. They have pole position and have not shown signs of relinquishing.
