Mater Dei Finds the Motivation to Rout Dana Hills

FULLERTON —  As Mater Dei and Dana Hills took the field Thursday at Cal State Fullerton, the teams’ missions--beyond taking a definitive step toward winning the South Coast League--were clear.

The brash, upstart Dolphins planned to stake their claim as a title contender. The Monarchs planned to remind the visitors why they were the defending league and Division I champions.

Mater Dei had the better motivation as well as the better team, manhandling Dana Hills, 54-13.

The top-ranked Monarchs (8-0, 3-0) rushed for 268 yards--led by Mike McNair, with 167 yards in 11 carries. Quarterback John Leonard passed for 173 yards and four touchdowns.

The Mater Dei defense had a similar sense of purpose, limiting Dolphin running back Julio Peraza to 42 yards, and quarterback Jeremy Walker to 130 yards passing.

Dana Hills’ only scores came on a 17-yard, halfback option pass from Peraza to Matt Johnson, and a four-yard run by Tommy Gallups on the final play of the game.

“On Monday we challenged our defense to keep Peraza under 100 yards because we thought that would be a key to the game,” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said. “I also thought we would have an advantage with our diversified passing game, which I felt would keep them off balance.”

It was just as evident that Mater Dei--which bolted to a 28-7 half-time lead and erupted for its second-biggest point total on the season--quickly eroded what will Dana Hills brought into the game.

“I didn’t think we were ready to play, watching them in practice this week and then I saw they weren’t ready to play in the game,” Dana Hills Coach Scott Orloff said. “I’m very disappointed. We can look good against Laguna Hills then come here and fall apart.

“Don’t get me wrong, Mater Dei is very good. But we also made them look better than they are. We had no intensity tonight, and I have to take full responsibility for that.”

Orloff had spent the week telling his team that Thursday’s game was not only a duel between Peraza and McNair, and each team’s respective offensive lines. “They also throw the ball very well,” Orloff said. “Actually they do both very well.”

Mater Dei proved it in the first half.

Taking the opening kickoff to the 27, the Monarchs needed only five plays to score. McNair started the drive with a fake reverse for 22 yards, and Leonard finished it with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Ismael Lopez.

Mater Dei expanded the lead on its second drive. After Leonard broke loose for 41-yard run to the Dolphins’ 18, receiver Joey Boese took McNair’s handoff on the reverse this time, and bolted down the left sideline for his sixth touchdown on the year.

Dana Hills needed a break, and got one in the second when a Mater Dei defender was inadvertently grazed by Nathan Wannlund’s punt at the Monarchs 21, and the Dolphins recovered. The visitors converted the turnover when Peraza--on a halfback option pass--completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Johnson.

But the Dolphins had a disastrous turnover on their next possession deep in their territory.

On a second and eight from the 12, Walker was hit for a three-yard sack by Kevin Mitchell and fumbled. Defensive tackle Lenny Vandermade scooped up the ball and ran into the end zone. The Monarchs led, 20-7.