In a highly anticipated matchup between two high school football powerhouses, Mater Dei delivered a dominant performance, defeating De La Salle 37-15 on Friday night. Behind explosive plays, a balanced offense, and timely defensive stands, the Monarchs controlled the game from the opening kickoff.
First Half Domination
Mater Dei wasted no time asserting itself. On the opening drive, quarterback Dash Beierly connected on a series of long passes, including a deep ball to Matthew Blalock and a clutch completion to Mark Bowman, setting up a short touchdown run by Jordon Davison to take an early 7-0 lead.
Moments later, Beierly struck again with a 90-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Honore, capitalizing on a De La Salle punt. The Spartans, meanwhile, struggled mightily on offense, going three-and-out on multiple drives and finishing the first quarter with -2 total yards.
Despite De La Salle forcing three turnovers on downs in the red zone, Mater Dei added a safety and another touchdown before halftime — this time a 23-yard pass from Beierly to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt — to head into the break up 23-0.
Spartans’ Second Half Surge
De La Salle came out of halftime energized. Running back Derrick Blanche sparked the offense with a pair of big runs, and Toa Faavae capped the drive with a goal-line touchdown. Faavae later broke off a 41-yard touchdown run, and Blanche converted the two-point attempt, cutting the deficit to 23-15.
The Spartans’ defense responded with a key sack by Matthew Johnson, forcing a Mater Dei punt and giving DLS momentum. But Mater Dei’s offense wasn’t done.
Closing the Door
Beierly and the Monarchs answered with poise. He found Blalock again on a deep route, and Davison punched in another score from 15 yards out to extend the lead. Beierly sealed the win with a 31-yard touchdown pass to Bowman, making it 37-15 with five minutes left.
De La Salle’s attempts at a late comeback were snuffed out by three second-half interceptions, including one each by Shaun Scott, Abduall Sanders, and Ace Leutele. A brief glimmer came when DJ Asiasi recovered a fumble, but the Spartans couldn’t convert the opportunity.
Final Thoughts
Mater Dei’s offense was electric, with Beierly tossing four touchdown passes and Davison scoring twice on the ground. Despite a strong third quarter push from De La Salle, the Monarchs’ depth, discipline, and playmaking proved too much.
De La Salle showed resilience in the second half, but early mistakes and an inability to finish drives proved costly. For now, Mater Dei’s statement victory sends a clear message: they remain a national powerhouse with championship ambitions.
About the Author
