One day to No. 1 St. John Bosco vs. No. 2 Mater Dei: 5 biggest storylines

SANTA ANA, Calif. — The battle between the national No. 1 and No. 2 high school football teams used to be a novelty, an unfathomable pairing, a stop-the-presses, 'you-got-to-be-kidding' gridiron happening.

Now it's an annual showdown in the CIF-Southern Section's Trinity League.

• LIVE: FOLLOW BOSCO-MATER DEI PLAY-BY-PLAY

When Mater Dei-Santa Ana and St. John Bosco-Bellflower tangle it's much more than gaining the inside track for a league crown.

It's a big deal. ... a big national deal. This is the 12th time since the start of the century that No. 1 and No. 2 have met during a season. This will be the fourth time those two teams pitted the Monarchs and Braves.

Here are five of the biggest storylines heading into Friday night's titanic 7:30 p.m. clash at Santa Ana Stadium.

1. CAN ELIJAH BROWN STAY PERFECT? 

Mater Dei junior quarterback Elijah Brown is 23-0 as a starter for the Monarchs. He's beaten St. John Bosco twice, Corona Centennial twice, really good Servite teams three times and this year's loaded Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) squad so far in his career. Brown's aced every test thrown his way, but Friday night's challenge will be his toughest yet. 

Last year's Corona Centennial defense and this year's Bishop Gorman defense are the two best units Brown has faced off against in his prep career. On paper, the 2022 St. John Bosco defense is better (see below). 

So to answer the question — can Brown stay perfect? — of course he can. And if he does, his already great Mater Dei legacy becomes even greater. 

Brown is the quarterback who didn't just replace Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young at Mater Dei, he's managed to play up to the ridiculously high standard Young set beginning during his freshman season. 

Beating St. John Bosco on Friday and playing well while doing it would add another layer to the prep legend of Elijah Brown. 

2. IS ST. JOHN BOSCO'S DEFENSE REALLY THIS GOOD?

In a word, yes. The Braves starting defense has only allowed one touchdown in six games. 

The unit features a laundry list of top recruits: 5-star senior edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei, 4-star senior cornerback Aaron Williams (Louisville commit), 4-star senior safety R.J. Jones, 4-star senior cornerback Jshawn Frausto-Ramos (Stanford), 3-star senior safety Ty Lee (UCLA), 3-star senior defensive lineman Vaka Hansen, 3-star senior linebacker Deven Bryant (Washington), 3-star senior defensive lineman Sua Lefotu (Washington), 4-star junior cornerback Peyton Woodyard, 4-star junior linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, 4-star junior cornerback Marcelles Williams and 3-star junior linebacker Jordan Lockhart (Ole Miss).

Those are 12 national recruits and that group doesn't even represent all of the Braves impact players on defense. The unit is loaded with talent, deep and hungry to win Bosco's first game against Mater Dei since 2019, which brings us to our next storyline...

3. IS THERE PRESSURE ON ST. JOHN BOSCO?

The Braves are due for a win in this rivalry showdown and on paper, this is their year to come out on top. The only player on St. John Bosco who played meaningful minutes the last time the Braves beat the Monarchs in the 2019 CIF championship was Uiagalelei. This St. John Bosco senior and junior class is too good to once again come up empty against the Monarchs. The Braves upperclassmen need this game — or at least the next one since these two teams will most likely face off again in the Division 1 Southern Section championship in November. 

So yes, there's some pressure, which will only be ratcheted up another level in November if the Braves come up short for the fourth straight regular season meeting against Mater Dei. 

4. WHICH TEAMS' STARS WILL HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT?

With over 75 Division 1 college football recruits set to take the field, there will be no shortage of star power on Friday night and as history tells us, those stars will make the difference. 

In the 2019 CIF championship game, an otherworldly performance from DJ Uiagalelei was a major reason the Braves came back from a 28-5 deficit to win 39-34 over Mater Dei. Last season, Brown threw five touchdown passes to lead Mater Dei to a 42-21 win in the rivalry game.

Here are three stars from each team who we could very well be talking about on Saturday morning after they lead their team to a win. The list is in alphabetical order.

• DeAndre Carter, Mater Dei senior offensive tackle: 247Sports.com ranks Carter as the No. 31 ranked prospect in his class. Carter and the rest of the Monarchs offensive linemen are a group of road graders. Going up against a defense as talented as St. John Bosco's, effectively running the ball with sophomore Jordon Davison and the rest of the Monarchs stable of backs will be paramount. Obviously, pass protection is important too. If Mater Dei wins, Carter and his road plowers will be a major reason why. 

• Pierce Clarkson, St. John Bosco senior quarterback: Don't expect Mater Dei to bring a ton of pressure against the fleet Clarkson. The Louisville commit is just as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm. Here's something to watch for though: Clarkson has thrown four picks against a somewhat soft schedule so far this season. If he cuts down on his mistakes, St. John Bosco will have a great chance to win. 

• Cameron Jones, St. John Bosco junior running back: Jones doesn't get as much attention as some of his teammates, but he's one of the top running backs in California. So far this season he's averaging a whopping 11 yards per carry. 

• DeAndre Moore, St. John Bosco senior wide receiver: Moore will be one of the fastest players on the field. The Louisville commit's gamebreaking speed could potentially be the difference. 

• Jordan Onovughe, Mater Dei senior wide receiver: Mater Dei doesn't have a true top recruit at wide receiver this season. Onovughe emerged as a key target for Brown in the Monarchs 24-21 win over Bishop Gorman back in August. He's an X-factor. 

• Nasir Wyatt, Mater Dei sophomore linebacker: Wyatt alongside senior linebacker Leviticus Su'a strikes fear into opposing offenses on every snap. Both are capable of making game-changing plays on defense. 

5. WHO GETS THE BIG PLAY ON DEFENSE OR SPECIAL TEAMS?

This is the million dollar question. In a game that's expected to be as close as this one, a key punt, late field goal or interception could make the difference. 

Before the season started, Mater Dei head coach Bruce Rollinson was worried about his punting unit and against Bishop Gorman, the Monarchs muffed a punt. Those are two areas of minor concern for Mater Dei. 

Score prediction: St. John Bosco 21, Mater Dei 17