Mater Dei survives a scare vs. St. Frances Academy in Baltimore
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SBLive Sports' No. 1 football team, Mater Dei (California), found another way to win when its offense sputtered against a rough-and-tumble St. Frances Academy team in Baltimore Friday night at Johns Hopkins University's Homewood Field.
The Monarchs, who were held to just 166 yards of total offense and didn't produce an offensive touchdown until 38 seconds were left in the contest, scored twice on defense to subdue the host Panthers, 20-7.
A pair of juniors, linebacker Nasir Wyatt and cornerback Chuck McDonald, helped turn the tide for Mater Dei, making game-changing plays to help the Monarchs improve to 5-0 this season.
Wyatt's 37-yard scoop-and-score of a fumble by St. Frances senior quarterback Michael Van Buren gave the visitors a 7-0 advantage early in the second quarter and McDonald's 24-yard pick six snapped a 7-7 deadlock with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
"I got the sack and then he stumbled and fumbled the ball," Wyatt said. "It felt good to touch the end zone and celebrate with my buddies. Our defense was great, and that's an understatement. We gave up one touchdown, but it was great for our defense to come out there and know that we're the heart of the team and when the game's on the line, we have to come out there and win the game."
St. Frances had tied the game on a 4-yard run by senior running back Nicholas Harris, which capped a 92-yard drive highlighted by a couple of big pass plays from Van Buren to junior wideout Jeremiah Koger.
Elijah Brown held in check by St. Frances' defense
St. Frances did a terrific job of limiting Brown, who nevertheless did find the end zone when he scampered 6 yards for a touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in the game. He was intercepted twice (by senior defensive back Ify Obidegwu and junior DB Kevin Humes) and had only one completion for more than 20 yards.
"I knew Elijah was going to trust his guys and I had to trust myself, too, and trust my teammates to do their job as well," Humes said.
Mater Dei quarterback Elijah Brown (12) struggled against a stingy St. Frances defense, but he did manage a game-clinching touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Photo by John Bowers
St. Frances fails to take advantage of promising situations early
The Panthers's 58-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage on a pass from Van Buren to senior wideout Maso Beale came up empty when Beale fumbled and the Monarchs recovered. Mater Dei returned the favor when Obidegwu recovered a fumble at the Monarchs' 34-yard line on the next play, but St. Frances lost 11 yards on the ensuing series that ended with a sack by Ramere Davis.
St. Frances quarterback Michael Van Buren hit a big gainer of the first play of the contest, but Mater Dei forced him into two turnovers that resulted in defensive touchdowns for the Monarchs.
Photo by John Bowers
Messay Hailemariam lauds St. Frances' defensive performance
"I'm very proud of my guys showing resolve and really fighting through adversity that we've gone through this season," Hailemariam said. "It was a collective effort. We did an amazing job of planning for them. I couldn't ask for anything else as a staff and players. We spent everything we had — and we did pretty well. We talked about plugging away, keeping your head up and working your tail off. We took on the hardest schedule in high school football history, but this is what the results are."
Frank McManus likens the game to a pitchers' duel
Although St. Frances out-gained Mater Dei in total yardage, the Panthers encountered some rough sledding against the stalwart Monarchs as well.
Senior Alabama-commit Zabien Brown, Wyatt, McDonald and Aydin Breland are just some of the top performers for Mater Dei.
"When you have two outstanding teams, specifically with two outstanding defenses, you're going to get a game like that," he said. "It's almost like in baseball, when you have two guys who are dueling and pitching — I love a 1-0 baseball game. A game like this gets me excited, We had two defensive scores. I'm excited that the defense was able to perform like they did."
On a night when its offense struggled, Mater Dei could count on the swarming play of its defense, which shut down St. Frances, scored two touchdowns and setup a third.
Photo by John Bowers
How good is St. Frances' defense?
"That's a great football team," McManus said. "Everything we saw, we expected. But when you have two outstanding teams, specifically with two outstanding defenses, you're going to get a game like that. This St. Frances team is exceptional. They're battle-tested. They play anyone and everyone that is willing to play them. They're the real deal. If we're the best defense, they're the second-best or vice-versa, and that's what you're looking at right there."
-- Nelson Coffin | necsports66@gmail.com | @sblivesports
