Video: (23) Bishop Amat vs. Mater Dei - high school football previewMaxPreps breaks down this big-time Southern California tilt.Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)Why
it's big: The winner will join No. 6 Centennial (Corona) and No. 15 St.
John Bosco (Bellflower) in the conversation of top contenders in
SoCal's loaded Pac 5 playoff division. No. 23 Bishop Amat hopes to win
its first CIF title since 1995, when a team led by three future NFL
players won the Southern Section crown. The 2015 Lancers have the luxury
of two experienced and productive signal callers. Seniors
Ryder Ruiz and
Damian Garcia both threw for over 1,800 yards last year.
Mater
Dei has a very talented roster but less experience than Bishop Amat.
Only nine starters are back for the Monarchs, but Stanford-bound senior
linebacker
Curtis Robinson and USC-committed lineman
Frank Martin II do return.
Names
to watch: Expect to see some USC fans representing at Santa Ana Bowl
when these teams hook up Friday night. In addition to Mater Dei's
Martin, Bishop Amat has a pair of USC pledges in four-star receivers
Tyler Vaughns and
Trevon Sidney.
Mater Dei counters with its own duo of gifted receivers in four-star junior
Osiris St. Brown (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) and three-star senior
Andre Collins (6-5, 195).
Photos by MaxPreps photographers / Graphic by Ryan Escobar