Mater Dei’s recovery from an 0-21 hole to a 22-21 win over Downey in the Southern California playoff last week wasn’t the only remarkable achievement by the South Bay club this year.
The Crusaders’ 10-game winning streak, following four straight losses to open the season, is unprecedented, according to researcher and webmaster Henrik Jonson, who estimated that almost 29,000 games have been played by San Diego County teams since San Diego High (then known as Russ High School) kicked off in the first in 1891.
Two teams, 2014 Madison and 2018 Canyon Hills, lost their first three and then won nine straight before bowing in their final games.
Mater Dei can add an 11th consecutive victory and defend its state II-AA championship Friday at 4 p.m. at Mission Viejo Saddleback College against Oakland McClymonds, champion of the tiny Oakland section, comprised only of the historic Oakland Athletic League. “Mack” is the alma mater of many great athletes, including basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell and baseball Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.
II-A
Granite Hills will attempt to win its first state championship after winning its first San Diego Section title in the school’s 63-season history. The Eagles meet Danville San Ramon Valley at noon Saturday at Mission Viejo Saddleback College.
Coach Kellan Cobbs’ team likes to attack with a three-pronged running game of Isaiah Jackson, Zak Darling, and Maxwell Turner, who have combined for 2,437 yards and 34 touchdowns in the 12-2 season.
The Eagles showed as birds of prey they were higher up the figurative food chain when they soared past the Rancho Cucamonga Eagles, 41-21, in the Southern California playoff last week.
VI-AA
Classical’s almost Cinderella season comes to a conclusion Friday, beginning with a 5 a.m. bus departure from the Escondido campus and 442-mile ride to south San Jose.
The Caimans will meet Central Coast champion Santa Teresa on the Saints’ home field at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Classical’s 10-3 record is in sharp relief to the 1-9 campaign of 2021 and the 0-4 of 2020. The Caimans finished third with a 1-2 record to city rival Escondido Charter and Francis Parker in the Pacific League this season.
The Caimans got Life (Pollard) this season from the running back, who rushed for 1,423 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Following the 16-8 loss to rival Escondido Charter in the final regular-season game, Classical rolled through the playoffs, defeating Calexico Vincent Memorial, 32-0; winning a rematch with Charter, 28-14; topping San Diego Section D-V No. 1 seed Crawford, 33-14, and ousting Lancaster, 34-14, last week in the Southern California playoff.
