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  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels was the Register's offensive player...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels was the Register's offensive player of the year in 2016. The sophomore set Orange County records this season for yards (4,849) and touchdowns (67). (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player of the year. His coaches and teammates are impressed by his weekly preparation, which they say helped Monarchs go 13-1 this season. (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is selected the Register's offensive...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is selected the Register's offensive player of the Year. He is the first Mater Dei quarterback to win the award since Matt Barkley in 2007. (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player of the year. Seven weeks into the season, he had more touchdown passes than incompletions. (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player of the year. The sophomore led the Monarchs to the CIF-SS Division 1 championship game. ‘He definitely seemed more calm and not as nervous in big games,' Mater Dei Dei receiver Osiris St. Brown said. ‘When stuff didn't go our way, he was still positive and smiling on the sideline. He matured a lot.' (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels is the Register's offensive player of the year. He led the Monarchs to perhaps the greatest offensive season in the history of Orange County football. He set county records for passing yards (4,849) and touchdowns (67). (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels looks to throw a pass...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels looks to throw a pass against Orange Lutheran on Oct. 14, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei lineman Chris Murray (73) helps block for quarterback...

    Mater Dei lineman Chris Murray (73) helps block for quarterback JT Daniels during a game against La Mirada on Sept. 9, 2016. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels runs for a first down...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels runs for a first down against Vista Murrieta during the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs on Nov. 18, 2016. (FRANK BELLINO, THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels fires a pass in the...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels fires a pass in the third quarter against Edison on Sept. 23, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels raises his arms after the...

    Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels raises his arms after the Monarchs sealed their win over St. John Bosco in a Trinity League game on Oct. 21, 2016. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Mater Dei's JT Daniels, left, Edison coach Dave White and...

    Mater Dei's JT Daniels, left, Edison coach Dave White and Mission Viejo's Colin Schooler are the Register's winners of the top footall awards for this season. (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

  • The Register's All-County Football team for the 2016 season. Front...

    The Register's All-County Football team for the 2016 season. Front row, from left: JT Daniels (Mater Dei), Coach Dave White (Edison) and Colin Schooler (Mission Viejo). Second row: Stan Berryhill (Orange Lutheran), Brandon Reaves (San Clemente), Austin Osborne (Mission Viejo), Riley O'Brien (JSerra), Olaijah Griffin (Mission Viejo). Third row: Jarrett Patterson (Mission Viejo), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Mater Dei), Jack Sears (San Clemente), Osiris St. Brown (Mater Dei), Quentin Lake (Mater Dei), Chase McGrath (Mater Dei). Fourth row: Mike Saffell (Edison), Chase Garbers (Corona del Mar), Tae Le (Corona del Mar), John Stamos (Villa Park), Brandon McKinney (Orange Lutheran), EJ Ginnis (Edison), Ryan Stonehouse (Mater Dei), JJ Glass (San Juan Hills). Back row: Brett Neilon (Santa Margarita), Ryan Nelson (Buena Park), Tommy Brown (Mater Dei), Austin Faoliu (Mater Dei), Zach Ritner (Capistrano Valley), Kenny Carmichael (Edison), Cedric Dashiell II (Buena Park) and KC Carr (Tustin). (Photo by Matt Masin, Orange County Register, SCNG)

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Associate mug of Kenny Connolly, Anaheim reporter.

Date shot: 12/31/2012 . Photo by KATE LUCAS /  ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

COSTA MESA – JT Daniels is a morning person, or at least he has become accustomed to the pre-dawn lifestyle in recent months.

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His sunrise routine started in mid-August: a brush of the teeth, a fresh press of the school uniform, breakfast on the go and then straight to Mater Dei’s football offices for film study while the other overachievers on campus are in zero-period classes.

Every Monday through Saturday in the fall, the Monarchs’ sophomore phenom started his day by dissecting tape in preparation for the team’s next Friday night test.

Just as the tapes stacked up week after week, so too did the wins, the records and the accolades.

“It’s a lot of break down,” Daniels acknowledged. “It’s a lot of time you put in, but if you love the process and love what you’re doing, it’s not even work. And when it’s clicking, it’s a lot of fun.”

Mater Dei’s offense had a special aura around it this season. The Monarchs stomped Bishop Amat, 63-14, in Week 0, and continued that trend in the coming weeks. Mater Dei built up large leads so often that nine of its 10 regular-season outings ended with a running clock.

The Monarchs captured their first outright league title since 1999, and turned in their first perfect regular season since 1997.

With Daniels at the helm – and playing in just the first half of many games – the Monarchs posted perhaps the greatest offensive season in the history of Orange County football. Daniels set county records for passing yards (4,849) and touchdowns (67), and set Mater Dei marks for completions (315), attempts (423) and completion percentage (74.5).

For turning in an unparalleled offensive campaign, Daniels is the Register’s offensive player of the year.

“JT is one of the finer quarterbacks in the country right now,” Monarchs junior wide receiver Amon-ra St. Brown said of Daniels. “He watches the most film out of all the players on our team. Him and our offensive coordinator (Dave Money) work really well together, and there’s a lot of trust there.”

Head coach Bruce Rollinson and Money had so much faith, in fact, that the most impressive part of Daniels’ record-shattering season is that he called every play on his own at the line of scrimmage.

The Monarchs’ lone hiccup of the year was a 42-28 loss to St. John Bosco in the CIF-SS Division 1 final. The Braves, who went on to win a state championship, were the lone squad that slowed down Daniels and the Mater Dei offense. The Monarchs scored at least 42 points in 12 of its 14 games. In its two meetings with the Braves, Mater Dei scored 26 and 28 points.

“From the game aspect – of course you want to win,” the sophomore said of the setback in the CIF Finals. “But it wouldn’t be right of me to look back at a loss and be mad at how great of a team we had. It was just too great of a season, too great of an experience for me, too many great friendships to be upset.”

Daniels tossed three touchdowns and three interceptions in his two outings against the Braves. Against the 12 other defenses he encountered, he carved up those dozen secondaries to the tune of 64 touchdowns, three interceptions.

Through the first seven weeks of the season, Daniels racked up more touchdown passes (40) than incompletions (38), breaking Billy Blanton’s single-season touchdown record (36) by Oct. 14.

He was named Gatorade’s state player of the year earlier this month.

There’s no reason to think Daniels can’t repeat his stellar performance next fall.

The Monarchs are expect to welcome back 10 offensive starters in 2017, including the entire offensive line and most of the team’s fleet of Division 1-bound receivers. Only senior Osiris St. Brown, who is committed to Stanford, won’t be returning.

“This whole season, it was basically all him calling plays for us,” Osiris said of Daniels. “He was calling his own thing. He definitely seemed more calm and not as nervous in big games. When stuff didn’t go our way, he was still positive and smiling on the sideline. He matured a lot.

“Next year it’s going to be even better.”

That’s a harsh notion to stomach if you’re coaching against the Monarchs next season. Best of luck with that film study.

ALL COUNTY FOOTBALL

Contact the writer: kconnolly@scng.com