MISSION VIEJO – If Mater Dei’s season opener Saturday night was a preview, the sum of the Monarchs’ parts will be their strength.
The numbers added up nicely for No.2 Mater Dei as it handled Southern California rival Centennial of Corona, 38-18, at the Mission Viejo Classic at Mission Viejo High.
Instead of relying on a standout player or duo, the Monarchs showed impressive depth.
Four players rushed for touchdowns and quarterback Jack Lowary completed passes to 10 players. Nine Monarchs carried the ball.
Lowary, a first-year starter as a senior, completed 16 of 27 passes for 200 yards, including a 25-yard TD strike to receiver Jacob Welch for a 38-12 lead in the third.
The Monarchs rushed for 256 yards behind an offensive line that opened holes all night. Brandon LaMarche led the way with 95 yards on 11 carries.
Mater Dei (1-0) scored the first 28 points and led 31-12 at halftime.
The Monarchs were sparked early by their defense. Linebacker Ronald Nickerson recovered a fumble at the Huskies’ 6 on the second play from scrimmage, leading to a 1-yard touchdown run by LaMarche less than two minutes into the first quarter.
Monarchs safety Ben Humphreys ended the Huskies’ next drive with a sack at their 13. Mater Dei took advantage of good field position to drive for a 2-yard touchdown run by Malik McMorris with 6:27 left in the opening period.
Defensive end Rasheed Williams added a sack for Mater Dei to halt Centennial’s third possession. The Monarchs drove for a third rushing touchdown as Dalvin Jones-Fa’avae scored on a 5-yard run to give Mater Dei a 21-0 lead with 1:58 left in the first.
Centennial began going for it on fourth downs – even deep in its territory – to find its spark, but Mater Dei forced the Huskies to turn the ball over on downs at the Monarchs’ 28 early in the second. Mater Dei then drove 72 yards on eight plays for a 9-yard TD run by Nickerson, who gave the Monarchs a 28-0 lead with 7:39 left.
The Huskies’ offense broke through late in the first half with a 9-yard touchdown reception by Greyson Bankhead and a 5-yard TD catch by Javon McKinley from the quarterback tandem of Anthony Catalano and Nate Ketteringham. But Mater Dei closed the half with a 31-yard field goal by Elias Deeb to take a 31-12 lead.
Mater Dei next plays Villa Park on Friday at Santa Ana Stadium while the Huskies take on Orange Lutheran in Oceanside on Saturday.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com