Mater Dei is in two preseason national football rankings published by USA Today.
USA Today’s computer rankings have Mater Dei at No. 8 in the nation. The computer rankings have Mission Viejo, 16-0 and a CIF section and state champion last year, at No. 15.
USA Today’s other rankings, which it calls “expert rankings” that are compiled by sports statistician Ron Massey, has Mater Dei at No. 14.
The Monarchs have plenty of top returning players, including quarterback JT Daniels (right), receiver Osiris St. Brown and an excellent secondary featuring Xavier Bell and and Jalen Cole.
St. John Bosco is No. 1 in the computer rankings and is No. 20 on Massey’s list. Massey’s No. 1 team is St. Thomas Aquinas of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
There will be local opportunities to see USA Today’s nationally-ranked teams.
Mater Dei plays at computer No. 9 Bishop Amat on August 26. Servite plays Bishop Amat on Sept. 2 at Cerritos College, Servite’s home field, on Sept. 2 and plays computer No. 2 De La Salle at Cerritos College on Sept. 9.
Orange Lutheran plays at computer No. 3 Centennial of Corona on Sept. 9.
And of course there are all of those Trinity League matchups involving Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, including the Mater Dei-Bosco game on Oct. 21 at Cerritos College.
Mission Viejo’s schedule starts with a home game against Santa Margarita on Aug. 26 and includes home games against La Habra on Sept. 9 and against Long Beach Poly on Sept. 16.
