Fryer tackles wild Week 6

The streak continues.

We're not talking about St. Margaret's winning streak, which reached 34 games Friday when the Tartans beat Ontario Christian. That's"a" streak.

In Orange County football,"the" streak is Mater Dei's undefeated run against Servite.

Mater Dei outplayed Servite in every way Friday in its 42-21 victory at Cal State Fullerton.

The Monarchs have not lost to Servite since 1988.

The undefeated streak now is at 20 games. There was a tie in that run, in the early 1990s, and a couple of close calls, like the 2006 game that went into overtime.

This year was shaping up to be the year when the streak would end. Mater Dei lost to Edison, Servite beat Edison and so logically …

Logic does not mean much in sports, means even less in high school sports, and means zero in the Mater Dei-Servite rivalry.

People would question how this could be a rivalry, when the 20-year won-loss record between the two is so one-sided. Those people were not at Cal State Fullerton on Friday night. Nor were they at Angel Stadium in 2007 or '06. The crowd was large and lively, arrived early and had a tailgate party like Southern California sees only at USC or San Diego Chargers games.

This is how Mater Dei ran the streak to 20:

• The Monarchs tackled better than Servite.

• They ran the ball better, behind an offensive line that had not been a Mater Dei strength for the first half of this season.

• And quarterback Matt Barkley, who went into the game with 11 interceptions, was not spectacular but he sure was effective. He was 21 for 25, for 212 yards and two touchdowns - and with no interceptions. He was 4-0 as the starting quarterback against Servite, a first for any Mater Dei quarterback.

This streak began in 1989, Bruce Rollinson's first year as coach at Mater Dei, his alma mater.

Those postgame, congratulatory hugs with family and friends looked a bit more emotional that usual, like there was special meaning to this one - like perhaps this was the last time Rollinson was going to be involved in this rivalry that goes back to 1961.

I am not going to ask Rollinson if this year, his 20th, is his last year coaching Mater Dei football. Even if it is, he is not going to say "yes."

This game might be the start of a familiar pattern: Mater Dei beats Servite; Servite beats Orange Lutheran; Orange Lutheran beats Mater Dei. That happened last year, and in '06, too.
We shall see.

There were some other big games in the county.

No. 7 Tesoro 31, No. 1 Mission Viejo 14- No, we sure did not see that result coming, and few could have guessed that Tesoro quarterback Robbie Picazo would have a more productive night than Mission quarterback Allan Bridgford. Tesoro also beat Mission Viejo last year.

No. 2 Edison 14, No. 8 Newport Harbor 7- A little closer than figured, perhaps, but then Newport Harbor never seems to lose by a lot, when the Sailors do lose.

No. 9 San Clemente 41, Dana Hills 31- Neither team could afford a loss in that South Coast League opener, with both still having to play Tesoro and Mission Viejo in upcoming league games.

Canyon 37, El Dorado 27- El Dorado had not lost a league game since 2005. The Golden Hawks' league winning streak was at 12 games.

Woodbridge 14, Northwood 11- That ended a 20-game losing streak for Woodbridge.

Laguna Hills 34, Corona del Mar 7- CdM likely represented Laguna Hills' toughest challenge in the Pacific Coast League.

St. John Bosco of Bellflower 47, Santa Margarita 21- Locally, everybody focuses on Mater Dei, Orange Lutheran and Servite when looking at the Trinity League. Bosco is 6-0, and very good.

Next week is another big week.

Take a look at these matchups: San Clemente at Tesoro, Friday; St. John Bosco-Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College, Friday; and Edison-Los Alamitos at Veterans Stadium, Thursday.

But it was hard to beat this week - but not as hard, it seems, as it is for Servite to beat Mater Dei.

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com