CIFSS Championship Preview and Predictions

St. John Bosco @ Mater Dei

CIFSS D1 Championship

Friday, 11/29, 7 pm – Veterans Memorial Stadium

Photographer: Richard Do | Reporter: Isabella Lyons

Watch Live on Fan Duel Sports West

PREVIEW:

The 2024 CIF-SS Ford D1 Football Championship Game has arrived! The Mater Dei Monarchs (11-0) will host the St. John Bosco Braves (11-1) in the 2024 CIF-SS Ford D1 Football Championship game. This will be the seventh standoff between the two powerhouses since 2016 (3-3).

Earlier this season, St. John Bosco torn apart by the Mater Dei by a grisly score of 59-14 (halftime being 45-0).

Mater Dei’s team motto seems to be “leave no doubt,” as the Monarchs have decimated every opponent this season — leaving no uncertainty that they are the undisputed #1 team nationally this season.

We previously covered Mater Dei last week when they traveled to Corona to play Centennial, defeating them with a score of 36-7. The Monarch defense swarmed USC commit, Centennial quarterback Husan Longstreet. The dynamic quarterback was completely shut down, throwing three interceptions (one being a pick-6), fumbling once, and getting sacked five times by the Monarchs. Mater Dei’s havoc-wreaking defense will lead the charge against an air raid style Brave offense.

The Mater Dei offense will look to put major points on the board against St. John Bosco with a behemoth of firepower, using multiple receivers (Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Marcus Harris, Gavin Honore, Mark Bowman) who are willing to take the top off of a defense at any given moment, physical running backs (Jordon Davidson, Kennie Leggett), and talented quarterbacks (Dash Beierly, Furian Inferrera).

However, the Monarch’s starting quarterback Dash Beierly received a violent blow to the ribs against Centennial, and is questionable to start. Mater Dei may look forward to backup Furian Inferrera if Beierly is unable to play. Furian, only a sophomore, plays with a certain chip on his shoulder — in fact, the young gunslinger threw a fantastic red-zone fade ball from the far side of the field to receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt on his very first play against Centennial.

It is hard not to believe the Monarchs will most likely win this matchup against the Braves, based on their undeniable force this year.

On the other hand, St. John Bosco has a young squad this year, and it is widely projected that they will fall to the Monarchs this time around. In their previous matchup against each other this season, the Braves could not find any success, both offensively and defensively. Their struggle must not carry over to this matchup if they expect a championship victory.

In Mater Dei’s previous game against Centennial (Corona), the Monarch offense struggled in the first half with numerous three-and-outs; the dynamic air raid was shut down by Centennial’s secondary — something the Braves must replicate against the Monarchs. If Beierly is unable to start for Mater Dei, they must take advantage of the inexperienced Furian Inferrera by stopping the run and force him to take the air.

In order to win, the Braves will need to complete three tasks in order to win; first, they must scheme together an efficient passing attack. Without this, the run game will plummet, as the Monarch defensive box causes uncontrollable damage. Second, they must find a way to stop Mater Dei’s air raid offense, as their receivers can take the top off of the defense at any given moment. Third and lastly, Coach Negro and his young squad must play on a clean slate mentally; the horrific defeat earlier this season against Mater Dei must be completely wiped from their memory. 

History lies on the Braves’ side, as it tends to repeat itself; Mater Dei has not beaten St. John Bosco twice in one year since the 2017-18 season. The Braves may be in for a victory.

RICHARD’S PREDICTION:

Mater Dei three-peats and adds more hardware to the shelf with a 44-21 victory.

JP’S PREDICTION:

Mater Dei becomes the first team out of the 2 to win it twice in 1 season since 2017-18 with a 35-21 victory.

JPWest Media Game of the Week: Simi Valley @ Edison

CIFSS Division 3 Championship

Friday, 11/29, 7 PM

Cap Sheue Field, Huntington Beach High School

Photographer: Jeremy Westerbeck | Reporter: Dean Ferguson

Watch Live on NFHS Network

PREVIEW

Championship week in the CIF Southern Section has arrived, with teams battling for a chance to advance to the state playoffs. Our JPWest Media Game of the Week takes us to Huntington Beach, where the Edison Chargers (9-4) will host the Simi Valley Pioneers (12-1) on Friday night at 7 PM in the Division 3 Championship game, streaming live on the NFHS Network.

This game marks a historic occasion for Cap Sheue Field at Huntington Beach High School, hosting its first football championship since 1983, when Newport Christian faced Big Pine in the 8-Man Small Championship.

However, the biggest storyline this week surrounds Edison’s standout senior running back, Julius Gillick. Following his ejection last Friday against Vista Murrieta for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, Gillick spoke with JPWest Media’s Dean Ferguson during a postgame interview saying “I need to improve my discipline”. On Tuesday, the CIFSS officiating crew upheld the penalties, confirming that Gillick will be ineligible for the championship game.

In his absence, sophomore running back Sam Edmisten will be projected to be the next man up to lead the Chargers’ ground attack. Edmisten has been solid in the postseason, racking up 200+ total yards and a touchdown during Edison’s playoff run. He’ll team up with sophomore quarterback Sam Thomson, forming a dynamic backfield duo that will need to perform at its best against a tough Simi Valley squad.

On the other side, the Simi Valley Pioneers are no strangers to the championship stage. Last year, they reached the Division 6 title game after defeating Huntington Beach in the semifinals. This season, they’ve climbed to Division 3, punching their ticket to the finals with a hard-fought win over Loyola last week.

Senior quarterback Tagg Harrison led the way in the semifinal, completing 13 of 23 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, senior running back Brice Hawkins was a force on the ground, rushing for 151 yards on 23 carries and scoring two touchdowns.

JP’S PREDICTION

Despite the absence of Gillick, the Chargers’ balanced attack should carry them through. Look for Edmisten to shine as Edison captures its first title since 2016 with a narrow 31-28 victory.

RICHARD’S PREDICTION:

Simi Valley takes advantage of Gillick’s absence and takes the 2024 CIF-SS D3 victory title home with a 33-24 win over Edison.