Southern California put nine teams on the field between Thursday and Friday. Eight of them won. The ninth lost by one point to another team on this board.
Nothing from outside this region laid a hand on it.
Ten to nine in Santa Ana
Mater Dei trailed Centennial of Corona 9-0, did not reach the end zone until the fourth quarter, and won 10-9.
Centennial's nine came from a three-yard reverse by Kenny Leggett and a safety on a snap that sailed over the Mater Dei punter's head. Mater Dei answered with a field goal and went to the half down six.
Then Centennial gave the ball away twice inside three minutes of the fourth, Mike Davis intercepted a shuttle pass to set up a first down at the 15, and Russell Sekona scored on a sneak. Centennial missed a 27-yard field goal to win it with 2:30 left.
Mater Dei is 4-0. Centennial is 1-2, and both of its defeats are by a single point, the other to Santa Margarita.
We held Centennial third and Mater Dei fourth a week ago and said in print that the record was the only argument against it. The record is 1-2 now.
Bosco beat Hawaii's best by 36
St. John Bosco beat Kahuku 49-13 at Panish Family Stadium in Bellflower. That is the second Hawaii program to come to Southern California this week and leave by five touchdowns or more, after Sierra Canyon beat Saint Louis 52-0 on Thursday.
Bishop Amat beat Culver City 65-13. Mission Viejo beat Lincoln of San Diego 56-0. Orange Lutheran shut out Serra of Gardena 35-0. Carlsbad beat Poway 35-7. San Clemente won 31-21 at La Costa Canyon in Carlsbad, the only board team all week that had to win a close one against somebody unranked.
Six teams, six wins, and a combined margin that does not need adding up.
Santa Margarita is still out there
The top team on this board has not played yet. It meets Inderkum of Sacramento tonight at 8:10 Pacific.
That is worth saying plainly instead of burying it, because every line above is written about a region whose best team is still to take the field. Santa Margarita is second in the country and it is 3-0, and it is the only team in Southern California that could still make this week look different.
We run this column on Saturday morning on purpose. Being early means printing the shape of the week with a game still to come and telling you which one, rather than waiting until Sunday to hand you something you already watched.
Check back Sunday.
