In short: Mater Dei Monarchs high school football (Santa Ana, CA), 2026 season: 8-2 in the Trinity League. Last game: W 36-35 vs St. John Bosco on October 30, 2026. Schedule and results, player season stats, stat leaders, unit grades, ScorePirate ranking and the game-by-game log.
The biggest shift in Mater Dei's season has come in its offense. Mater Dei averaged 21.0 points per game over its first 6 games (4-2), #262 in CIF-SS in that timeframe. Over the stretch of 4 games that followed (4-0), the Monarchs have averaged 41.8 points per game, a 99% rise, #38 in CIF-SS in that window. The schedule deserves some of the credit: Mater Dei's last 4 opponents have averaged 26.5 points per game, a #256 scoring defense in CIF-SS on the season, against 13.5 points per game, #42 for the first 6. Measured against those opponents' norms (26.5 points per game), Mater Dei scored 58% more than those defenses usually allow. On the season, Mater Dei ranks #142 in CIF-SS in scoring.
Mater Dei's defense from the opening weeks has gone missing since. The Monarchs allowed 16.3 points per game over their first 7 games (5-2), #88 in CIF-SS during that time. Over the stretch of 3 games that followed (3-0), Mater Dei has allowed 29.3 points per game, an 80% rise, #263 in CIF-SS through those games. The schedule doesn't excuse it: the last 3 opponents have been softer, averaging 31.3 points per game, a #107 offense in CIF-SS on the season, against 35.2 points per game, #66 for the first 7. Measured against those opponents' norms (31.3 points per game), Mater Dei held those offenses 6% below what they usually score. By that measure, the early pace looks more like the outlier than the recent one. Overall, those opponents have been strong teams: their average SP Strength Index rating would rank #9 in CIF-SS. On the season, the Monarchs rank #139 in CIF-SS in scoring defense.
Mater Dei committed 1.6 giveaways per game over its first 5 games (4-1), #259 in CIF-SS through that stretch. Few teams started slower in this department, and few have turned it around as sharply since. In the 5 games since that slow start (4-1), the Monarchs have committed 0.8 giveaways per game, a 50% drop, #80 in CIF-SS over that stretch. The schedule doesn't explain it: the opponents in both stretches have averaged about 1.8 per game on the season. Measured against those opponents' norms (1.8 per game), Mater Dei turned it over 55% less than those defenses usually force. On the season, Mater Dei ranks #174 in CIF-SS in giveaways.
Something changed for Mater Dei's run defense after its first 4 games. The Monarchs allowed 2.7 yards per carry (219 yards on 81 rushes) over their first 4 games (4-0), #15 in CIF-SS within that period. In the 6 games since that hot start (4-2), Mater Dei has allowed 4.1 yards per carry (625 yards on 153 rushes), a 51% rise, #54 in CIF-SS across those games. The schedule doesn't explain it: the opponents in both stretches have averaged about 5.9 yards per carry on the season. Measured against those opponents' norms (5.9 yards per carry), Mater Dei held those rushing attacks 30% below their usual yards per carry. By that measure, the early pace looks more like the outlier than the recent one. Overall, those opponents have been strong teams: their average SP Strength Index rating would rank #8 in CIF-SS. On the season, the Monarchs rank #23 in CIF-SS in run defense.
One of Mater Dei's most reliable areas lately has been its passing game. Mater Dei averaged 6.9 yards per pass attempt (611 yards on 89 attempts) over its first 5 games (4-1), #229 in CIF-SS during those games. In the 5 games since that slow start (4-1), the Monarchs have averaged 9.9 yards per pass attempt (841 yards on 85 attempts), a 44% rise, #83 in CIF-SS during that period. The schedule deserves some of the credit: Mater Dei's last 5 opponents have averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, a #117 pass defense in CIF-SS on the season, against 6.1 yards per attempt, #47 for the first 5. Measured against those opponents' norms (6.9 yards per attempt), Mater Dei threw for 43% more per attempt than those pass defenses usually allow. On the season, Mater Dei ranks #146 in CIF-SS in passing.
TIDBITS (12 found)
• Club Mater Dei is 120-0 all time when scoring 40+ points in the games on file (120 such games).
• Club Mater Dei has won 4 straight, and a win would make it 5 in a row. The last time they won 5 or more in a row was 2023, a run of 21.
• Club Mater Dei is 98-2 all time when rushing for 150+ yards. Mater Dei's last loss when rushing for 150+ yards was November 21, 2014 against Centennial (L, 24-27).
• Club Mater Dei has gone 5 straight games holding the opponent under 5.0 yards per carry (October 2, 2026 through October 30, 2026), going 4-1 over that stretch, the program's longest such streak since 2026 (6 games).
• Club Mater Dei has gone 4 straight games averaging 6.0+ yards per play (October 9, 2026 through October 30, 2026), going 4-0 over that stretch, the program's longest such streak since 2024 (6 games).
• Club Mater Dei has gone 4 straight games forcing 1+ turnover (October 9, 2026 through October 30, 2026), going 4-0 over that stretch, the program's longest such streak since 2026 (11 games).
• Player Asir Nembhard has 488 rushing yards over his last 3 games (162.7 a game, October 15, 2026 through October 30, 2026) -- his most in a 3-game stretch on record.
• Player Paytyn Guess has 6 touchdown passes over his last 3 games (2.0 a game, October 15, 2026 through October 30, 2026) -- his most in a 3-game stretch on record.
• Player Dailon Clanton has 31 tackles over his last 3 games (10.3 a game, October 15, 2026 through October 30, 2026) -- his most in a 3-game stretch on record.
• Player Tristan Brown has gone 3 straight games catching a touchdown pass, the longest such streak of his career.
• Player Paytyn Guess has gone 2 straight games running for a touchdown, the longest such streak of his career.
• Player Gavin Honore has gone 2 straight games catching a touchdown pass, the 2nd-longest such streak of his career. He also had a career-best streak of 3 straight games catching a touchdown pass, during the 2025 season.
Every player with a stat on file, listed only where he has one. Open the arrow beside a name for his game-by-game line. Stats through the Oct 30 game; last updated Oct 31; roster and numbers checked Sep 10.
Click a column heading to sort. MIN hides players below that many attempts.
10 CIF-SS titles · 8 CIF-SS runner-up finishes · 5 CIF State titles · 16 CIF-SS Players of the Year · 3 league titles
YEAR
HONOR
2025
Trinity LEAGUE CHAMPION (4-1 in league, shared with SANTA MARGARITA, ST. JOHN BOSCO)
2024
CIF STATE Open CHAMPION (def. De La Salle 37-15)
CIF-SS Division 1 CHAMPION (def. St. John Bosco 31-24)
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (Division 1): NASIR WYATT
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (Division 1): JORDAN DAVISON
Trinity LEAGUE CHAMPION (5-0 in league)
2023
CIF STATE Open CHAMPION (def. Serra, San Mateo 35-0)
CIF-SS Division 1 CHAMPION (def. St. John Bosco 35-7)
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (Division 1): NASIR WYATT
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (Division 1): ELIJAH BROWN
2022
CIF-SS Division 1 RUNNER-UP (lost to St. John Bosco 24-22)
Trinity LEAGUE CHAMPION (5-0 in league)
2021
CIF STATE Open CHAMPION (def. Serra 44-7)
CIF-SS Division 1 CHAMPION (def. Servite 27-7)
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (Division 1): DAVID BAILEY
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (Division 1): RALEEK BROWN
2019
CIF-SS Division 1 RUNNER-UP (lost to St. John Bosco 39-34)
2018
CIF STATE Open CHAMPION (def. De La Salle 35-21)
CIF-SS Division 1 CHAMPION (def. St. John Bosco 17-13)
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (Division 1): STEELE DUBAR
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (Division 1): HORACE"BRU" MCCOY
2017
CIF STATE Open CHAMPION (def. De La Salle 52-21)
CIF-SS Division 1 CHAMPION (def. St John Bosco 49-24)
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (Division 1): SOLOMON TULIAUPUPU
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (Division 1): JT DANIELS
2016
CIF-SS Division 1 RUNNER-UP (lost to St John Bosco 42-28)
2013
CIF-SS RUNNER-UP (lost to St. John Bosco 34-7)
2012
CIF-SS RUNNER-UP (lost to Long Beach Poly 35-17)
2003
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (I): BRANDON NICOLAS
2002
CIF-SS Div. I RUNNER-UP (lost to Los Alamitos 41-14)
2000
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (Major): MATT LEINART
1999
CIF-SS Div. I CHAMPION
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (I): MATT GROOTEGOED
1998
CIF-SS Div. I CHAMPION (def. Long Beach Poly 33-26)
CIF-SS Defensive Player of the Year (I): MATT GROOTEGOOD
1997
CIF-SS Div. I RUNNER-UP (lost to Long Beach Poly 28-25)
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (I): MIKE MCNAIR
1996
CIF-SS Div. I CHAMPION (def. Loyola 17-10)
CIF-SS Offensive Player of the Year (I): ROD PERRY
1994
CIF-SS Div. I CHAMPION (def. Bishop Amat 28-21)
1993
CIF-SS Div. I RUNNER-UP (lost to Eisenhower 56-3)
1991
CIF-SS Div. I CHAMPION (def. Eisenhower 35-14)
Section and state results and Players of the Year: CIF-SS Record Book. League finishes judged from league schedules on file (2022-2025 seasons); earlier league titles are not on file.
WEEK WRAP-UP
Mater Dei beat St. John Bosco 36-35 at home on Friday, October 30, its 4th straight win. Mater Dei threw for 214 yards against 101 rushing, and the defense turned a 494-yard night for St. John Bosco into 35 points.
Paytyn Guess completed 11 of 15 for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran 13 times for 15 yards and 3 touchdowns. Gavin Honore caught 5 passes for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns. Tristan Brown caught 4 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.
For St. John Bosco, Koa Malau'ulu completed 26 of 35 for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns and ran 8 times for 44 yards and a touchdown; Maliq Allen ran 18 times for 84 yards and a touchdown and caught 2 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Mater Dei won the turnover battle 1-0. In the 4-game winning streak it has forced 7.0 turnovers and given the ball away 3.0 times. Mater Dei is 8-2, #3 CIF-Southern Section.
Season complete at 8-2 with no games on file beyond a normal 10-game regular season -- read as no postseason appearance. This library still has no playoff-round/bracket source, so this label comes from game count alone, not a confirmed bracket result.
MD — 2026 OVERALL AVERAGES
SPLIT
GP
PPG
OPP PPG
YPG
OPP YPG
PLAYS/G
OPP PLAYS/G
OVERALL
10
29.3
20.2
321.7
275.2
50.7
52.6
HOME
6
29.2
23.3
322.0
326.8
50.0
58.8
ROAD
4
29.5
15.5
321.2
197.8
51.8
43.2
PPG/OPP PPG use every played game on file. YPG/PLAYS-PER-GAME columns only ever come from games with a full box score on file, which can be a smaller sample than GP -- see the coverage note below when that's the case for this team.
Averages use only games with that number on file. SACKS ALW comes from the opponent's box score; TO FORCED is takeaways; TO MAR is takeaways minus giveaways, and its bottom cell is the season total. Dashes mean not on file.
UNIT INDEX
Pass Offense: grade 89.1/100 (+97 yds/gm vs average)
Rush Offense: grade 74.3/100 (+48 yds/gm vs average)
Pass Defense: grade 97.9/100 (-122 yds/gm vs average)
Rush Defense: grade 99.1/100 (-181 yds/gm vs average)
Unit grades: 0-100 league percentile, adjusted for the opponents faced.
COACHING
Raul Lara — head coach since 2024 (earlier on file: Bruce Rollinson, Frank McManus)
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
PLAYER
POS
CLASS
COMMITTED TO
RATING
#0 DANNY LANG
CB
Sr.
USC
4-star
#5 EZEKIEL SU'A
LB
Sr.
Dartmouth
3-star
#78 LEX MAILANGI
IOL
Sr.
Oregon
3-star
#10 MATAMATAGI UIAGALELEI
DL
Sr.
Washington
3-star
#50 MONTANA TOILOLO
DL
Sr.
UCLA
3-star
5 committed players on the current MD roster, per 247Sports. Players from earlier recruiting classes who have already graduated are not listed.
CONFIRMED TRANSFERS
TRANSFERS IN (5)
PLAYER
POS
CLASS
FROM
CONFIRMED
CAMERON POOLEY
Quarterback
Senior
Chaminade
roster
DAVID KAUVAKA
OL
Sr.
Lahainaluna
roster
GAVIN HONORE
WR
Sr.
Bishop Gorman
roster
ISAIAH DANNS
CB
So.
Servite
roster
RUSSELL SEKONA
Quarterback
Junior
Leuzinger
roster
TRANSFERS OUT (3)
PLAYER
POS
CLASS
TO
CONFIRMED
JAVIER MILLAN
Linebacker
Junior
Corona Centennial
roster
MYKEL RAMOS
Defensive back
Junior
Sierra Canyon
roster
TREVOR SCOTT
Quarterback
Sophomore
Long Beach Poly
roster
Confirmed from published reporting; 'roster' means a team roster also corroborates the move. Transfer reporting is strongest in the Southern Section, so an absence here is not proof no move happened.
LAST YEAR
MD finished 2025 at 8-3. Made the playoffs (1 postseason game(s) on file; exact round/result not available). Notable win: 27-24 over BISHOP GORMAN (BISHOP GORMAN finished 92% that season). Toughest loss: 6-7 to SANTA MARGARITA (1-point margin).
"N/A" stands in for a box score that does not have stats entered. A total followed by a count in parentheses covers only the games with that stat on file.
TALKING POINTS (15 storylines)
MD HAS PERFORMED BEST THIS DATA SET WHEN...
• MD rushes for 100+ yards (.960), and has won 4 straight when doing so
• MD forces 1+ takeaways (.900), and has won 8 straight when doing so
• MD averages 6.0+ yards per play (.955), and has won 12 straight when doing so
• MD averages 5.0+ yards per carry (.999), and has won 14 straight when doing so
• MD's offense has averaged 1.2 giveaways per game over their last 10 games. Their 34-game average is 0.6 giveaways per game. (+94%)
• MD's defense has averaged 29.3 points allowed per game over their last 3 games. Their 34-game average is 17.7 points allowed per game. (+66%)
• MD's defense has limited opponents to under 150 rush yds in 5 straight games (10/02/2026-10/30/2026), going 4-1 over that stretch.
• MD's defense has limited opponents to under 5.0 YPC in 5 straight games (10/02/2026-10/30/2026), going 4-1 over that stretch.
• MD's defense has averaged 1.3 takeaways per game over their last 7 games. Their 34-game average is 2.6 takeaways per game. (-50%)
• MD's defense has averaged 261.0 pass yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 27-game average is 174.8 pass yards per game. (+49%)
• MD's defense has averaged 376.7 total yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 28-game average is 260.1 total yards per game. (+45%)
• MD's offense has averaged 7.0 YPC over their last 3 games. Their 34-game average is 4.9 YPC. (+44%)
• MD averages 8.0+ yards per attempt while throwing for 200+ yards
• MD's offense has averaged 215.7 rush yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 34-game average is 153.9 rush yards per game. (+40%)
• MD's offense has averaged 12.0 YPA over their last 3 games. Their 34-game average is 8.6 YPA. (+39%)
• MATER DEI has allowed 400+ total yards in 2 straight games (10/23/26–10/30/26). It has not reached 3 straight in the last 4 years of games on file (2023-present).
• MATER DEI has allowed 30+ in 2 straight games (10/23/26–10/30/26). It has not reached 3 straight in the last 4 years of games on file (2023-present).
• MATER DEI has allowed 250+ passing in 2 straight games (10/23/26–10/30/26). It has not reached 3 straight in the last 4 years of games on file (2023-present).
• MATER DEI has had a player score 3+ TDs in 2 straight games (10/23/26–10/30/26). It has not reached 3 straight in the last 4 years of games on file (2023-present).
MD's defense has averaged 29.3 points allowed per game over their last 3 games. Their 34-game average is 17.7 points allowed per game. (+66%)
MD's defense has averaged 1.3 takeaways per game over their last 7 games. Their 34-game average is 2.6 takeaways per game. (-50%)
MD's defense has averaged 261.0 pass yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 27-game average is 174.8 pass yards per game. (+49%)
MD's defense has averaged 376.7 total yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 28-game average is 260.1 total yards per game. (+45%)
MD's defense has averaged 115.7 rush yards per game over their last 3 games. Their 28-game average is 91.5 rush yards per game. (+26%)
MD's defense has averaged 2.7 YPC over their last 5 games. Their 28-game average is 3.4 YPC. (-21%)
(moved to the Appendix, Data Export 1, to keep this section shorter -- the full spreadsheet-paste table is there unchanged)
APPENDIX
Full-length explanations and full-size data exports for the shortened notes and relocated tables referenced throughout this report, numbered in the order their pointers appear above.
Explanatory Notes
Note 1 -- MOST IMPORTANT NUMBERS -- how a number is scored
Every split this report computes is scored on how strong the number is and how much it sets this team apart from its opponent and the rest of the field, and the top 5 per team are listed. A condition needs at least 8 occurrences to count.
Full Data Exports
Data Export 1 -- TRENDS — TAB-SEPARATED (10 columns)
Where MATER DEI sits among 399 section teams on the two Unit Index composites -- Offense Grade 81.3, Defense Grade 97.9.
TURNOVER MARGIN / GAME: MATER DEI VS THE SECTION
MATER DEI ranks #31 of 332 section teams in turnover margin per game (2.50) -- a strength worth a look.
MATER DEI: SP STRENGTH INDEX BY SEASON
The program's index across 5 seasons on file -- 48.2 in 2022 to 39.6 in 2026.
These graphs were chosen by the program from this season's most notable numbers. Build your own -- any stat against any other, for any mix of teams, seasons or players, with a JPEG download -- in the Graph Builder.