Throw out the data, the comparability of teaching tenures, the scouting measurements, all of it — in the case of the Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) vs. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) recreation, one of many grandest highschool soccer matchups in California and the U.S., the overriding intrigue comes from the unknowns.
Final season, the groups cut up, with Mater Dei taking the October recreation (at house) and St. John Bosco pulling off a two-point sectional playoff win on the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
When the mud settled on the 2022 season, the Braves held the highest spot within the USA TODAY Excessive Faculty Sports activities Tremendous 25.
(Photograph by Meg Oliphant/Getty Pictures)
Arguably, both might have claimed supremacy.And the identical arguments might be created—albeit objectively— for the 2023 recreation, too.
The Monarchs head into Bellflower ranked No. 1 within the Tremendous 25, whereas Bosco sits at No. 9. A tricky loss in Hawaii for the Braves to then-unranked Kahuku is all that stands in the best way of this headliner being a decisive recreation for the highest spot within the rankings.
And it nonetheless could have profound implications, even on a historic stage.
As we’ve highlighted earlier than, if Mater Dei manages to remain on observe for the rest of the season, it might break a tie for essentially the most Tremendous 25 nationwide champion nods in historical past, ending the present run together with De La Salle (Harmony, Calif.) at 5 whole.
But when there have been one group that might play spoiler on that 40-plus-year footnote, it will be St. John Bosco.
Once more, rivalries don’t mesh nicely with expectations.
Highschool soccer followers across the nation who wish to watch the Tremendous 25 matchup can live-stream the sport on the NFHS Community.
(Photograph by Meg Oliphant/Getty Pictures)
The collaboration with over 40 highschool state athletic/actions associations and PlayOn! Sports activities permits followers to live-stream highschool sports activities on any gadget, from wherever they’re: 27 completely different common season and postseason sports activities, plus different highschool actions that spotlight the accomplishments of student-athletes, student-broadcasters, and excessive faculties.
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