Mater Dei goes to 22-0 Friday night

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SANTA ANA, Ca. – Coach Gary McKnight’s Mater Dei High Monarchs took take of some non-Trinity League business Friday night, knocking off Capistrano Valley Christian in the final game of Friday’s first day of the 26^th Mater Dei Extravaganza.

The 71-47 victory over the Eagles improved the Monarchs’ record to 22-0, keeping them on target for their first unbeaten regular-season since going 35-0 in the 2013-14 campaign, whicha ended with the first State Open Division championship and an unofficial “national championship”.

Mater Dei’s “major college frontcourt” of seniors Wilhelm Breidenbach (bound for the University of Nebraska), Nick Davidson (headed to Nevada in Reno) and Harrison Hornery (he’s going to USC) combined for 54 points, 31 rebounds and eight assists.

The Monarchs aim for 23-0 Saturday night when they face one of San Diego’s better programs, St. Augustine, at 7:30 in the final day of the event.

That game, as well as the Corona Centennial vs. Capistrano Valley (the public-school team, not the aforementioned parochial program the Monarchs played Friday night) clash at 9, are scheduled to be televised by KDOC.

In the other four games played Friday (all of which involved Trinity League teams as part of the matchups):

Santa Margarita over Orangewood Academy, 61-35; Orange Lutheran edged Rolling Hills Prep, 40-38; Crean Lutheran held off JSerra, 66-60; and St. John Bosco pulled away down the stretch against Long Beach Poly, 66-54.

Six-foot-seven junior Christian Estrada (pictured) turned in a superb effort in the St. John Bosco victory (which improved the Braves to 16-2), scoring a game-high 22 points (nine of 11 from the field) with six rebounds and four assists.

Another junior, 6-9 Koat Keat, went for 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with five minutes to go and his team in front by nine points.

Guard Rob Diaz, a junior transfer from Long Beach Millikan, was credited with 25 points and six steals for JSerra.

Senior forward Denim Jones-Dawson, a transfer from Colony, had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Orange Lutheran while junior Jack McCloskey, with 13 points, was one of three Santa Margarita players to score in double figures.