As a crow flies, less than 25 miles separated the top two high school football teams in the country Mater Dei High School and St. John Bosco High School. However, last Friday night in Sant Ana, California number 1 high school football team Mater Dei dismantled Trinity League rival and former number 2 St. John Bosco.
Leading the offense for Mater Dei is Washington quarterback commit Ashton Beierly who went over 300 passing yards the first time this season and 6,000 career passing yards.
All season long he’s been alternating time between the furnace and the fire.
“I knew that with a national schedule we were playing, I knew it would take everything I have,” Beierly told Realdawg.
A three-year starter for Chapparal High School in Temecula, in February he announced that he would be leaving the school to earn a spot with the Mater Dei Monarchs.
But first, he’d have to earn his teammates and coach’s trust.
“The key was been preparation,” the 6-1, 215-pound signal-caller recalled. “Seeing how hard the coaches and players were working made me want to work and prepare that much harder.”
He embraced the standard for two-time Max Preps National Champions (2017 and 2021) and has worked to raise the team’s standard of excellence.
Last season he led the Pumas to a 7-4 season, completing over 62-percent of his passes for 2,126 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 604 yards and 12 scores. However, in the state playoffs, CHS was bounced in the first round by Oaks Christian 41-7.
An hour and a half northwest of Temecula he applied for the job opening at quarterback for the Monarchs. There he felt that he could elevate his game. Last season Mater Dei’s only blemish was a late-season 28-0 loss to St. John Bosco. MD finished 5th in the nation.
The Monarchs more than avenged that loss with a 59-14 win.
Beierly takes equal amounts of pride in his 4.0 GPA as he does in his zero interceptions and Mater Dei’s unblemished 8-0 record. But like a great leader, he spreads the credit around.
“We’re undefeated mostly thanks to our defense,” he said spreading the credit.
He entered the Bosco game sitting on 999 passing yards and 14 touchdowns, connecting on 86 of his 130 passes for a career high 66-percent–with zero interceptions. He’d also chipped in 226 rushing yards and a score.
Against what was supposed to be the toughest game of the season the future Husky passed for 308 yards and 4 TDs and no interceptions. He also had a 43 rushing yards including a 40-yard touchdown run.
He’s thrown 18 touchdowns with zero interceptions.
Additionally, his offense hasn’t turned the ball over this season–not a fumble. (My apologies for any jinx that I have just created)
This season his offense is averaging a modest 38 points, but that includes victories over several national powerhouses including reigning national champion and current number 5 Bishop Gorman. They also dropped number 23 Centennial; number 83 Kahuku from Hawaii; and number 28 St. Frances from Baltimore, Maryland–and that was in their non-league slate.
That was before its league schedule that features number 31 Servite; number 77 Santa Margarita; number 46 JSerra–all road games.
Through 8 games Mater Dei has scored 50 than Chapparal’s 11-game season last year. However, to Dash’s point, the Monarchs’ defense has given up just 116 points.
Friday night’s game was the second time that Mater Dei has faced the second-ranked team in the country. The previous showdown was against Bishop Gorman in the second game of the season. Mater won that game 31-15.
But to get to this point the Washington commit knew that those hard-fought victories started when he decided to transfer back in February.
“Being new I had to work and earn everyday. That’s the mindset I still have everyday. School 4.0, weight room, film, really everything,” he said.
He keeps his best outing in perspective.
“When it comes to school. Football won’t last forever but your education will,” he said.
