St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei: Who will win the CIF-SS Division 1 final? | Important players, prediction and history

The biggest rivalry in high school football will reignite on Friday as No. 1 Mater Dei will take on No. 7 St. John Bosco in the CIF-SS Division 1 Final at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach. This will be the seventh matchup between these two teams in the Division 1 final.

Both teams have split the previous six games and will look to get the upper hand on the other tomorrow. This will be the second matchup between the Monarchs and the Braves this year.

Their previous meeting ended in a blowout win for Mater Dei as it raced to a 45-0 halftime lead and never looked back, winning the game 59-14. It will be interesting to see how the contest unfolds tomorrow.

Let's preview the game and look at some of the key players for both teams heading into the crucial contest on Friday.

Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco: Prediction

Predicting a winner for this game is nearly impossible as these teams are evenly matched across the board. Going by previous results, the Monarchs should start as favorites. However, the Braves have won three of their six CIF-SS Division 1 final meetings between these two teams.

The Monarchs might start the game as favorites, but St. John Bosco will come out firing and look to take an advantage early in the game.

Mater Dei Key Players

Dash Beierly, QB

Mater Dei Monarchs quarterback Dash Beierly had a great outing against the St. John Bosco Braves on Oct. 25. He racked up 308 yards and four touchdowns while also impressing with his running game.

He has accumulated 1,701 yards and 22 touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions this season. He will look to continue his good form against the Braves on Friday in the championship game.

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, WR

Kayden Dixon-Wyatt is the Mater Dei Monarchs' leading receiver this season, tallying 561 yards on 42 receptions and scoring four touchdowns. He had a great game against the Braves in October, as he caught seven passes for 126 yards and a touchdown.

In his three years with the Monarchs, the receiver has accumulated 1,128 yards on 79 receptions and has scored 10 touchdowns. He will be a key player for Mater Dei against the Braves on Friday.

Jordon Davison, RB

Jordon Davison is the 17th-best running back in the country, as per On3. The 5-foot-11 rusher has been fantastic for the Monarchs this season, accumulating 930 yards on 131 carries and scoring 14 touchdowns.

He racked up 107 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown in Mater Dei's win against the Braves last month. He also caught a couple of passes for 35 yards against St. John Bosco.

St. John Bosco Key Players

Koa Malau'ulu, QB

St. John Bosco Braves quarterback Koa Malau'ulu had a rough outing against the Mater Dei Monarchs in their previous meeting. The young QB threw for just 106 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions and had a quarterback rating of 28.5.

However, barring that one game, the freshman has been great for the Braves this season. He has accumulated 1,308 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions with a QB rating of 107.0.

Madden Williams, WR

Madden Williams, the junior wide receiver from St. John Bosco, is his team's best wide receiver this season. He has tallied 773 yards in 11 games and has scored 12 touchdowns.

Despite his great numbers, the young receiver struggled against the Monarchs, catching just two passes for 18 yards. He will look to have a better game on Friday night and lead his team to victory.

Maliq Allen, RB

The sophomore running back from St. John Bosco, Maliq Allen, was one of the Braves' only bright sparks in their game against the Monarchs in October. He rushed for 78 yards on seven carries and scored one touchdown in a 59-14 loss for his team.

Allen has tallied 894 yards on 100 receptions at an average of 81.3 yards per game. He has scored nine touchdowns and is his team's leading rusher this season.

Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco: Head-to-head

The two teams have met 43 times since 1966, with the Mater Dei Monarchs winning 30 games. In their previous 13 matchups since 2016, the Monarchs have won eight games, whereas the Braves were triumphant five times.