Mater Dei Opens 2025 Season with Coast-to-Coast Showdown in Fort Lauderdale

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Today, the nationally No. 1–ranked Mater Dei Monarchs of Santa Ana, Calif., traveled more than 2,500 miles to Fort Lauderdale to face the No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders in the Broward County National Football Showcase at Brian Piccolo Memorial Stadium. Kickoff was set for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game was broadcast live on ESPN.

The non-conference clash featured two of the top programs in the country. It marked the opener of the 2025 season. Mater Dei came in with a perfect record and a history of championships. Quarterback Ryan Hopkins and star tight end Mark Bowman led the team. The Raiders responded with a tough ground game. Their defense was led by Justice Fitzpatrick, a defensive back headed to Georgia.

Fans faced 90-degree heat and storms. Still, they filled the stands with blue, gold, garnet, and white. Marching bands from both schools pumped up the crowd. ESPN’s cameras caught every big tackle and exciting play.

Mater Dei started strong. The Monarchs drove 80 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. St. Thomas Aquinas moved fast, causing Mater Dei to make its first turnover of the season late in the second quarter. Special teams made a big impact. They blocked a punt deep in Monarch territory. This set up the Raiders’ go-ahead field goal right before halftime.

The second half became a chess match of adjustments. Mater Dei’s offensive line took charge of the line of scrimmage. They opened lanes for the lead running back and gave Hopkins time to read the Raiders’ coverages. St. Thomas Aquinas used several blitz packages. One nearly led to a pick-six late in the third quarter.

In the final quarter, field position and clock management proved decisive. Mater Dei converted two fourth downs on their side of midfield. This kept their long drives going and wore down the Raiders’ defense. St. Thomas Aquinas made a final push into Mater Dei’s 25-yard line. But on fourth down, a pass was broken up in the end zone. This sealed the Monarchs’ win to start the season.

After the game, Mater Dei coach Raul Lara commended his team for their toughness away from home. He noted how crucial the win was: “Opening against a program like St. Thomas Aquinas tests our discipline and preparation.” Today showed that our guys can perform under any pressure, anywhere.” Raiders head coach John O’Leary shared his thoughts on the close loss: “We fought hard at home and made them sweat.” There’s no shame in pushing the nation’s top team to the brink.”

With this win, Mater Dei becomes the early favorite to repeat as national champions. Meanwhile, St. Thomas Aquinas prepares for a home game next week against St. John Bosco, last year’s Florida Class 5A runners-up. Both teams will quickly shift their focus to district play and the race for playoff spots.