The Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.) was the setting for the CIF Southern Section Football Division I Championship between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, two of the best teams in the state and country — No. 1 vs. No. 4 in the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 rankings.
It had been 78 years since the iconic Southern California stadium hosted the championship game, and in the words of the legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson, the outcome had only one acceptable response: Whoa, Nelly!
The game started off much like the first matchup back on October 7—which Mater Dei won, 17-7—with both teams showing signs of momentum while mistakes kept either from building anything substantial heading into halftime.
