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MISSION VIEJO — Gavin Honore raced past the defense to haul in a 90-yard touchdown reception. Nasir Wyatt lifted a ballcarrier and sent him tumbling to the turf. And Koen Parnell performed his best Superman impersonation on a diving,40-yard reception.

Mater Dei’s top-ranked football team delivered a dazzling display of highlights in the first half against De La Salle in the CIF State Open Division championship on Saturday night.

Then the Spartans muscled the Monarchs in the third quarter to turn an expected blowout into a tightly-contested game going into fourth quarter at Saddleback College.

Mater Dei took a one-score lead into the final period but responded with a furious finishing kick to claim a 37-15 victory for its second consecutive state title and a likely national championship.

“We showed a lot of heart,” the Oregon-bound Wyatt said. “Throughout the year, we battled through adversity so that wasn’t nothing for us to come out there in a one-score game (and perform).”

“This was a great De La Salle team,” the senior added. “That run game they run, it gets you. They hitting that hole fast. They’ve been running this since we’ve been alive.”

Projected by Calpreps.com to win by 41 points, Mater Dei (13-0) showed its resolve by answering two touchdowns by the Spartans (12-1) early in the second half with an epic 16-play, 92-yard scoring drive. Jordon Davison, another Oregon commit, ended the possession with a bruising 15-yard TD run for a 30-15 lead.

The march consumed the final 4:20 of the third quarter and almost the first four minutes of the fourth. The Monarchs were forced to make plays numerous times on the drive and delivered each time.

Quarterback Dash Beierly, who finished with a season-high 355 yards passing and three TDs, completed clutch passes on the drive to tight end Mark Bowman and wide receivers Marcus Harris and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.

“Big-time players make big plays during big games,” said Mater Dei coach Raul Lara, who claimed his first state title. “(That drive) was huge. I ran into the offensive huddle before we went out there and told them, ‘Hey, we got to take the momentum back.’ … That was an awesome drive.”

Mater Dei’s defense responded too by forcing a punt, which the Spartans attempted to fake. Linebacker Abduall Sanders broke up the trick pass from the De La Salle 36.

Two plays later, Beierly tossed a 31-yard touchdown to Bowman for a 37-15 lead with 5:11 left.

Mater Dei’s seniors finished strong. Beierly completed 18 of 27 passes. Davison rushed for 107 yards. And linebacker Lucas Campizta racked up 11 total tackles.

“I can see this being one of the best Mater Dei teams in a long time,” Beierly said. “The way we defeated (St. John) Bosco the first time. Never happened before. …. We definitely left that legacy.”

Mater Dei led 23-0 after a dominating first half. The Monarchs outgained De La Salle 358-22.

The Monarchs won the coin toss and elected to receive the kickoff. The CIF-SS Division 1 champion promptly drove 80 yards for a 3-yard TD run by Davison on third-and-goal.

Later in the first quarter, Honore raced through the middle of the Spartans’ secondary to collect a 90-yard touchdown pass from Beierly.

A sprint to a second consecutive state title, and fifth overall, seemed to be a formality for Mater Dei.

Late in the second quarter, Wyatt teamed with fellow outside linebacker Shaun Scott for a sack in the end zone for a safety.

Beierly punctuated a sharp opening half with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Dixon-Wyatt with 48 seconds left in the second quarter.

A diving 40-yard catch by Parnell, a junior, helped set up the score.

De La Salle took the second-half kickoff and marched 65 yards on 11 plays — all runs from its veer attack — for a 1-yard TD sneak by quarterback Toa Fa’avae.

The drive consumed 6:43 and delivered the first touchdown for the North champion in the Open Division final since 2021.

On its next possession, De La Salle scored again on a 41-yard TD run by the speedy Fa’avae and suddenly the game was nothing like the past two Open finals.

Last season, Mater Dei defeated Serra of San Mateo 35-0. In 2022, St. John Bosco beat Serra 45-0.

De La Salle outrushed Mater Dei 158-142 but struggled with only 7 yards passing and three interceptions. Yet, the score was still close late.

“They had us a little rattled,” Lara said of De La Salle. “They gave us a battle. Our kids stepped up. That was pretty cool.”

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