by Ethan Piechota

The undefeated and top-ranked St. John Bosco Braves will take on their storied rival, the Mater Dei Monarchs today in the high school football game of the year at the Santa Ana Bowl.

If there was ever a time for the Bosco community to be more connected and unified together with one goal and one purpose, it’s now.

How much more could you want? The top two teams in the nation go at it tonight, on live TV, with every scout in the country watching and a host of top players and recruits on display.

DJ Uiagalelei. Bryce Young. Two pairs of five-star quarterbacks that can pretty much go anywhere in America for their college career.

Chris Steele. Bru McCoy. Arguably the best cornerback and best wide receiver in California going at it all night.

The Tribe. The… does their student section even have a name?

The color red should be illegal in all forms on Bosco’s campus today. This game is pretty clearly one of the biggest games in Bosco’s long history, just based off the circumstances and both teams’ success up to this point in the season.

The Braves will need to start fast on offense again, which they’ll done well all year. Uiagalelei and his receivers have had great chemistry all year, and being able to find guys like Kris Hutson, Jude Wolfe, Colby Bowman, and Jake Bailey will be key early in the game.

Braves running back George Holani has been playing at an insane level in recent weeks, recently committing to Boise State on a full-ride scholarship in the process. Holani has rushed for 9.8 yards per carry this season and a whopping eleven touchdowns already, showcasing his ability as a true workhorse halfback.

Uiagalelei has also been unstoppable this season as a passer, completing 102/137 (!!!) of his passes this year for 1535 yards and 23 touchdowns. Not to mention, Uiagalelei has only thrown one interception this season as well.

It’s time for Brave Nation to stand up. The top defense in the nation of the Braves and the high-powered offense that has consistently shown up every week needs to now show up on the biggest stage tonight. Go Braves.

by Nikolas Molina

With Khabib Nurmagomedov being a dominant top position grappler and Conor McGregor being an insane kick boxer, this match was destined to be one for the books.

It took roughly less than 30 seconds for Nurmagomedov to set up an attack for the first time, a single leg that was awkward. McGregor defended it well and did nothing for a while. Once Nurmagomedov was on top, he started to work towards his favorite leg triangle, and McGregor tried to counter by wall-walking.

When on top, Nurmagomedov was conservative. Working inches at a time, McGregor tried to work and advance into better position. McGregor was able to delay for quite a long time, but Nurmagomedov worked his way into a strong half guard and finished the round with some decent shots.

Nurmagomedov opened the second round with a massive overhand that planted McGregor on the floor. He was a bit frantic in trying to achieve the knockout, but Nurmagomedov settled down and landed a takedown along the fence. This time, Nurmagomedov settled into guard and went to work. McGregor mostly just held on his back.

Nurmagomedov picked openings and landed huge blows. Quickly, Nurmagomedov was standing above McGregor and dropping hard shots, which was some real damage. McGregor took the shots and kept going, he even stood up in the final seconds of the round.

McGregor opened the third round by targeting the body with crosses and kicks. He finally denied the takedown for the first time, but Nurmagomedov backed him up with some hard shots and drove him into the fence. After denying another takedown, they went back to trading shots on the feet. Nurmagomedov finished the closest round yet by driving McGregor into the fence, only scoring a takedown.

McGregor opened the fourth round with some kicks to the abdomen, making sure to keep his distance. However, Nurmagomedov was able to drive McGregor into the fence and shoot in, securing another takedown along the fence. Nurmagomedov immediately transitioned into his leg triangle, forcing McGregor to turn his back and give up the mount.

McGregor worked to recover guard, but Nurmagomedov put him back into mount. McGregor made an attempt to escape, which allowed Nurmagomedov to advance into back mount. There would be escape for McGregor as Nurmagomedov latched onto his jaw and cranked his way to a submission.

Nurmagomedov won the fight through submission in the fourth round of the lightweight title fight. But the victory seemed overlooked by the post-fight brawl which ended up in three arrests.

After McGregor tapped out, Khabib immediately and pointed at somebody and started talking towards McGregor’s corner. He hopped over the cage and attacked McGregor’s training partner, Bellator welterweight Dillon Danis.

Meanwhile this is going on McGregor is being attacked by two of Nurmagomedov entourage. Zubaira Tukhugov a flyweight fighter was one of two part of the entourage, he struck McGregor on the back of the head then was dragged away.

Dana White, UFC President, confirmed later, that three members of Nurmagomedov’s entourage have been arrested. McGregor decided to not press charges against them. White stated that the UFC fighters involved in the attack are never going to fight for the UFC ever again.

“I’ve been doing this for 18 years and I couldn’t be more disappointed,” White stated in the post-fight conference. “It was a very good week for everybody. It just sucks to end it like this, instead of celebrating we’re saying ‘that was pretty s***’.”

It took minutes for security and police officers to bring the situation under control. Dana White and Nurmagomedov then got into a argument when White would not present him the belt inside the octagon.  McGregor did not attend the post-fight conference, Nurmagomedov apologized at the conference but blamed McGregor for the post-fight brawl. Khabib extended his professional record to 27-0 with the win.

“First of all, I want to say sorry to the Nevada Athletic Commission and second to Vegas. I know this is not my best side. I’m a human being. But I don’t understand how people can talk about how I jump on the cage. He talked about my religion, he talked about my country, he talked about my father. He came to Brooklyn and he broke a bus, he almost killed a couple of people. What about this s***? Why do people talk about me jumping over the cage? I don’t understand. This is a respectful sport, not a trash-talking sport. I want to change the game, you cannot talk about religion, about nationality,” said Nurmagomedov in his post-fight interview.

White stated that he would not take Khabib’s title away, but there will be fines, penalties, and suspensions handed out.

“There’s going to be fines, there’s going to be God knows what. Can these guys get visas and get back in the country? We’ll see how this thing plays out. The Nevada State Athletic Commission is going to go after him pretty hard, I’m sure. He doesn’t have to worry about me right now; he has to worry about Nevada. The governor was here tonight, and he went running out of the building. That’s not good. He’s in trouble,” said White.

Khabib has not yet been paid for the fight and the entire situation is still under close investigation. 

by Kyle Moates and Caleb Wiley

The start of October means the start of postseason MLB baseball, and we’re in for a wild ride this month.

Already, the top team in the National League and World Series favorite Chicago Cubs were knocked off last night in a wild card game against the Colorado Rockies.

The Cubs lost 2-1 against the Rockies in 13 innings in a game that was a pitching clinic from both teams. This Cubs team had a lead in their division heading in to September, but ended up blowing that lead and letting the Milwaukee Brewers claim the NL Central title on the last day of the regular season.

The Cubs players were surely worn out by the time of the playoffs, as they had played 37 games in the last 39 days of the season. The lack of energy from the Cubs showed throughout the game, as even All-Star catcher Wilson Contreras caught cramps mid-game.

The Rockies fought hard and earned a big-time victory, as #Rocktober is now in full force. The Rockies will head to first place Milwaukee to take on the Brewers now in the NL Divisional Series.

In the American League, it appears as if the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees are heavy favorites to come out of the AL and head to the World Series.

The Astros have an all-around extremely talented roster, as behind starting pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander they have seen success. Shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder George Springer, and last year’s AL MVP Jose Altuve lead the charge for the Astros at the plate. The Astros will take on the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS.

The New York Yankees find themselves in a wildcard position this year due to the historical season the Red Sox have had. The Yankees have had an amazing season themselves, but their success has been severely overlooked due to the Red Sox total domination. Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Gary Sanchez lead the charge at the plate for the Yanks, who have produced runs at a high rate this year. The issue with the Yankees this year has been pitching, as CC Sabathia has been off and ace Masahiro Tanaka hasn’t been special. The Yankees take on the Oakland Athletics in an AL Wildcard game this Wednesday.

The Boston Red Sox are having one of the best seasons in MLB history record-wise, winning 108 games. The Sox are stacked behind several offensive stars and two AL MVP candidates in outfielders Mookie Betts and J.D Martinez. They’ve had a fantastic bullpen all season long, as well as a star-studded rotation in Chris Sale and former Cy Young winner David Price. They had the best record in baseball this year since the 1986 New York Mets and will take on either the Yankees or A’s in the ALDS.

The Los Angeles Dodgers now have a great chance of coming out of the National League and making a World Series appearance with the Cubs premature exit. Trade deadline acquisitions in infielders Manny Machado and Brian Dozier are big boosts for LA. The one thing that sets the Dodgers apart from everyone else is their quest for revenge. After losing to the Houston Astros in the World Series last year, the Dodgers are grinding for another chance to bring home a championship to LA.

High quality baseball is here and it continues tonight with the New York Yankees and Oakland A’s in the AL wildcard series. 

by Nikolas Molina and Elliston Ospina

On Friday, September 21st, top-ranked IMG came over from across the country in Florida to take on the #3 Mater Dei Monarchs in the game of the year so far.

This was easily one of the most publicized matches in the nation this year for football. Every seat was sold and many coaches and scouts were in attendance from all places, coming to see all the talents showcasing their skill. Many viewers tuned into the game to see the combined 50 players with full-ride scholarships take the field.

Mater Dei took the field led by junior quarterback Bryce Young, senior receiver Bru McCoy, and talented running back Sean Dollars. With a 3-1 record, Mater Dei needed this win to regain their status as the top team in football in the nation.

On the opposing side, IMG Academy was running on a 46-game win streak, carried by talented RBs Noah Caine and Tre Sanders. Having 26 players with FBS offers, this team is complete with no holes on their depth chart.

This game was as good as advertised, with no team having a bigger lead then seven points throughout. It was very even match-up, as IMG finished with 413 total yards and 405 for Mater Dei. With teams matching up pound-for-pound, the players were chirping the whole game, heating things up. Things were getting too physical for the refs, as they ended up ejecting two IMG players.

The game was a flag fest, as the two teams combined for 30 penalties each, resulting in big yards and returning big plays. On one play, IMG took back a 75-yard punt return, only to have it called back due to holding.

IMG scored the first points and led 7-0 in the second quarter with 11:14 left in the half. The Monarchs responded immediately thanks to a personal foul on IMG on fourth down. The penalty extended a 58-yard drive that was eventually capped off with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Young to McCoy. However, simple mistakes caused the extra point to be blocked and instead of tying it, Mater Dei still trailed 7-6 going into halftime.

At the start of the second half, a bad snap pushed IMG back to its own one-yard line. After a short punt that gave them great field possession, Mater Dei took its first lead of the game. Following a 44-yard flea flicker pass from Young to wide open Sean Dollars, the Monarchs converted a two-point conversion pass to Mike Martinez to make it 14-7 with 10:08 left in the third.

Just two plays later, Tre Sanders exploded for IMG with a ridiculous 86-yard run to tie the game at 14.

Mater Dei came back  on their next drive and ran a successful trick play, Young looked like he was running right on a keeper, but instead lateraled the ball to junior tackle Myles Murao, who ran 14 yards untouched for a touchdown, making it 21-14 halfway through the third.

Coming right back, IMG QB David Baldwin threw a dime to receiver Michael Redding, who made a 24 yard catch for a touchdown to tie the game at 21-21 with three minutes left in the third.

After straight series of both offenses on display, the defenses for both teams finally came out and forced a punt on the next four possessions for each team. IMG seemed as if they wanted to wear down the defense with a 60-yard scoring drive, all on the ground. But Mater Dei’s defense went to work in the red zone, forcing only a field goal. This was a big play for the defense, as the offense could now win the game with a touchdown drive.

The un-phased Young finished off a 9 play, 75-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run in the last two minutes, giving Mater Dei a 28-24 lead.

Mater Dei’s defense would not let up, and secured the 28-24 victory. This was a statement win for the Monarchs, letting everyone know that despite their forfeit loss, they are still a top team in the nation.