by Macade Maxwell

As the CIF Open Division basketball playoffs begin, Head Coach Matt Dunn and his number four seeded Braves gear up for an intense matchup against the number five seeded Sierra Canyon Trailblazers in front of a sold out home crowd tonight at the Thunderdome.

Led by an intimidating starting five that consists of number one nationally ranked sophomore Brandon McCoy, Jr., senior Loyola Chicago-commit Jack Turner and two stud juniors in Elzie Harrington and Kade Bonam, the Braves are ready to showcase their talents on the court. These key players, along with the contributions of the rest of the team, have been playing together as a team all season long and now is when the games matter the most. 

“It all comes down to this,” said junior Elzie Harrington. “We prepared all year for this moment and [now] it’s time to show what we can do.”

The Braves’ goal of avenging last year’s CIF-SS Open Division Championship loss starts tonight against a talented Sierra Canyon roster that contains some well known names, including senior Justin Pippen, son of six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, and Junior Bryce James, son of the one and only Lebron James. 

The Trailblazers, who managed to capture the top spot in a highly competitive Mission League, are looking forward to being the first team to defeat the Braves at home this season, who hold a perfect record of 10-0 while playing at the Thunderdome. 

“I think the opportunity to host an Open Division game is incredible for our community and team.  Our pool has four teams who have all been in the Open Division many times, so there will be no surprises,” said Coach Dunn.

Throughout the duration of the season, the Braves were challenged with a tough schedule, facing multiple nationally ranked teams and finishing second place in the Trinity League. Despite the ups and downs, the Braves were given the opportunity to learn from each game and create a stronger bond with each other. Entering the remaining few games of the season, every single learning moment has prepared the Braves for right now. 

“We have had a really good year. With the schedule we have played, we knew there would be a couple of tough nights, but overall I am very proud of this group,” Coach Dunn said.

Tonight’s game against Sierra Canyon only marks the first step of the postseason for the Braves. As they enter in pool play, the Braves will face some of the best teams in Californina. Following Friday’s game, they will host number eight seeded Corona Centennial next Tuesday before taking on number one seeded Harvard Westlake at their house.

“The reason for playing a schedule like [ours] is to prepare for the toughest playoff division in the country, and I believe are guys are ready for that,” said Coach Dunn. 

So begins the countdown to tip-off. Anticipation is high for the entire Brave community, as the Thunderdome will be electric as two high school basketball teams going head-to-head to see who’s best. 

For the Braves, this is their time to prove everyone wrong and show what they are really capable of doing. So be prepared as the Braves hope to fulfill their goals and make this a game to remember. 

“This should be a good game. I have confidence in my teammates, and I know that if we all execute, we have a good chance of winning,” said the five-star sophomore, McCoy, Jr. 

by Jack Turner

In the world of high school sports, few teams can claim the level of success achieved by the back-to-back CIF-Southern Section Open Division Dual Meet Champion Bosco Wrestling team, stacked with division one talent and nationally ranked wrestlers.

The Braves dominated and came out victorious over Calvary Christian 45-22 last Wednesday, securing another Open Division Dual Meet Championship. 

Senior leader and Stanford-commit, Grigor Cholakyan, secured the teams back-to-back championships with his quick pin in about 25 seconds. 

“I just wanted to go out there and make a statement by pinning the kid fast so I could secure back-to-back championships for our team,” Grigor said.

This team had another year flooding with success that helped solidify the program’s status as a powerhouse in high school wrestling, as the team also defended the Trinity League Championship. 

In the wake of their recent CIF-SS Championship victory, the Braves now turn their focus to the highly anticipated CIF State playoffs, and the mood of the team has definitely shifted.

“During the normal season, everyone is kind of messing around more and just focusing on stuff they need to work on. But in this postseason everyone’s just locked in on the prize – that state title. When it’s time to work, they work,” said junior Nicholas Sahakian, who is committed to wrestle in college at Arizona State University.

The Braves faced many challenges with their highly competitive national schedule, which included 2024 Doc Buchanan Invitational in Northern California. At the noteworthy event, Bosco earned the fifth highest team score among some of the nation’s best programs and wrestlers. The Braves also boasted three individual finalists: junior Nicholas Sahakian, junior Joseph Antonio and freshman Jesse Grajeda. The early-January tournament proved to be exactly what Bosco Wrestling needed ahead of the Trinity League and CIF stretches.

“The team did solid, but it was the greatest lesson that everyone on the team has learned from. We have changed our diets, stayed behind to condition more after practice and just overall focused on what we need to do to win,” said Nicholas.

With the state tournament approaching and the mental aspect being a huge part of the sport, Grigor is doing his best to mentor his teammates who haven’t been in this position before.

“My leadership role for the team has been crucial this season. I try to help the team in all aspects, such as keeping teammates motivated and fighting with the kids my size to help them grow as wrestlers,” Grigor said. “What I’ve told my younger teammates recently is that our ‘state run’ begins with league, then CIF-SS, Masters the following weekend [and] then the [CIF] State Championships the last weekend.”

Also there are many aspects off the mat that the team must stay focused on. 

“We all have to stay mentally tough the next month, because making weight twice per weekend for four weekends straight, plus managing school work, isn’t easy,” said Grigor.

The Braves next will be competing in the CIF-SS Individual Championships, which will be held February 9-10, followed by the CIF Masters Meet, which will be held February 16-17. The CIF State Meet will be held February 22-24 at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield. 

“I truly feel that our whole team is going to peak at the right time and that we will each perform to our capabilities at the state tournament and finish strong as a team,” Grigor said.  

by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor

The St. John Bosco High School soccer team, led by Coach David Sabet, wraps up their 2023-2024 season this afternoon. The Braves had a tough stretch in the Trinity League, but a can’t wait to get to work for next season.

The Brave’s current overall record is 8-12-3, with a Trinity League record of 0-7-2. While the record is different from what the team would like to see, each game has been very competitive, at times down to the final minutes.

The team feels proud of their current season, as they believe they have greatly improved from last season. The future looks bright, and the upperclassmen players on the team want the younger players to keep working hard to reach new heights.

“I tell the younger players to support their teammates because soccer is a team sport, and if they work together, it can help achieve the desired results,” said senior Ivan Moran. “I also encourage them to train during the weekends and offseason. These extra practices are very important.”

Although the Braves have hit some rough patches, a few players have stood out to help the team and shined individually. One of them is senior Marcos Velasco, who led the team in goals scored and was vital to the flow of the offense.

“I believe my success on offense has been based on the support I’ve had from my team on and off the field. They’ve given me the confidence to take my chances and score goals,” Marcos said.

The team’s schedule consists of many tough opponents like JSerra, who are ranked ninth in California, according to MaxPreps. Bosco played the Lions on January 19th and had the lead for the majority of the game, but unfortunately, the Lions scored in the final minutes of the game, resulting in a tie.

They do not back down from any tough challenges and believe they can beat anyone in front of them.

“The team stays united and strong, as we believe we can challenge any team no matter the records they may have. So through this confidence, we have grown as a team and as brothers, which only strengthens our performances on the field,” said Marcos.

The Braves played the “Team in Red” on Tuesday night and unfortunately could not secure the victory, losing 5-1 in one of the only blowout losses Bosco has suffered all season. Earlier in the season, Bosco played against the Monarchs and had a much better performance, losing 2-0.

The Brave’s defense was absolutely stellar in that game, holding the MaxPreps number four team in the nation to only two goals, an impressive feat since the “Team in Red” has been averaging four and a half goals per game.

This is not the only instance where the defense played excellent though. Throughout the whole season the Braves have only conceded more than two goals three times. This is due to goalie John Vargas, who is committed to California State University at Dominguez Hills.

“The strongest part of our game has been our defense. Even though we have struggled getting wins in the Trinity League this year, we have the least amount of goals allowed in the league,” said senior Mark Drewien.

The Braves feel confident in their final game, as the team has only improved while the season progressed. They believe that they have what it takes to take a Trinity League rival down.

“This team has many players that have been playing with each other for many years, and I feel like our brotherhood and team chemistry are going to make us formidable in this upcoming game,” Mark said.

Catch the Braves play their last game of the regular season against Orange Lutheran at home. Bosco played them earlier this year and lost a hard-fought battle, 1-0. Kick off is at 3:15pm.

by Macade Maxwell

After a long season of grit and determination, the youthful St. John Bosco Cross Country team not only faced adversity but ran each race with pride, showing everybody that they have what it takes to compete with anyone. While having only three returning runners, Coach Tim McIntosh and the Braves welcomed nine new runners to the squad, who showcased the future of the program. 

Although this may be a young squad, the Braves had their eyes set on winning league. Now this isn’t just an ordinary league; this is the Trinity League, one of the most competitive high school leagues in the country. Filled with fierce competition in each sport, the Braves had high ambitions coming into the season. Even though the Braves didn’t accomplish their season goal of winning league, they still ended the league season with an impressive third place finish.

“Our goal is always to win league, but we ended up finishing third,” said Head Coach Tim McIntosh, who holds a record for winning 17 consecutive league titles in cross country. “Running a lot of freshmen in the Trinity is very tough, but we held our own and made state finals for a third year in a row.” 

The Braves qualified for the CIF-SS Finals to have the opportunity to race against the best of the best in southern California. Entering with odds stacked against them, the Braves exceeded all expectations and managed to finish in an impressive fourth place finish, earning them a spot in the CIF State Finals. Located in Fresno, the Braves managed to have another excellent performance, finishing in ninth place, and wrapping up the season on a positive note. 

Senior Aiden Aldana, a recent Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo commit, played a huge role in the success of this team. He recently received All-CIF honors and placed 4th overall. 

“We may have not finished the way we wanted to, but the future for this team is promising,” Aiden said. 

Coach McIntosh was a key factor in the success of the Braves this season. Playing a vital role in giving the team guidance and support, he also recognized the struggles and challenges of mentoring a primarily young team. Coach McIntosh mentioned the importance of having accountability, determination and dedication regardless of experience. 

“Part of being successful is having accountability,” he said. “Whether that is tracking your workouts or being on time to practice, it’s the little things that matter.”

Taking a brief look into the future, Coach McIntosh sees great promise in his team. Having a young team doesn’t bother him and is very optimistic about this season’s rookie runners. Coach McIntosh also highlighted the love that his team has for running and believes that this will only set them up for success in the future.

by Jack Turner

The St. John Bosco Braves are recognized as one of the best football teams in the nation, and at the forefront of this athletic powerhouse this season was the starting quarterback of the Braves, senior Caleb Sanchez, a leader on and off the field who has emerged as one of high school football’s best quarterbacks.

The story of St. John Bosco’s star quarterback begins with humble origins. Growing up locally in Carson, he displayed an early passion for football. Starting flag football at five years old and then continuing his love for the game to tackle football around the age of 12. Peyton Manning was one of Caleb’s biggest inspirations and favorite NFL quarterback growing up. Nowadays, Caleb is a fan of Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

“I can definitely see some similarities between us, and I know I can take some things from him,” said Caleb.

Caleb has had nothing but a supportive family to lean on during his football career, since he was a kid all he can remember was having many people in his corner showing their love and care. 

“Even to this day, I always have a lot of my family supporting and cheering for me at games, and that always makes me feel good,” Caleb said. “I can’t thank them enough for the support they’ve had for me.”

Caleb credits his dad for building his passion for the game of football. He believes that without his father he would have never reached his full potential on and off the field.

“The biggest challenge growing up playing football was just putting in the extra work. My dad would always have me doing the extra workouts, and I wouldn’t really understand. But now I see why and can tell that all that extra work sets you apart from everyone else,” said Caleb.

The quarterback’s ascent to prominence was not without challenges. The competitive landscape of high school football demands resilience and commitment to improvement.

Caleb did not receive the starting spot until his senior year. With Bosco being a national powerhouse for football, Caleb was behind talented quarterbacks every year, but with constant determination, Caleb trusted the process, kept his head down and worked. 

“Just learning from those guys that I was playing behind and just seeing how they operate and the level they were at just helped me really learn and prepare [to be a starter].”

In addition to learning from players that came before him, coaches also played a role in Caleb’s development throughout the years in the program. Caleb gives praise to all his coaches on helping him on and off the field.

“I’ve had a great relationship with the coaching staff and have learned a lot throughout the years here at Bosco,” he said.

However, there are two coaches who Caleb highlighted that have heavily impacted him throughout his high school career. 

“Coach Reyes and Coach Lo are the coaches I’m closest with. They’ve both been with me since I was a freshman, so I’m with them all the time – every part of practice and meetings. They’ve just helped me every step of the way, even if it wasn’t about football,” Caleb said.

Staying at the same high school for a high level athlete has almost become a rarity nowadays, but Caleb showed his patience, perseverance and hard work through the time working for his starting job. Caleb earned everyone’s respect throughout this process and formed into a natural leader on the team. 

Perhaps as much as anything, Caleb values the bond he has with this team and the seniors he has played with for four years. It meant a lot to him to finish out at Bosco with his guys.

“The bond we all have is crazy, especially the seniors that have been here all four years. Man, I love them. Playing with these guys my senior year, I wouldn’t want it any different,” Caleb said. “Even the young guys, you know, I was a young guy once and know how it feels to be in their place, so I like to mentor them and overall show them how to get ready for their opportunity when it comes.”

With Caleb’s high school career coming to an end and him being one of the best uncommitted QBs in the country, a college decision will likely be in the near future. Caleb now has two FCS offers from Fordham University and Houston Christian, and although he is unsure where he will be going to further his football and academics, he is keeping his trust in God and continuing to work hard knowing things will fall into place.

by Macade Maxwell

The St. John Bosco Braves Basketball team tips off their season tonight with the aspiration of claiming the top spots in the state and nation, as they are destined for a redemption year and come back stronger than ever. 

With a lineup full of special talent mixed with new additions and experienced returners along with one of the state’s strongest coaching staffs, the Braves have the secret formula for what it takes to be a great basketball team. 

The Braves roster is the definition of a powerhouse. Some standout players include number two nationally ranked sophomore Brandon McCoy, Jr., who is an absolute bucket and game-changer whenever he steps foot on the court. Other key players include Loyola University Chicago-commit, senior Jack Turner, senior point guard Amiri Meadows, five-star junior Elzie Harrington, junior Kade Bonam, junior Jaison Joyce, and seven-foot sophomore Howie Wu. 

Behind the curtains of every successful program lies a man with the blueprint to success. The Braves are fortunate enough to have a coaching staff with the ability to develop and foster a group of young men and turn them into winners. Head Coach Matt Dunn is gearing his team up and guiding them on the path to Trinity League and CIF Championships.

“It is such an incredible league in every sport, so every time you get to hang a banner it’s pretty amazing and means you have a special team,” said Head Coach Matt Dunn. 

With eyes set on winning a ring, the short-term goal for the Braves is to win consecutive Trinity League Championships. With it being one of the most talented league in the nation, each and every game will be a battle until the final buzzer. 

“The urgency is there, and I currently don’t have a ring at all,” said senior Jack Turner. “Winning it with this team and with the guys I love would mean everything and that’s the goal for this year.”

The Braves mean business, and they are coming for everybody’s necks, while everyone is coming for theirs. The Braves come into the season as the preseason number one team in the Los Angeles Times and the number 15 ranked team nationally by Maxpreps. While other opponents view games against them as their championship, the Braves will continue to maintain their same mindset. 

“We’re not focused on what the other team is going to do and who their star players are,” said junior Elzie Harrington. “We’re just going out there playing our own game and once [game day] hits it’s all about the team.” 

Given the fact that the Braves have everything that it takes to win it all this year. They are using last year’s heartbreaking loss to Corona Centennial in the CIF-SS Open Division Finals to fuel them to bounce back and finish the season off as champions. Instead of using the loss to define them as a team, the Braves only view that game as a learning experience that will only give them confidence when they are in that situation again. 

“It was very heartbreaking at the moment, and it honestly took a while to get over that,” said Harrington. “But I have great people around me, and they all told me to just use it as fuel going into the summer and the next year.” 

The Braves open their season tonight at 6:00pm at the Thunderdome against the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits. Be prepared for a season full of thrillers and excitement with fierce competition each game, as the Braves are looking forward to handling unfinished business.

by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor

The St. John Bosco High School Braves play the Huskies of Corona Centennial tonight in the CIF-SS Semifinals at Panish Family Stadium, as Bosco Football continues its quest to repeat as CIF-SS, State and National Champions.

“The biggest thing is not looking too far ahead, but focusing on the task at hand and coming to practice every week to be better than we were last week,” said senior Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, a Notre Dame-commit.

The Centennial Huskies, who are currently ranked 19th in the country by Maxpreps, hope to extend their seven-game winning streak, but the Braves, who are currently ranked third in the nation by MaxPreps, hope to maintain their dominance over the Huskies. 

The Huskies are coming off a high-scoring game against Orange Lutheran, winning 63-39. The player of that game was senior running back Cornell Hatcher Jr, who scored five rushing touchdowns in the game.

The Braves will focus their attention to stopping the Huskies rushing attack. Bosco’s run defense in the playoffs thus far has been incredible, only allowing 33 rushing yards in their matchup against San Clemente. The defense was stingy all night, but Kyngstonn led the way with twelve total tackles and two tackles for a loss.

Centennial’s receivers also had a night with Cory Butler Jr. and Tavian Mcnair each having 100+ receiving yards and a touchdown against Orange Lutheran.

But the secondary of Bosco is the strongest in the nation, due to it being filled with studs in each position. Safety Peyton Woodyard and cornerbacks Marcelles Williams and Khmori House make throwing the ball for the opposing quarterback a nightmare.

The defense proved to be too much to handle for San Clemente, as quarterback Dylan Mills threw for only 74 yards last Friday.

The Braves ultimately won their playoff opener against the San Clemente Tritons 35-10.

Bosco started off the game slowly, causing the game to be 10-0 in the beginning of the second quarter. These would be the only points the Tritons would score for the rest of the game, as the defense caught fire and the offense picked it up later in the second quarter scoring two touchdowns.

“We have been successful this season due to our ability to handle adversity, ” said senior Tamal Johnson.

Quarterback Caleb Sanchez found Kyngstonn for a four-yard touchdown pass. The defense quickly shutdown San Clemente’s offensive possession, which led to a long punt return from Alabama-commit Peyton Woodyard to the Triton’s one yard line. UCLA-commit Cameron Jones finished the job with a one-yard rushing touchdown.

The Braves were unstoppable entering the second half of the game, senior Chauncey Slyvester quickly scored a 49-yard rushing touchdown to give Bosco a comfortable lead.

The Triton’s offense could not get anything going due to Bosco playing extremely good defense. Following an excellent kickoff from the Braves that landed on San Clemente’s six yard line, Tamal caught a pick 6 that solidified the game for the Braves.

In the last minutes of the game, Bosco capped off their successful night with a 16-yard rushing touchdown from senior Kahlil Warren.

“The biggest thing is not looking too far ahead but focusing on the task at hand and coming to practice every week to be better than we were last week,” said Kyngstonn. “We just got to improve week-to-week to peak at the right time down the stretch. and not take anything we do for granted.”

The Braves kick off tonight at 7:00pm at Panish Family Stadium with a win sending them to the Los Angeles Coliseum for the CIF-SS Championship game on Friday, November 24th at 7:00pm.

by Luis Hernandez, Managing Editor

The St. John Bosco Football Braves are Trinity League Champions and ready to start the CIF-SS Playoffs against San Clemente High School in their first step toward winning back-to-back State and National Championships.

Bosco looks to keep their five-game winning streak alive with a win tonight at Panish Family Stadium. The Braves last played two weeks ago against Orange Lutheran and were dominant the whole game in a 44-22 victory.

While the program has much experience in the playoffs, quarterback Caleb Sanchez is making his first playoff start. In the regular season, Caleb recorded 2682 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns. He’s been very efficient thus far and carries strong momentum into his first CIF run.

“We’re taking this game the same way we took the regular season. We don’t believe anyone can stop us as long as we execute,” said Caleb.

The offense has been firing on all cylinders with senior receivers Tommy Maher and Stacy Dobbins, as well as sophomore receiver Daniel Odom, having incredible seasons.

“We just have to keep stacking good weeks of practice together and continue to build our chemistry so we are all on the same page,” said Tommy. “We’re on a good track right now and are going to peak at the right time.”

The Braves do not only have a lethal receiving core, but their backfield is dangerous with UCLA-commit Cameron Jones rushing for ten touchdowns, closely followed by fellow-senior Chauncey Sylvester with eight.

The Braves success this season is largely due to the dominance of the defense. The defense is stacked at every position with senior Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa at linebacker leading the way with 78 total tackles and ten tackles for a loss. This is not his first CIF experience, as he was a key piece of the defense on last year’s National Championship team.

“We feel great. Locked in and ready to approach each week with a great mindset. Doing our best to stay healthy and make sure we have everybody good to go for this playoff run,” Kyngstonn said.

The San Clemente Tritons offensive line is going to have a tough time blocking sophomore Dutch Horisk and junior Max Amasio who each have 10 tackles this season. The receivers are also in for a rude awakening with a lethal Brave secondary, containing Alabama-commit Peyton Woodyard, USC-commit Marcelles Williams and Washington-commit Khomri House.

The Braves are obvious favorites to reach the CIF-SS Championship, as many are predicting a rematch with the “Team In Red,” who were pummeled in their last meeting with the Braves, 28-0.

While Bosco is a much better team on paper, they are not taking the Tritons lightly, and the Braves believe it is vital to not get complacent.

“We always give 100%, and this game is no different,” said Caleb.

by Macade Maxwell

In the most highly anticipated high school football game of the year thus far, the St. John Bosco Braves showed who is the best high school football program in California and the country. 

The “Team in Red’s” lackluster offense and defense was no match for the Braves, who dominated in all facets of the game and won 28-0. The Brave defense hung a nice-looking donut on the “Team in Red’s” side of the scoreboard at Panish Family Stadium and left their rival in total defeat.

The “Team in Red” came into a game as the number one nationally ranked high school team, but the Braves left with that mantle, now sitting atop the national rankings.

From the very first snap, it was clear that the Braves meant business. The Braves found the end-zone early in the game with a one-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back Cameron Jones, a UCLA-commit. This was the spark for the Braves blazing-hot offense.

Senior quarterback Caleb Sanchez had a great performance and established the passing game early on. Caleb connected once again with Cameron Jones for an 18-yard touchdown to put the Braves up by double digits. 

But the Braves offense didn’t stop there. A well-executed “flea flicker” ended in a 28-yard touchdown pass to senior Tommy Maher. This stunned the “Team in Red” and made Brave fans go crazy. 

The Braves offense capped off their impressive night with a nine-yard rush, as senior Chauncey “Boogie” Sylvester found his way into the end-zone. 

Although the offense put up big numbers on Friday night, you have to give all credit to the defense. 

The Braves defense combined for a total of 75 tackles in their dominant performance. Seniors Marcelles Williams and Khmori House led the way for the defense in that category. 

The icing on the cake for this game was an interception in the end-zone by senior Frankie Edwards III, officially closing out the game and sealing the shut-out against the “Team in Red”. 

Many supporters of the “Team in Red” left home with shame and were seen leaving the game in the final minutes, losing all hope and faith in their team, as the Braves fans serenaded them with chants of “na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, hey, goodbye!” 

St. John Bosco takes over top spot in this week's composite Top 25. 📈

Braves move to No. 1 in three of the six national media polls after win over Mater Dei. 🏈

✍️: https://t.co/EceKNE7HnQ pic.twitter.com/1fIu1oQ6JT

— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) October 17, 2023

“It all started with a game plan,” said Marcelles Williams. “Coach came with a game plan last week, and we all executed it to perfection.” 

Coming into the game as underdogs, the Braves played the game with passion and showed everybody to never count them out. 

“A lot of people didn’t have us coming out on top,” said Caleb Sanchez. “We worked hard and followed our game plan, and it felt really good to win that game.”

Next in line for the Braves is the JSerra Lions, who currently hold a 4-4 overall record while having a 1-2 record in league play. They will take on the Lions on the road tonight at 7pm. Although this may not be the toughest opponent for the Braves, they are keeping the same mindset for each and every game and keeping their foot on the gas pedal. 

“Going into [tonight’s] game it’s a new week, new game, and we all got to do the same things we did last week,” said Khmori House.   

St. John Bosco’s record improved to 7-1, while maintaining a flawless 3-0 record in the Trinity League. This was only a stepping stone for the Braves, as they put themselves in the driver’s seat for a Trinity League Championship. But even that doesn’t encapsulate all the Braves have in front of them, with their quest to repeat as CIF-SS, State, and National Champions continues.

by Macade Maxwell

This isn’t just your average high school football game. This is another one for the ages.

The number one nationally ranked “Team in Red” out of Santa Ana goes head-to-head with the number nine ranked St. John Bosco Braves from Bellflower. With tickets selling out in just three seconds, this is said the be the most electrifying and highly anticipated high school game of the year so far.

Tonight the battle of the best will be held at Panish Family Stadium. The game has been the talk of the nation and has been getting a huge amount of attention on all social media platforms.

“The fan support is good for us to build momentum for big games like this,” said senior Khmori House.

With a deep-seated rivalry, the “Team in Red” hold an overall winning record over the Braves, with their last 11 meetings having a 7-4 record. Although they may have won more games, the Braves win the ones that matter most. In last year’s match-up, the Braves took down the Monarchs with a score of 24-22 in the CIF Southern Section Championship at the Rose Bowl. 

The “Team in Red” is loaded with a solid squad with multiple NCAA division one caliber players on both sides of the ball and are looking to come for vengeance. 

But this is no match for the Braves. With an impressive record of 6-1, Bosco Football hopes to boost their national ranking and show who’s the best football team in California and the country. 

The Braves have plenty of horses on their side as well. Consisting of Senior Khmori House, who is a four-star University of Washington-commit, three-star senior Chauncey “Boogie” Slyvester, senior USC-commit Marcelles Williams and four-star Alabama-commit senior Peyton Woodyard, just to name a few. 

Going into this game, many people outside the Bosco community have been doubting the Brave’s ability to come out on top and secure an upset win. 

“We’re the underdogs in this situation, so its more of us trying to prove everybody wrong,” said Marcelles Williams. “We want people to regret counting us out and show everybody what we can do.” 

It’s Game Day Brave Nation! Watch the Braves take on the Mater Dei Monarchs from Panish Family Stadium in Bellflower by tuning into Ballys at 7pm! Streaming here: https://t.co/7SUCiBe2kq#DestinationBosco pic.twitter.com/hniIRKJu9x

— Bosco Football (@boscofootball) October 13, 2023

Leading the way for the Braves on offense is senior quarterback Caleb Sanchez. He has put up impressive numbers all season long and hopes to play his best football against the “Team in Red.”

According to MaxPreps, Caleb has a whopping 1513 passing yards, averages 252 yards per game and has twelve total touchdowns. 

“I get to start the game off, and it’s in my hands pretty much the whole game,” said Caleb. “I feel very confident in our game plan this week. Our offense is looking really sharp and we are prepared for tomorrow” 

The clash for California is a must-see and for those who were unable to obtain tickets, the game will be televised on Bally Sports Network at 7pm. If your cable provider doesn’t carry Bally Sport Network, you can also watch the game on NFHS Network.