San Diego Program Preview: Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>San Diego's back-to-back state champions- Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders -are looking for a third consecutive title after earning the D-2AA state championship in a 26-18 victory over McClymonds last December. Last season's team started 0-4 including losses to Cathedral Catholic, Carlsbad, and Lincoln- this season they'll look to avenge two of those losses, opening the season with road games at Cathedral Catholic and Carlsbad.</em> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key Losses:</strong> QB Dominic Nankil (USD), WR Jeremiah McClure (UCLA), LB Tre Edwards (UCLA), ATH Chris Snyder (Cal Poly), WR Surahz Buncom (Kansas), WR Jaylen Hall (Montana), DB DJ Overstreet (Snow College), LB Vincent Friend (Black Hills St.), DL Talon Beltran (Black Hills St.) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Schedule </strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>8/18 <strong>@ </strong>Cathedral Catholic&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>8/25 <strong>@ </strong>Carlsbad&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9/15 <strong>@</strong> Point Loma&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9/22 vs. St. Augustine</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/6 vs. Montgomery&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/12 <strong>@ </strong>Bonita Vista&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/20 vs. Eastlake&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>10/26 <strong>@ </strong>Otay Ranch&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Offense</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mater Dei Catholic's offense will look to replace major pieces of their passing game including their starting QB and top three leading receivers. Junior QB [player_tooltip player_id='406722' first='Kartell' last='Purvis'] looks to take over the starting role with a promising combination of size (6'2”/195), arm strength, and accuracy from the pocket. He looked comfortable navigating the pocket as a junior, flashing mobility and athleticism extending plays with his legs. Hometown SDSU-commit [player_tooltip player_id='273562' first='Anthony' last='McMillian'] is the best RB in San Diego heading into this season- he totaled over 1200 rushing yards and 12 TDs as a junior. He's a powerful downhill runner with great contact balance and vision at the LOS. Senior RB Jordan Jackson complements McMillian's power with flashy speed and elusiveness out of the backfield. Senior WR [player_tooltip player_id='398494' first='Johnny' last='Scott'] is the top returner in a WR room looking to replace the production of three D-I receivers: Jeremiah McClure (UCLA), Surahz Buncom (Kansas), and Jaylen Hall (Montana). Scott's a skilled wideout with strong hands and craftiness after the catch. Senior OG [player_tooltip player_id='273588' first='Samuel' last='Brown'] leads the OL unit with great experience as a starter on both championship squads. He can keep the pocket clean in pass-pro and is a bully in the run game that can pull and work up to the second level. Junior C <strong>Joseph Kellogg</strong> is another player to watch in the OL group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/SDFNLMagazine/status/1684717744485490688?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/SDFNLMagazine/status/1684717744485490688?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Defense&nbsp;</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arizona DB-commit [player_tooltip player_id='273548' first='Isaiah' last='Buxton'] headlines the MDC defense looking to fill the loss of a strong senior core. Buxton was a breakout prospect during the team's first state championship run and is one of the most talented cover-corners in SoCal heading into this season. Two-way senior Jordan Jackson is another talented CB with great speed and instincts on the perimeter. [player_tooltip player_id='273562' first='Anthony' last='McMillian'], arguably the best two-way player in San Diego, provides the physical LB presence around the LOS.&nbsp;Look for some fresh faces to make an impact on this defense throughout the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/coachjoynermd/status/1601444099256504321?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/coachjoynermd/status/1601444099256504321?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->