Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)

Catholic high school in Santa Ana, California

Mater Dei High School

Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana, California

Address

1202 West Edinger Avenue

Santa Ana

California

92707

United States

Coordinates| 33°43′36″N 117°52′59″W﻿ / ﻿33.72667°N 117.88306°W﻿ / 33.72667; -117.88306
Information
Type| Private, College-prep
Motto| Honor, Glory, Love
Religious affiliation(s)| Catholic
Established| 1950
Superintendent| Erin Barisano
CEEB code| 053-240
Principal| Frances Clare
Teaching staff| 105.1 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades| 9–12
Gender| Coeducational
Enrollment| 2,152[1] (2015–2016)
Student to teacher ratio| 20.5[1]
Color(s)| Red and grey
Athletics conference| CIF Southern Section
Trinity League
Nickname| Monarchs
Rival| Servite[5]
Accreditation| WASC,[3] WCEA[4]
Newspaper| The Scarlet Scroll
Yearbook| Crown
Tuition| Catholic: $19,150
Non Catholic: $20,600[2]
Website| materdei.org

Mater Dei High School is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Santa Ana, California, located in and administered by the Diocese of Orange.

Mater Dei is nationally known for its strong sports programs, especially in football.[6] It is ranked first in the United States for "best high schools for athletes" by school review company Niche.[7] In 2014, Bleacher Report ranked it in the top five high schools in the U.S. for producing professional athletes.[8] Over 68 percent of the student body participates in some role with a team, in one of the 25 different sports sponsored by the school. Altogether they have won 90 CIF, state, and national championships.[9]

## History

[edit]

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles opened Mater Dei in 1950, the first Catholic high school in Orange County. The school had 111 students and a faculty of seven, including Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, plus principal Fr. Joseph Eyraud.[10] In 1953 they were joined by the Patrician Brothers, who taught until 2005.[11]

Enrollment grew rapidly. The school was originally designed for 800 students, but by 1964 was serving 1,800.[12] In the 1970s it became the largest Catholic high school west of Chicago. Overcrowding persisted until 1987, when Santa Margarita Catholic High School opened in South Orange County.

In 2000, Mater Dei embarked on a major capital campaign to fund a new parking lot, chapel, library, and service buildings, as well as a spate of athletic facilities and, in 2019, a much-needed parking garage.[10]

## Controversy

[edit]

The school has received mixed attention in local media, due in part to scouting athletes from public high schools and offering scholarships, in order to reinforce their acclaimed football program.[13][14][15]

In 2021, a lawsuit was filed alleging that systemic hazing pervaded the football program resulting in a "brutal locker room altercation."[6][16] Another 2021 lawsuit alleged that two Mater Dei football players severely injured a classmate in an orchestrated attack.[17] Orange County bishop Kevin Vann responded with a public statement supporting the school's leadership and criticizing the "media frenzy".[18] The school announced it would commission an independent investigation into the allegations.[19]

In January 2022, a female alumna of Mater Dei filed a lawsuit following the surfacing accusations of hazing, alleging that she was sexually assaulted by a former football coach during the late 1980s.[20]

## Athletics

[edit]

Mater Dei High School's teams are named the Monarchs, and their colors are red and grey. As of 2023, the school sponsors boys' and girls' teams at multiple levels in 25 sports in the Trinity League, part of CIF Southern Section:

* Baseball
* Basketball
* Beach Volleyball
* Cheerleading
* Cross-Country
* Football
* Golf
* Lacrosse
* Soccer
* Sailing
* Softball
* Swimming & Diving
* Tennis
* Track & Field
* Volleyball
* Water Polo
* Wrestling

In addition, boys' beach volleyball, e-sports, equestrian, ice hockey, and surfing are offered on a club level.[21]

Known for their football and basketball programs, Mater Dei has also graduated professional athletes Robbie Rogers (soccer), Tiki Ghosn (mixed martial arts), and Greg Woepse (pole vault), as well as ten Olympians.[22] A total of 15 players have been named Gatorade California State Players of the Year.[23]

### Football

[edit]

The Mater Dei football team plays in CIF Southern Section Division 1. They most recently won the CIF State Championship during the 2021 season, and won national championships in 1994, 1996, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.[24] As of 2022, three graduates have won the Heisman Trophy, John Huarte, Matt Leinart, and Bryce Young.[16]

In 2021 The New York Times cited Mater Dei's football program and that of rival St. John Bosco for making high school football look like NCAA Division I competition in terms of recruiting, training, and facilities.[25]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (February 2020)

|

### Athletics

[edit]

* Bob Ammann – former soccer goalkeeper
* Mike Ammann – former professional soccer player
* Devin Askew \- college basketball guard[26]
* Matt Barkley – NFL quarterback
* McQuin Baron – Olympic water polo player
* Colt Brennan – NFL quarterback
* Zabien Brown – college football cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide[27]
* Bol Bol – NBA center
* Schea Cotton – basketball player[28]
* JT Daniels (born 2000) – college football quarterback for the Rice Owls
* Thomas Duarte – NFL tight end[29]
* LeRon Ellis – NBA power forward and center
* Danny Espinosa – MLB second baseman[30]
* Austin Faoliu – NFL defensive tackle
* Spencer Freedman (born 1998) – college basketball player for the Harvard Crimson and NYU Violets
* Reggie Geary (born 1973) – NBA guard
* Tiki Ghosn – Mixed martial arts fighter[31]
* Matt Grootegoed – NFL linebacker
* Mike Hessman – Major League Baseball player
* Vince Hizon – American-born former Philippine Basketball Association player
* Khaled Holmes – NFL center
* Haley Hopkins \- NWSL player
* Mike Hopkins – NCAA basketball player and coach
* John Huarte (born 1944) – Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback
* Sara Hughes – professional beach volleyball player
* Chris Jackson – NFL wide receiver
* Domani Jackson – college football cornerback for the Alabama Crimson Tide
* Stanley Johnson – NBA forward
* Taylor King – professional basketball player
* Kelsey Kollen – former softball player for the Michigan Wolverines
* Tyler Lamb – professional basketball player[32]
* Quentin Lake – professional football player for the Los Angeles Rams
* Matt Leinart (born 1983) – Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback[33]
* Todd Marinovich – NFL quarterback
* Bru McCoy – college football player for the Tennessee Volunteers
* Chase McGrath – professional football placekicker[34]
* Ryan McMahon – MLB player
* Bobby Meacham – MLB shortstop and coach[35]
* Daniel Meyer – Major League Baseball player
* Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis – WNBA guard
* Ricky Ortiz – NFL fullback[36]
* Kennedy Polamalu – former professional football player and current running backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks
* Katin Reinhardt – professional basketball player
* Nikko Remigio – NFL wide receiver
* Curtis Robinson – professional football player for the San Francisco 49ers
* Robbie Rogers – MLS winger
* Jamal Sampson – NBA forward-center
* Katie Lou Samuelson – guard/forward in the WNBA
* Sergio Santos – MLB relief pitcher
* Miles Simon – basketball analyst for ESPN and former NBA guard
* Anthony Slama – MLB relief pitcher
* Olive Sagapolu – USFL defensive tackle
* Amon-Ra St. Brown – NFL wide receiver
* Ryan Stonehouse – American football punter, NCAA record holder
* D. J. Strawberry – NBA point guard
* Matt Treanor – MLB catcher
* Alonzo Tredwell – professional baseball pitcher[37]
* Michael Wang – NCAA basketball player
* David Wear – NCAA basketball forward
* Travis Wear – NBA basketball forward
* Larry Williams – NFL football player
* Max Wittek – former NCAA football quarterback
* Greg Woepse – silver medalist at the 1979 Pan Am Games in the pole vault
* Bryce Young (born 2001) – Heisman Trophy winner and American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers

### Other

[edit]

* John A. Davis – film director/animator
* Mike Gallagher (2002) – United States Congressman from Wisconsin's 8th congressional district (2017–present)[38]
* Bob Gunton – actor[citation needed]
* Jeff Lewis – real estate agent and investor
* Steve Oedekerk – film actor, comedian, director, film editor, film producer, and screenwriter
* Aimee Phan – author
* Mike Pniewski – actor, speaker
* Shelby Rabara – actress, voice over actress, and dancer
* Jaime Soto – Bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento
* Victory Tischler-Blue – singer, film producer, director, photographer, and member of the all-female band The Runaways
* Jennifer Warnes – singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer
* Juan Zarate (1989) – Assistant Secretary of the Treasury (2001–2005) and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism (2005–2009)[39][40]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for Mater Dei High School". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
2. ^ "Tuition and Fees". Mater Dei High School. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
3. ^ WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Retrieved June 5, 2009.
4. ^ "WCEA/WASC Accreditation". materdei.org.
5. ^ Terry, Mike (October 11, 1996). "Live and Learn; Servite's Volelrs Hopes to Teach Mater Dei a Lesson This Time". Los Angeles Times. p. 8.
6. ^ a b Sondheimer, Eric (November 26, 2021). "Mater Dei wins Division 1 football title as controversy engulfs program". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
7. ^ 2023 Best High Schools for Athletes in America, Niche, retrieved September 5, 2023
8. ^ Janovitz, Scott (September 29, 2014), Powerhouse High Schools That Keep Making Pros, retrieved September 5, 2023
9. ^ "Welcome", Mater Dei High School Athletics, Mater Dei High School, retrieved September 5, 2023
10. ^ a b "History of Mater Dei High School", MaterDei.org, Mater Dei High School, retrieved September 5, 2023
11. ^ "Mater Dei High School", BrothersofStPatrick.com, Brothers of St. Patrick, retrieved September 5, 2023
12. ^ Emmons, Steve; Marcano, Tony (March 17, 1990), "O.C.'s Mater Dei High Has Big Reputation, Even Bigger Ambition", The Los Angeles Times, retrieved September 5, 2023
13. ^ "Ranking Top 10 high school recruits of all time".
14. ^ "Why are Catholic Schools so good at Sports?". August 10, 2011.
15. ^ "Fine Legal Line for HS athletes who transfer and get recruited".
16. ^ a b Fry, Hannah; Sheets, Connor; Nelson, Laura J. (December 22, 2021). "Football powerhouse Mater Dei confronts hazing scandal with a wall of silence". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
17. ^ Nelson, Laura J.; Fry, Hannah (December 6, 2021). "Mater Dei football players broke a student athlete's jaw in a planned attack, lawsuit says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
18. ^ Nelson, Laura J. (December 8, 2021). "O.C. bishop decries 'media frenzy' over alleged hazing at Mater Dei High School". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
19. ^ Reid, Scott (November 30, 2021). "Mater Dei to commission independent probe of its sports programs". Orange County Register. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
20. ^ "Mater Dei sex abuse accusation comes to light following Hazing lawsuit". Los Angeles Times. January 20, 2022.
21. ^ "Mater Dei Athletics", MaterDeiAthletics.org, Mater Dei High School, retrieved September 5, 2023
22. ^ "Olympians", MaterDeiAthletics.org, Mater Dei High School, retrieved September 5, 2023
23. ^ "Gatorade California State Players of the Year", MaterDeiAthletics.org, Mater Dei High School, retrieved September 5, 2023
24. ^ Peter, Josh. "Mater Dei High School caps championship season in shadow of serious hazing allegations". USA TODAY. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
25. ^ Witz, Billy (November 14, 2021), "California's High School Football Powerhouses Feed the College Game", The New York Times, retrieved September 5, 2023
26. ^ "Devin Askew - Men's Basketball". California Golden Bears Athletics.
27. ^ Kelly, Nick (July 9, 2023). "Alabama football lands 2024 cornerback Zabien Brown over Ohio State, USC". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
28. ^ "Schea Cotton" (PDF). NBA.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 24, 2012.
29. ^ Fryer, Steve (December 18, 2012). "Mater Dei's Duarte is offensive player of the year". OCVarsity.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016.
30. ^ Shaikin, Bill (October 8, 2016). "Nationals stick with Danny Espinosa, for a simple reason". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
31. ^ "Tiki Ghosn UFC Bio". Retrieved January 1, 2014.
32. ^ Henson, Joaquin M. (August 19, 2017). "Thais a different team with Lamb". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
33. ^ Ben Bolch, Leinart Chosen State Player of Year, Los Angeles Times, December 5, 2000. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
34. ^ "Chase McGrath - Football". University of Tennessee Athletics. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
35. ^ "Bob Meacham Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
36. ^ "Ricky Ortiz's High School Timeline". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
37. ^ "Alonzo Tredwell - Baseball - UCLA". uclabruins.com. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
38. ^ "Michael Gallagher '02". Mater Dei High School. 2016.
39. ^ "Juan Zarate". White House. 2005.
40. ^ "Juan C. Zarate". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved January 6, 2021.

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[edit]

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