Mater Dei (Calif.) football in search of mid-August scrimmage

One of the nation’s top high school football programs is in search of a preseason scrimmage before they head down to the Sunshine State in late August. That very program is arguably the top team in the country.

On a X, formerly known as Twitter, post on early Thursday morning, post by Mater Dei tight ends coach Rudy Cambero indicated that the Monarchs are looking to play a scrimmage on August 14th.

We are looking for a scrimmage 8/14 @MDFootball please DM if anyone is available. #WeAreMD @GregBiggins @Tarek_Fattal @ocvarsityguy @SteveFryer @latsondheimer @johnwdavis

— Rudy Cambero (@OLCoachCam) June 26, 2025

Whomever the Monarchs end up finding to play in the preseason tilt will be a warm up to Mater Dei playing in the 2025 Broward County Classic High School Football Showcase down in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on August 23rd.

There, the Monarchs have a heavily anticipated showdown with 17-time Florida state champion St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the host schools for the classic. Between the two storied programs, the schools have combined for 25 state titles.

Both programs will be in the mix nationally once again, with Mater Dei ending the 2024 campaign as the nation’s No. 1 team. Taking on the Raiders down in South Florida is just one of many challenges that lie ahead for the Monarchs this 2024 season.

St. Thomas Aquinas finished last fall with a 12-3 record coming away with the FHSAA’s Class 5A state championship season in a 34-0 rout of Lakeland at Pitbull Stadium back in December.

Also dotted along Mater Dei’s schedule are Bishop Gorman (Nevada), Corona Centennial, Kahuku (Hawaii), Santa Margarita Catholic and a Halloween clash with rival St. John Bosco.