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] and 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, which together have won 90 CIF, state, and national championships.[9]
Enrollment grew rapidly. The school was originally designed for 800 students, but by 1964, it was serving 1,800.[12] In the 1970s it became the largest Catholic high school west of Chicago, and 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
The school has received mixed attention in local media due in part to their method of scouting athletes from public high schools in due process of offering scholarships as a part of recruitment for 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
Mater Dei High School's teams 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
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
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)