Christian Maldonado, an outstanding two-way football player for Mater Dei, was placed on a stretcher and taken to Mission Community Hospital after suffering a neck injury in the final minute of the Mater Dei-Tesoro game Friday night. Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said there were many encouraging signs while Maldonado was being attended to, including no loss of consciousness, the ability to move all limbs, and a lessening of pain as time passed. Rollinson said the injury was very much like whiplash.

We will try to get an update on Maldonado, on Saturday.