Sure, five Orange County football teams are in the Rivals.com West region top 20, and those five are joined by another to give the county six in the RivalsHigh 100.

But it takes awhile to get to an Orange County team in either set of rankings.

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Matt Barkley is coming to a TV near you.

ESPN has announced its 2008 high school football schedule and Mater Dei is on the list.

The season opener against Carson of the L.A. City Section will be broadcast live by ESPN2, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. The game will be played at Veterans Stadium.

Carson is the defending city section runner-up, losing to eventual champion Birmingham 41-6. The Colts went 11-3 last season out of the Marine League.

Barkley was rated the No. 1 prospect in the ESPNU 150 Class of 2009. Carson tight end Morrell Presley, who is also headed to USC, is rated No. 47.

ESPN will carry 19 high school games on its various networks (ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU).

- Damian Calhoun

A Mater Dei football player was taken to an emergency room today after a fight with another player at practice left him with a concussion, broken teeth and a broken nose, his father said.

Jonathan Sedeno, 17, was nearly unconscious when he was brought to St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, said his father, Joe. Joe Sedeno contacted the Santa Ana Police Department about the incident at practice that he said involved another player striking his son repeatedly after a drill.

The elder Sedeno said he talked to a Mater Dei assistant coach about what happened and was told it was “all a part of football.”

“No, this is not a part of football,” Joe Sedeno said.

He also said he asked to view Mater Dei’s recording of the practice footage but was told he could not see it.

“They’re telling me I have no rights because it’s a private school and I shouldn’t involve the police,” Sedeno said.

Sedeno said he was told his son, a wide receiver who was expected to play his first season of varsity football, was involved in a drill with another player. He said he was told that the other player grew frustrated with his son and began hitting him.

Sedeno said Monarchs coaches did not call 911 and instead called his wife at work.

A Mater Dei football player ended up in the hospital today after an altercation at practice. Just talked to the dad. His son, Jonathan Sedeno, was taken to the emergency room with a concussion, broken teeth and a broken nose.

We’ll have a news story up on the site momentarily.

BEVERLY HILLS - Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley was selected today as the Gatorade national boys athlete of the year for the 2007-08 school year.

The Monarchs quarterback, who still has a season left to play at Mater Dei, already was the Gatorade national football player of the year.

Barkley has committed to sign a national letter of intent with USC.

Related
• Matt Barkley bio, photos, videos and stats

Orange Lutheran pitcher Gerrit Cole was a first-team All-America selection by EA Sports, and two other Orange County players were second-team selections.

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Mater Dei twins David and Travis Wear were selected today to the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team. The Wears and the other 10 members of the team will play July 14-18 in the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Formosa, Argentina.

The Wears, both of whom were first-team all-county selections as juniors, led Mater Dei to a state championship last season. They already have committed to sign with North Carolina.

See David Wear’s stats

See Travis Wear’s stats

The rest of the roster:

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Sports Illustrated came out Wednesday with its list of the Top 25 high school sports programs in the nation for 2007-08, and Mater Dei was ranked No. 2.

SI also picked the No. 1 program in each state; Mater Dei was No. 1 in California.

Punahou High of Honolulu was SI’s choice for the nation’s top program. Punahou won 16 state titles and produced 12 Division I recruits during the 2007-08 school year.

Here is what Sports Illustrated wrote about Mater Dei:

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BASEBALL

JSerra at Mater Dei, 6 p.m.

Orange Lutheran is solidly in first place in the Trinity League, but JSerra and Mater Dei are fighting for the No. 2 spot before the playoffs start. The Monarchs are at home for this one, but the Lions are coming off a nice victory at Santa Margarita and could have some momentum.

GIRLS LACROSSE

No. 4 St. Margaret’s at No. 1 Beckman, at Hicks Canyon Elementary at 4 p.m.

Beckman defeated Aliso Niguel 13-0 in the quarterfinals. St. Margaret’s defeated Tesoro, 11-9. The Patriots and Tartans played earlier in the season with Beckman winning 20-10.

No. 3 Los Alamitos at No. 2 Foothill, 5:30 p.m.

The Knights outscored Mission Viejo 19-12, while the Griffins defeated Trabuco Hills, 20-4.

The winners will advance to county championship Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Trabuco Hills HS.

DAMIAN CALHOUN/OCVarsity.com

- Matt Barkley only played 22:13. The sophomore starting quaterback did not finish the first half and only played the first drive of the second half.
When I asked a coach at halftime if this is the most Barkley had ever held a clipboard, “Oh gosh, yeah,” the coach replied.
- The closest Cabrillo got to the endzone was Mater Dei’s 36-yard line. They crossed the 50-yard line once, on their last drive of the game.
- The Monarchs defense allowed 53 total yards, 21 in the first half. They also had five sacks and two interceprtions.
- The Jaguars started seven of their drives inside their own 20.
- Place kicker Patrick Duffy (5 for 5 on PATs and one 34-yard field goal) had four touchbacks. He had seven kickoffs for 407 yards.
- Monarchs punted the ball once, a 42 yarder by senior Jonathan Knack.

– Jaime Crdenas/The Register