High school football rankings: California powerhouse Mater Dei is No. 1 in Preseason MaxPreps Top 25

Behind senior quarterback Elijah Brown and loaded supporting cast, Monarchs favored to secure third national title since 2017 under first-year head coach.

Waves of talent, 10 returning starters on defense and senior quarterback Elijah Brown helped put Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) in the No. 1 spot of our Preseason MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings. Brown is 29-1 as the program's starting signal caller, helping the Monarchs extend a streak of five consecutive top three national finishes.

First-year head coach Frank McManus takes over for Bruce Rollinson, who retired after 34 years on the sideline at Mater Dei. He led the Monarchs to a 341-87-2 record and national titles in 2017 and 2021. McManus has been with Mater Dei for 16 years, the last seven as defensive backs coach.

Expectations will be sky high for McManus out of the gate thanks to a loaded roster. ...

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