SANTA ANA – It wasn’t like Dash Beierly had never played in a big game before.
Before transferring to Mater Dei a few months ago for his senior year of football, Beierly was the starting quarterback at Chaparral of Temecula. Chaparral is in the same league as Centennial of Corona, annually one of the top teams in California. Chaparral was a playoff team, too, last season.
Playing quarterback is different at Mater Dei, which has produced three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and often is in the running for state and national championships.
In his first game as Mater Dei’s quarterback on Aug. 22, the Monarchs season opener, against Centennial Beierly did not throw a completion in the Monarchs first two offensive possessions.
On Friday night at Santa Ana Stadium, Beierly completed his first seven passes. He finished 13 for 15 for 99 yards and a touchdown. Beierly rushed for 67 yards on nine carries as Mater Dei lived up to its ranking as the No. 1 team in the nation with a 31-15 win over national No. 2 Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas.
“Now that the rust is off, I’m here,” Beierly said after Friday’s win. “I’m ready to control the offense.”
Mater Dei assistant coach Khaled Holmes, who has been around some outstanding quarterbacks in his days as a Mater Dei and USC lineman, was impressed by Beierly.
“He can do it all,” Holmes said. “It really changes the game when you’ve got a true dual-threat guy, and most importantly he’s a great kid. We’re happy to have him.”
The Monarchs also got fine performances by running back Jordon Davison who rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns and from its defense.
Mater Dei quarterbacks coach Sean Crump said the offensive game plan was simplified for the Bishop Gorman game.
“Sometimes in that first game with us, it’s a different atmosphere and you’re a little excited to get things going,” Crump said. “I think you saw some first-game jitters.”
The Monarchs had a week off between the Centennial game and Friday’s game against Bishop Gorman, a week to work on what needed some work which included their quarterback.
“We were able to settle him down,” Crump said. “Get him back to base. Just to play simple football. He is one of the most poised quarterbacks I’ve seen. He’s really a student of the game. Xs and Os are second nature to him.”
“I’m not going to be perfect all the time,” Beierly said. “The whole team had a really good game. Against the No. 2 team in the nation, that’s pretty good.”
Elijah Brown was a freshman when he replaced Bryce Young as Mater Dei quarterback five years ago and was great from that freshman season on. Brown was a different guy. He was abnormally calm in every situation.
Any other kid would freak out at least a little bit, making his debut at quarterback for the nation’s No. 1 team and playing the No. 10 team in the nation, which Centennial was on that night when Mater Dei got a 42-15 win.
So Beierly (6-1, 210), who committed to Washington, had a rough start against Centennial. He settled down enough to help Mater Dei to a 42-25 win.
He was smooth from the start against Bishop Gorman. And that’s what we probably will see from Beierly the rest of this season.
“I’m not going to be perfect all the time,” Beierly said. “The whole team had a really good game. Against the No. 2 team in the nation, that’s pretty good.”
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