Week 4: Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders 61, University City Centurions 26

It’s already Week 4 of the high school football season and teams are hungry for wins and cooler weather.

This week, the PPR Red Jackets will be traveling to 27 games across the county, with one of them being the non-conference matchup between the Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders and the University City Centurions.

Both Division III teams are standing at 1-2.

Mater Dei is looking to add another win to their record. The Crusaders grabbed a 32-6 win back in week one over El Capitan, but have suffered back-to-back losses to Grossmont and Bishop’s.

To win the game, Mater Dei just needs to bring back the momentum they had in week one, where Crusaders junior quarterback Trevor Appelman and senior running back Aiden Calvert were a dynamic duo. Appelman threw for four touchdowns and 268 yards. Calvert had 11 carries, 70 yards, and one touchdown.

University City is coming off of their first win last week, a nail-biting 27-26 away victory over Mission Bay.

The Centurions have what it takes to turn their season around.

Senior quarterback Gunnar Gray has been a key player to watch not only for the Centurions but all across the county.

Last Friday, Gray had 320 passing yards. Although the Centurions attempted multiple two-point conversions that night, the team decided to let Gray kick the game-winning PAT, which went right down the center.

Another key player to watch is junior running back and linebacker Hezekiah Pavich. He assisted the Centurions’ win with two touchdowns, one of them being the game-tying touchdown.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at University City High School.

Want to see game highlights for Mater Dei and University City? Make sure you tune in this Friday, and every Friday, at 10:45 p.m. for 1st and 15, followed by America’s No. 1 high school football show, the Prep Pigskin Report.

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