Mater Dei in Line for National Title

Mater Dei, which won its second Division I football championship in the past three years last week, may also have earned its second national championship.

In the USA Today poll, No. 1-ranked Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles fell to Bartow (Fla.), 14-13, in the state 4A title game. The loss ended Bolles’ 27-game winning streak. Bolles finished the season 14-1, as did Bartow.

Mater Dei beat Los Angeles Loyola, 17-10, to finish the season 14-0.

Bolles and Mater Dei have been 1-2 in the poll the past two weeks.

The rankings are to be released Tuesday.

“I would be shocked if we weren’t [No. 1],” Mater Dei Coach Bruce Rollinson said Sunday. Rollinson also is being considered for USA Today’s coach of the year.

“I had a guy call me from Washington asking a lot of questions about the rankings,” Rollinson said. “When I asked him about [who is the national champion] I couldn’t get it out of him. But it sounds to me like we will be No. 1.”