"Proud of our little community": St. John Bosco shares uplifting post after an impressive standing on the Top 25 high school football rankings

St. John Bosco football has shared a heartfelt reaction to the MaxPreps top-25 rankings of high school football and basketball programs. The national powerhouse ranked No. 5 on the top-25 football rankings and No. 3 on the top-25 basketball programs. The rankings were shared on the school's football program's Instagram page with the following caption:

“Proud of our little community in Bellflower, CA. Thank you to the Salesians of Don Bosco for providing a platform for young men to strive for greatness. Let's add Bosco Wrestling to the national rankings at 7!”

St. John Bosco High School is an all-boys prep school in Bellflower, California. The school, founded in 1940, is a major national athletic powerhouse, competing in the highly competitive Trinity League of the California Interscholastic Federation - Southern Section. One of its fiercest rivals in the Trinity League is Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California.

St. John Bosco v. Mater Dei: Southern California’s biggest high school football rivalry?

The rivalry is one of the longest-running and biggest rivalries in Southern Californian football. While the Braves slipped down to fifth place on the final high school football rankings in 2024, Mater Dei was the No. 1 team nationally. The Monarchs were undefeated, ending their season as the national champions for the third time in eight years.

The Braves finished the season with a respectable 11-2 record. However, wrapping up the season with two losses may be disappointing for a program like Bosco, especially with a rival like Mater Dei being undefeated.

Despite the setback, the Braves made it to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game, facing the Mater Dei Monarchs for the second time this season. Their earlier Trinity League matchup ended in a 59-14 loss for Bosco. While the margin was narrower in the championship game, the Braves still fell to a 31-24 defeat to Mater Dei.

The Braves are no strangers to success. They were national champions in 2019 and 2022. Their championship game with Mater Dei marked their seventh meeting in the game since 2016. The dominance of both programs during this period has defined Southern California high school football, placing them at the top of the ladder.

St. John Bosco is not only known for its football program. Its basketball program also made the MaxPreps top-25 rankings at No. 3 with an 11-0 record so far this season.