The Friars won't back down, not intimidated by Trinity League foes.
Generational talent, great coaching and senior leadership are major reasons why
Servite (Anaheim, Calif.) has jumped into the top 10 national rankings. But a deeper dive into their youth success may be at the heart of how the Friars have perennial national juggernauts and Trinity League rivals
Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and
St. John Bosco (Bellflower) concerned that its stranglehold on Southern California football may currently be in jeopardy.
Much will be revealed the next two weeks starting Saturday in an 8 p.m. showdown with top-ranked Mater Dei (6-0) at the Santa Ana Bowl. The following week the Friars (8-0) take on No. 5 St. John Bosco (7-1).
"It's a perfect storm at Servite," said 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins, a Southern California native who also serves as color commentator on Bally Sports weekly regional football telecasts. "It started years ago at the Pop Warner level."
Also known as "Juice County," the Buckeyes excelled in the highly competitive league Flo Rida, named after the Florida rapper and youth football organizer.
Servite senior quarterback Noah Fifita has thrown for 6,541 yards and 78 touchdowns in his career as three-year starter for the Friars.
File photo by Jann Hendry
Coached by Fifita's father Les, the Buckeyes battled head-to-head with the league's other big squad, the O.C. Ducks, which claimed such future Mater Dei stars J.T. Daniels and Bryce Young.
When Fifita led the Buckeyes to a national championship as an eighth-grader, confidence grew among his teammates. Instead of choosing the Monarchs or Braves, most picked Servite as freshmen in 2018 when fiery Troy Thomas returned after coaching there from 2005-12. During that time, Servite won seven league (six in the Trinity League), two Southern Section and one state title.
Besides Thomas, Fifita's uncles Manoa Pouono (offensive line) and Kelly Talavou (defensive line) were assistant coaches.
With great talent, history and even family ties secured, the prep battle lines were thus established. The Friars simply haven't been intimidated by the indomitable duo of Mater Dei and St. John Bosco, which have gone a combined 127-13 and shared three national titles since 2016.
"As good as Troy's teams were in 2009 and 2010 (a combined 28-2), this team I believe is better. ... The best they've ever had," Biggins said. "This team has just so much firepower."
It starts with the Arizona-bound Fifita, who has thrown for 2,242 yards and 29 touchdowns this year, and 6,541 and 78 as a three-year starter, but is highlighted by McMillan, the No. 4 ranked receiver in the country by 247Sports. The future Oregon Duck has 52 catches for 911 yards and 15 touchdowns (143, 2,249, 31 for his career).
"They're as good as any quarterback-wide receiver duo in the country," MaxPreps national football editor Zack Poff said.
McMillan, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound senior, may be as good as any all-around athlete in Southern California, if not the country. Besides his receiving and safety skills (he has four interceptions and 18 tackles), McMillan was a starter on Servite's varsity basketball team as a freshman and he's currently a top volleyball prospect. Biggins said he's one of the top five receivers he's ever seen in Southern California and he's been evaluating talent in the region almost 30 years. Robert Woods and Steve Smith were others on his short list.
"His skill set and instincts are off the charts," Biggins said of McMillan. "He has the best body control I think I've ever seen. He wins 50-50 balls. Makes one-handed catches with either hand. You could put him at safety and have an elite defender. He has an innate feel for where to put his body and his timing is impeccable. He's also super smart, a 4.0 student — just a phenomenal kid. A natural."
Tetairoa McMillan has 143 catches for 2,249 yards and 31 touchdowns in his career at Servite.
File photo by Terry Jack
There's much more to like about the Friars.
• The offensive line is big, physical and experienced, paving the way for running back
Houston Thomas (109 carries, 678 yards rushing, 12 TDs).
• Besides McMillan, senior wideouts
Michael Welsh and
Wesley Taylor have combined for 55 catches for 789 yards and eight touchdowns.
• The X-factor could be 6-4, 230-pound
Keyan Burnett, ranked the No. 5 tight end in the country. The Arizona commit has 24 catches for 448 yards and six scores.
• Besides its youth success, confidence is at a premium, after giving both Bosco and Mater Dei highly competitive games over the last two seasons. Bosco narrowly pulled out a 28-27 game in 2019 followed by a 38-28 battle in the spring, which came the week before Mater Dei escaped with a 24-17 victory.
In the Mater Dei loss, McMillan not only had six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown, but he forced six pass interference calls on the Monarchs. That secondary will be without five-star cornerback
Domani Jackson, out for the season with a knee injury.
If all of the above doesn't give the Friars confidence heading into the next two games, then perhaps this will: It hasn't trailed all season, averages 50 points and 471 yards per game and has outscored foes, 399-90.
Mater Dei and Bosco each have approximately 50 percent more Division I prospects than the Friars, but history has proved that Servite has a shot. As far as Saturday night, Biggins says this:
"It's going to be really hard to beat Mater Dei — they are a machine. They don't beat themselves. Their quarterback (Elijah Brown) is unflappable and gifted. They have three major running backs, five major receivers. Their lines and defense are stacked with Division I recruits. All that said, do I think Servite has a fighting chance? Absolutely."
