Southern California’s St. John Bosco is always in the national championship chat. That’s because the Braves always play one of the toughest schedules in the nation. And, 2024 will be no different.
Monday, the High School Football America national champs in 2019 and 2022 released this year’s schedule that includes nine teams that finished last year in the High School Football America 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football.
Bosco, which finished No. 3 in the nation last year, will find out quickly, if a third HSFA national championship is in the cards this season. For the second year in a row, the Braves will open the season in South Florida against a fellow national power.
SJB will open against three-time state champ Chaminade-Madonna, which finished 2023 in front of the Braves in our national rankings at No. 2. The game will be part of the Broward County National Football Showcase.
The only non-ranked team from last year that Bosco will play comes in Week 2. Braves host Eastwood High School from El Paso, Texas. It will be the second time the Braves will face an opponent from the Lone Star State. In 2022, Bosco blew-out powerful Allen 52-14.
In Week 3, SJB heads to CIF Division 1 semifinalist Sierra Canyon. The Trailblazers finished No. 29 in the HSFA 300.
Bosco heads to northern California in Week 4 to play Serra from San Mateo. The Braves wrapped-up their 2022 national title by beating the Padres 45-0 for the California Open Division championship. Last year, Serra lost its second straight Open Division title game when Bosco’s arch-rival Mater Dei rolled to a 35-0 victory.
The Braves final non-Trinity League game will come against Pittsburg. The Pirates were 13-1 last year with a No. 140 national ranking.
After a bye week, Bosco opens defense of its 2023 Trinity League title against Orange Lutheran, ranked No. 80 in the Top 300 last year. Following OLu, the Braves will play Santa Margarita (No. 81) and then Servite (No. 78).
This year’s showdown with arch-rival Mater Dei will come on October 25th. The Monarchs won their fourth High School Football America national championship last year. Bosco and MD have won six of our last seven national titles.
More: Mater Dei removes Frank McManus as head coach
Bosco closes out the regular season against JSerra (No. 107) on November 1.
