History
In 2008, The Mater Dei Monarchs, with its five college-bound starters, beat the St. Patrick Celtics with a 7 point lead of 52-45.
Mater Dei, which was ranked No. 1 by ESPN and USA Today, is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Santa Ana, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and is one of the largest Catholic high schools in the United States. Mater Dei High School is known for its highly successful athletic programs, especially boys’ basketball and football. In 2008 Sports Illustrated rated Mater Dei High School second on its “Best High School Athletic Programs” list. After five City of Palms Classic showdowns, they now hold two championships and two third-place finishes.
St. Patrick High School Academy, ranked #2 by ESPN in 2008 is a co-educational four-year Catholic high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The school was founded as a vocational school in 1863 as part of Saint Patrick's Parish in Elizabeth, making it the oldest parochial high school in New Jersey.
St. Patrick High School athletic program is most noted for a storied boy basketball program that has produced numerous college and professional level players. For the nearly 20 years, under the direction of head coach Kevin Boyle, the team has captured multiple NJSIAA sectional and state titles as well as 3 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions titles (2006, 2007, 2009). A national powerhouse, they have gained recognition from multiple national media outlets and have been a staple in many national ranking, including the ESPN RISE Fab 50, USA Today Super 25, and the Max Preps Top 25.
