CARLSBAD — Carlsbad High School senior Julian Sayin, one of the country’s premier prep quarterbacks, will put his talents on display in front of a nationally televised audience on Aug. 26 at Swede Krcmar Stadium.
Sayin, a five-star signal caller recently named MVP of the Elite 11 Finals, will lead the Lancers into a non-conference heavyweight bout against defending CIF State 2-AA champ Mater Dei Catholic.
The game starts at 7 p.m. in Carlsbad, televised on ESPN2 as part of the GEICO ESPN High School Football Kickoff.
Carlsbad opened its season last week with a 30-6 win over Inglewood, winning this year’s non-league rematch after losing to the Sentinels the previous season.
Mater Dei of Chula Vista did not fare as well, losing its non-league opener against Cathedral Catholic, 55-14.
According to Rivals, Sayin is the top-rated quarterback in California, No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 4 overall prospect for the Class of 2024. Last year, Sayin verbally committed to national power Alabama, a non-binding agreement until he signs an official letter of intent in December.
This weekend, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound play-caller squares off against a Crusaders team led by three-star Arizona commit Isaiah Buxton (cornerback) and San Diego State recruit Anthony McMillan (running back).
In last year’s thriller, Carlsbad raced out to a 21-0 first-half lead and held on to defeat Mater Dei 36-35 in double overtime. Sayin completed 12 of 19 pass attempts for 214 yards, two touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in the win.
Sayin finished his junior campaign throwing for 2,708 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions, leading the Lancers to a 10-2 record and their third straight CIF championship game. In the Open Division final, Carlsbad lost 28-24 to Lincoln, which went on to beat De La Salle in the D1-AA title game.
Other CHS standouts include three-star linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who recently committed to Stanford after first pledging to Arizona in June, per Rivals. Ferrelli has scholarship offers from SDSU, Nevada, Texas A&M and several Ivy League schools.
Correction: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated CHS was down 21-0 to Mater Dei Catholic in last year’s game.
