Former Mater Dei football coach back at it; Texas softball brawl: Top high school sports stories (4/17/2025)

High School On SI National High 5: Curiously fired Frank McManus named new coach in Northern California; 5-star Tajh Ariza joins two more at St. John Bosco; Ugly softball brawl ends in ER

Then Mater Dei head football coach Frank McManus in his final game for the Monarchs was a triumphant one, 35-0 over Serra for the CIF Open Division championship at Saddleback College. McManus was let to go four months later and a year after that — on Wednesday — he was hired as the new head coach at Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa. / Photo by Joe Bergman

Welcome to the National High 5 from High School on SI, a daily look at five of the country's top, most talked about high school sports stories.

When applicable, we'll offer texture, context and even a little opinion. This from a busy Wednesday and early Thursday.

1. Former Mater Dei football coach Frank McManus lands at NorCal power

Frank McManus (right) and defensive back from Mater Dei retrieves a gold chains around the neck of the coach as part of a ritual between defensive players. / Staff photo

The last most saw of former Mater Dei football coach Frank McManus, he was showered with Gatorade, being interviewed by local television and calling out Las Vegas power Bishop Gorman to meet in a national championship game. McManus was unexpectedly fired four months later for undisclosed reasons, took an assistant's role at another national power Mission Viejo and not really on mainstream media's radar until Cardinal Newman, a small-school Northern California power in the heart of the state's wine country, announced Wednesday it had hired him as its new head football coach. Mic toss!

2. One 5-star Tajh Ariza joins two more at St. John Bosco

C'mon! When is it just not fair. St. John Bosco — already blessed with the No. 2- and 3-ranked 2026 boys basketball players in the nation — added No. 4 in Tajh Ariza, a 6-foot-9 do-it-all standout from Westchester in Los Angeles. Ariza, the son of former NBA veteran Trevor Ariza, reportedly has already enrolled at the private Southern California power known more for its football prowess than basketball. With this triangle, as long as No. 2 Brandon McCoy and No. 3 Christian Collins stay, the Braves will likely be the favorite to win their first California Open Division crown. BTW, this switching schools every year trend, at an all-time high, appears to be mocking the transfer epidemic at the NCAA level.

3. Football stadium selfies! Volume three of most unique stadiums

Bentonville's Tiger Stadium in Bentonville, Arkansas / Courtesy of the Bentonville Tigers Football

I've never been to South Dakota. But if I do, especially to check out a sporting event, I'm hitting up Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, part of Andy Villamarzo's latest installments of most unique high school football stadiums in America. Worth a gander (as are the other parts).

4. Photo finish

Ava Miles of Stanley reacts to a score during the Missouri (MSHSAA) Class 6 District 8 championship game against Park Hill South. / Photo by David Smith

Every month High School on SI national photo editor Todd Shurtleff presents 10 of the best photos nation wide from our network of photographers nation wide. Here's another awesome edition — check out both of them and vote for one.

5. Texas softball tussle

Mathis (Texas) softball coach Briana Cruz (falling) and a Taft player fall to the ground together behind home plate after Cruz raced in from the dugout and became entangled with the Taft player during a skirmish between the clubs on Tuesday. / Video screenshot, Corpus Christi Cronica, from Facebook

As far as interest, clicks, drama, this should be No. 1. But the exposure of poor behavior for the sake of mocking poor behavior is far too prevalent. As examples of not what to do, we presume these videos are worth it. High School on SI correspondent Levi Payton does a good, thorough job reporting what happened and the heightened aftermath. Unfortunately, this brawl escalated to the parking lot.

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