He made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team and All-South Coast League second team as a 1996 sophomore as Mater Dei went 14-0, won the CIF Division I title and was named national champion by USA Today. He earned at least a 90% blocking grade in all of his games as a junior and senior. He also posted 78 career tackles (7 were sacks). A 3-year starter, Mater Dei went 40-2 during that time. Fellow Trojans Matt Grootegoed, Matt Leinart and Will Collins also prepped at Mater Dei.