Times player of the year: Wyatt Davis was the best kid on the block

It was a scene almost never seen in championship game history.

Fans, coaches and players watching the Southern Section Division I final between Bellflower St. John Bosco and Santa Ana Mater Dei viewed the unfolding story: An offensive lineman was single-handedly affecting plays again and again.

Wyatt Davis, St. John Bosco’s 6-foot-5, 315-pound senior tackle, had been moved to offensive guard for the game, and whenever he lined up on the left side or right side, good things happened.

“I don’t know in all my years of coaching I could say an offensive lineman absolutely dominated a football game,” Coach Jason Negro said. “I’ve never seen that. He was pretty phenomenal.”

It wasn’t only in the championship game that Davis asserted himself. He played in all 15 games for St. John Bosco, which won the Division I championship and CIF state championship Open Division bowl game.

His presence and contributions were invaluable, and Davis was named The Times’ Southern California player of the year in high school football.

In the Open Division final in Sacramento, Davis again played offensive guard, and when he became a pulling guard on running plays, it was impressive seeing him use his size, quickness and strength to clear a path for either Terrance Beasley or Demetrious Flowers during St. John Bosco’s 56-33 win over Concord De La Salle.

As for his stamina and ability to stay healthy in the trenches, Davis said, “In the season, everyone is going to get hurt. There’s a difference between being hurt and being injured. You just have to push through it. I knew if all of us just pushed through our little injuries, we were going to make it to the top.”

Committed to Ohio State, Davis was the lineman of the year in the Trinity League. Every opposing coach watching video knew he presented lots of problems.

“He was mauling people,” De La Salle Coach Justin Alumbaugh said. “He was creating holes all over the place.”

St. John Bosco rushed for 357 yards against De La Salle and 382 yards against Mater Dei.

“We did a great job running the ball,” Negro said. “That’s demoralizing when you can’t stop it.”

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Twitter: latsondheimer