Football community mourns loss of high schooler killed in crash

Feiloaki Mateni Jr. was known as gifted player with promising future

The local high school football community is mourning the loss of a popular football player known for his big smile and ability to make people laugh.

Feiloaki Mateni Jr., a sophomore who starred at Bishop Amat High School during the fall, died early Saturday morning when the car he was driving struck an overturned vehicle on the southbound 15 Freeway in Rancho Cucamonga.

Mateni, 17, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Jenny Sanchez, 30, whose overturned vehicle was struck by Mateni’s car, sustained major injuries and was transported to Riverside Community Hospital, according to a report from the California Highway Patrol.

According to the CHP report, at 2:51 a.m. Saturday, a Hyundai Sonata driven by Sanchez was involved in a two-vehicle crash that left her car overturned and on its roof, blocking the No. 2 and No. 3 lanes north of Philadelphia Avenue.

Mateni, who was driving a 2006 Toyota Solara, crashed into the overturned Hyundai minutes later. Because of his age, Mateni was listed on the report as John Doe.

“At approximately 2:55 a.m., a second crash occurred, involving John Doe, a 17-year-old male resident of Jurupa Valley,” a CHP news release explained. “Mr. Doe was driving a 2006 Toyota Solara on I-15 southbound, north of Philadelphia Avenue, in the No. 3 lane, at a high rate of speed. This crash occurred when the Toyota crashed into the Hyundai, causing the driver of the Toyota, Mr. Doe, to sustain fatal injuries.”

The fatal crash Saturday was the second in as many days involving teens with ties to the Inland Valley. Late Friday afternoon, a brother and sister died and a third teen was hospitalized after the car they were traveling in crashed into a power pole and a tree in Rancho Cucamonga, authorities said.

Hundreds of community members gathered Saturday morning at the crash site near Los Osos High for a vigil and to pay their respects.

Mateni, whose family and friends called him “Junior,” had transferred to Rancho Cucamonga High School in January, where he planned to continue to play football.

At Bishop Amat, he was known as a gifted player with a promising future ahead of him.

Bishop Amat football coach Steve Hagerty was struggling with the loss Monday.

“Junior was a team favorite. We all loved his smile and easygoing personality,” Hagerty said. “He was a hard worker and a great teammate who went out of

Mateni Jr.