Carson Palmer gets first win as Santa Margarita upsets Corona Centennial in instant classic: Final score, results, highlights

Lance Smith

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Carson Palmer gets first win as Santa Margarita upsets Corona Centennial in instant classic: Final score, results, highlights image

Katie Stratman for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn

Despite the absence of his team's brightest star, senior receiver Trent Mosley, Carson Palmer is on the board with a victory as Santa Margarita's head coach.

And the Eagles have upset Corona Centennial, ranked third in California both times, for the second year in a row. Freshman RB Adrian Petero outmuscled a host of Centennial defensive players at the goal line to win 33-27 in overtime.

Corona Centennial was looking for revenge after SMCHS stunned the Huskies 31-15 a year ago behind 212 receiving yards and three touchdowns from Mosley, a 4-star USC commit. But the Huskies were missing a key figure as well – head coach Matt Logan, who reportedly was hospitalized as a precautionary measure before the game. Mosley was seen in a walking boot.

It was one of the crazier high school football games you'll see played between two national-caliber programs.

This game had it all, starting with a double-pass touchdown from 60 yards on the first play of scrimmage. Some tic-tac-toe from Centennial QB Dominick Catalano to TE/DE Keawe Browne to WR Tyler George put the Huskies on the board 7-0 19 seconds into the game – and they didn't score again until seven minutes into the half.

Santa Margarita, coming off a 7-3 loss to Mission Viejo, struck back quickly when Tulane-bound QB and senior transfer Trace Johnson scampered 15 yards for his first touchdown as an Eagle with 8:28 left in the quarter. He added his first touchdown pass four minutes and eight seconds later with a 21-yard hit to Ryan Clark. Because Centennial blocked Santa Margarita's first PAT, SMCHS trailed 7-6 after its first score and then led 13-7.

Centennial was threatening early in the second quarter, but Santa Margarita CB Jayden Crowder (Cal) picked off Catalano at the two-yard line. Sophomore CB Ca'ron "Prime" Williams followed that up with two more picks in the quarter, a pick-six with 46 seconds left that put Santa Margarita up 20-7. His second one was on the final play of the half.

While Santa Margarita had all the momentum going into halftime, Centennial came out unfazed and tightened up on both sides of the ball.

The Eagles would only score again once in regulation, which came with 2:50 left in the third quarter to go up 27-14. Johnson, who emerged as the top star of the night, found Grant Mosley for a 39-yard bomb that couldn't have been placed any better. That touchdown was in response to a Centennial score two minutes earlier in which Catalano finished a long drive with a pitch or short pass to RB Malaki Davis for a touchdown.

After regrouping in the third quarter, Catalano excelled in the fourth to ignite the comeback and tie the game. He threw touchdowns to Ty Plinski of 77 yards with 2:59 left and 38 yards with 46 seconds left in the game. The first one was 32 seconds after Centennial turned Santa Margarita over on downs at the Huskies' 23-yard line with the game on the line.

Centennial actually was on the verge of winning the game following Plinski's second touchdown with the game tied at 23, but it botched the snap for the extra-point attempt.

Freshman running back Adrian Petero, exceptionally hard to tackle at 5-5, 185, scored the game-winner after Santa Margarita's defense held off Centennial to start overtime. Surrounded by Centennial tacklers, Petero refused to go down and got some help from his line, going straight through a multitude of larger players and eventually over the line. What a way to score one's first ever touchdown at the high school level, and what a way for Carson Palmer to get his first win at the Eagles' helm.

Here are a few different looks at Petero's game-winner:

Scroll down for an overview of the game followed by updates, results, and highlights from the game.

Pregame

One of the most highly-anticipated non-league games of the California high school football season is here.

Corona Centennial (1-0), ranked third in the state, heads to No. 7 Santa Margarita (0-1) seeking revenge for a lopsided 31-15 upset a year ago. Their battle is ranked No. 1 on our countdown of the top 10 California games of the week.

And it appears that both sides will be missing a centerpiece. Centennial head coach Matt Logan and Santa Margarita WR Trent Mosley – a 4-star USC commit who led the Eagles to victory a year ago – are both reportedly out tonight.

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Based solely on the fact that the Eagles scored just three points in a one-score loss to Mission Viejo last week, some might say they have no chance against, which dazzled against Servite in Week Zero. But it was the first game of the season for a largely new team playing one of the best teams in the country. More important to consider is recent history – in 2024, Santa Margarita stunned Centennial after getting blown out 35-7 by Mission Viejo, who Centennial beat months later in the playoffs. Put it all together – not to mention the star power and sheer level of play – and this is still one of the most exciting non-league games of the season despite the Huskies entering as heavy favorites.

When Santa Margarita won last year, Leki Holani totaled 12 tackles (seven solo), four TFLs, and a sack.

Their last meeting wasn't even as close as the two-score finish would indicate. Santa Margarita led 24-0 at halftime and 31-0 after three quarters before the Huskies scored the last 15 points early in the fourth.

Santa Margarita vs. Corona Centennial live updates, results

Santa Margarita wins 33-27. 

OVERTIME:

Overtime: Adrian Petero wins it for Santa Margarita with his first high school touchdown, pushing through a scrum on 3rd-and-1!

Overtime: Santa Margarita LB Leki Holani deflects the pass on 4th-and-5 to force a turnover on downs.

The game is tied 27-27 after regulation. Overtime will begin shortly.

FOURTH QUARTER:

0:49 – Santa Margarita 27, Centennial 27: After a couple big runs by Malaki Davis, Catalano finds Plinski for a 38-yard touchdown to tie the game. Centennial botches the snap and the PAT gets blocked. Madness!

2:59 – Santa Margarita 27, Centennial 21: It's not over yet! Catalano finds Ty Plinski through pressure who takes it 77 yards for a touchdown.

3:31: The Huskies turn Santa Margarita over on downs at their own 23-yard line. 

7:11: DT Manoah Faupusa eats up a handoff for a dramatic tackle for loss to turn Centennial over on downs.

THIRD QUARTER:

2:50 – Santa Margarita 27, Centennial 14: Grant Mosley catches a 39-yard dime from Trace Johnson for a touchdown.

4:57 – Santa Margarita 20, Centennial 14: The Huskies strike back. Malaki Davis finishes a long drive with a short score off a pitch or short pass from Catalano.

Santa Margarita leads 20-7 at halftime.

SECOND QUARTER:

0:00: Ca'ron Williams picks off Catalano for the second time in under a minute on the final play of the half.

0:46 – Santa Margarita 20, Centennial 7: Ca'ron "Prime" Williams picks off Catalano and sprints it back for a touchdown in the final minute of the half.

Early 2nd Quarter: The Huskies march down to Santa Margarita's 2-yard-line, but Jayden Crowder saves the day by picking off Catalano on the second play of the first quarter.

FIRST QUARTER:

4:20 – Santa Margarita 13, Centennial 7: The Eagles have taken the lead on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to Ryan Clark. PAT successful this time.

8:28 – Centennial 7, Santa Margarita 6: Santa Margarita has its first touchdown of the season, a 15-yard keeper from QB Trace Johnson. Centennial blocks the PAT.

11:41 – Centennial 7, Santa Margarita 0: Centennial scores from outside of 60 yards on a double-pass play on its very first play from scrimmage. QB Dominick Catalano to TE Keawe Browne to WR Tyler George.

MORE: How to watch Santa Margarita vs. Corona Centennial

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Lance Smith

Lance has covered high school basketball, football and softball since 2019. A graduate of The USC Marshall School of Business, Smith dabbles in linear algebra and football and basketball computer rankings.