No. 5/SN No. 3 Centennial (CA) holds off No. 6/SN No. 7 Mater Dei (CA), 28-27

Buck Ringgold

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No. 5/SN No. 3 Centennial (CA) holds off No. 6/SN No. 7 Mater Dei (CA), 28-27 image

No. 5/SN No. 3 Centennial is hosting No. 6/SN No. 7 Mater Dei Friday night for a spot in California's Southern Section championship game.

CORONA, California, Nov. 21 — Same time. Same place. Same two California high school football powerhouses.

And, just like the last time the two teams faced off, the same team won in a thriller.

Corona Centennial got a late go-ahead touchdown with less than two minutes left and then blocked a Mater Dei field goal attempt in the final seconds for a wild, come-from-behind 28-27 win in Friday's California Division 1 Southern Section semifinal game.

With the win, Centennial will advance to play No. 10/SN No. 25 Santa Margarita, which defeated No. 34 Orange Lutheran in the other semifinal, next week at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for the Division 1 Southern Section championship game.

The Huskies defeated Mater Dei, 43-36, back on September 12, and they knew their path to California's Division 1 state championship – and, possibly, a national title – was bound to run through the Monarchs again. 

In the rematch, it was a back-and-forth game, with the Monarchs taking a 27-21 lead with more than 10 minutes left. But after Centennial got the ball back following a punt with more than four minutes left, the Huskies drove 76 yards for the go-ahead score, a 24-yard TD pass from Dominick Catalano to Keawe Browne, followed by the extra point from Jaden Walk-Green.

Mater Dei responded, and drove inside the Centennial 20 before the Huskies' defense came up huge with a sack. That put the ball at the 29, and the Monarchs elected to try a 46-yard field goal for the win.

However, the kick never made it as it was blocked, and Huskies players were able to enjoy a hard-fought victory while living to play another week.

Now, Centennial has a shot at revenge against Santa Margarita. Santa Margarita is responsible for the only blemish on Centennial's record, having beaten the Huskies, 33-27, in overtime way back on August 28.

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CENTENNIAL 28, MATER DEI 27 FINAL

|| POSTGAME ||

- Centennial gets the lead in the final minutes and blocks a Mater Dei field goal attempt in the final seconds to prevail. Huskies will advance to meet Santa Margarita next week in the Division 1 Southern Section championship game in the Rose Bowl. 

|| FOURTH QUARTER ||

- The kick is......BLOCKED! IT IS BLOCKED! CENTENNIAL IS GOING TO GO TO THE ROSE BOWL.

- Mater Dei is going for a game-winning 46-yard field goal. Centennial calls its last time out to ice the kicker. 

- Hopkins gets sacked by Centennial back to the Huskies' 29. Mater Dei calls its final time out with nine seconds left. Monarchs call their last time out. Could be a long field goal here for the win.

- First down Mater Dei inside the 20 and Hopkins clocks it. We have 15 seconds left. 

- Hopkins eludes a sack and finds running room and he goes down at the Centennial 29, though he stays in bounds. We have 28 seconds left. 

- Hopkins connects with Bowman and Mater Dei has the ball at the Centennial 45 with a minute to go. 

- Hopkins scrambles out of bounds for a Mater Dei first down at its 32 with 1:16 left. 

- Mater Dei has the ball near its 20 and has one time out left. 

- TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL. Wow, what a catch in the end zone by Keawe Browne and we are tied, pending the PAT. And the PAT is good, and the Huskies have the lead with 1:35 left. (Centennial, 28-27 | 1:35, 4th)  

- Centennial now with a first down inside the Mater Dei 30 with less than two minutes to go. We are coming down to the wire here. 

- Centennial has a first down near the Mater Dei 40 with 2:30 left. 

- Centennial converts on third down and has a first down at its 48. 

- Centennial faces a third-and-1 near its 45-yard line with 3:28 remaining. 

- In the other Division I Southern Section semifinal, Santa Margarita is rolling past Orange Lutheran. Centennial has the ball near its 25 with more than four minutes left. 

- Centennial comes up with a stop on third down and the Huskies force a punt. They will get the ball with less than five minutes to go and only one time out. 

- Mater Dei converts on a couple of first downs, and the Monarchs are in Centennial territory with nearly seven minutes to go. 

- Pressure from Mater Dei's defense forces an incomplete pass on third-and-long. Huskies will punt, and the Monarchs have the ball and the lead with more than eight minutes left. 

- Centennial has only one time out left as we're approaching nine minutes to go in the game. 

- TOUCHDOWN AND 2-POINT CONVERSION MATER DEI. Monarchs cash in on the fumble, as Ryan Hopkins hooks up with Chris Henry for a 7-yard TD pass. Hopkins then adds a two-point conversion, and Mater Dei is now up six. (Mater Dei, 27-21 | 10:41, 4th)

- FUMBLE RECOVERY MATER DEI. Monarch D swarms the QB and knocks the ball from his hands, and the Monarchs make the recovery at the Centennial 7. It's the first turnover of the game. 

- FIELD GOAL MATER DEI. Monarchs decide to kick the field goal, and Jerry Shifman splits the uprights from 23 yards out. We have a two-point game. (Centennial, 21-19 | 11:53, 4th) 

- Mater Dei is flagged for a false start at the 1. Monarchs now fourth-and-goal from the 6.

|| THIRD QUARTER ||

- Mater Dei stopped a yard short of the end zone on third-and-goal. We are going to have a fourth-and-goal from the 1 on the opening play of the final quarter. 

- Another third-down conversion, and Mater Dei has the ball at the 5 for a first-and-goal. 

- Mater Dei converts on another third down, and the Monarchs are inside the Centennial 20. 

- A shovel pass on third down moves the chains for Mater Dei, and the Monarchs are driving near Centennial's 30 with less than three minutes in the period. 

- Third-and-long for Mater Dei, and a pass falls incomplete. However, Centennial is flagged for pass interference, and the Monarchs keep possession. 

- TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL. Huskies regain the lead with a 77-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard keeper into the end zone from Dominick Catalano. PAT is good. (Centennial, 21-16 | 6:32, 3rd) 

- Centennial threatening to retake the lead after the Huskies convert a long pass play (and what a stupendous catch it was), followed by a roughing the passer penalty on Mater Dei. Huskies' ball inside the 10. 

- Mater Dei forces Centennial to punt, but the Huskies will do the same to the Monarchs. Centennial to get the ball with about nine minutes to go in the third. 

- TOUCHDOWN MATER DEI. Monarchs need just two plays to retake the lead, as Ryan Hopkins connects with Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for a 43-yard catch-and-run. However, the PAT is blocked. (Mater Dei, 16-14 | 10:52, 3rd) 

- Mater Dei receives the kickoff to start the second half, and the Monarchs break off a long return and start just beyond midfield. 

|| HALFTIME ||

- Mater Dei runs out the clock, and we are at the break with Centennial scoring two unanswered TDs to end the opening half. 

|| SECOND QUARTER ||

- TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL. Huskies take the lead right before halftime as Dominick Catalano takes in a keeper 4 yards to the house. The TD was set up by a brilliant catch on the sideline from Keawe Browne. (Centennial, 14-10 |:26, 2nd) 

- Centennial forces Mater Dei to punt, and the Huskies will get the ball back with more than two minutes to go in the first half. 

- TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL. This time, the Huskies are able to convert on fourth down, as on a fourth-and-short from the 4, Malaki Davis takes it in to finish off a 10-play drive. (Mater Dei, 10-7 | 4:02, 4th) 

- FIELD GOAL MATER DEI. Monarchs nearly fumbled in the red zone, but the ball goes out of bounds. Centennial eventually holds on defense, and Jerry Shifman comes on to kick a 26-yard field goal to extend the Monarchs' lead. (Mater Dei, 10-0 | 8:35, 2nd) 

- For the third time already, Centennial gets stopped on fourth down, this time inside its own 30. Mater Dei with a tremendous opportunity here. 

|| FIRST QUARTER ||

- Mater Dei stops Centennial on downs for the second time in the opening quarter. 

- TOUCHDOWN MATER DEI. Kennie Leggett goes in from a yard out, capping a 64-yard drive on the Monarchs' opening series. (Mater Dei, 7-0 | 3:39, 1st) 

- Centennial gets into Mater Dei territory on the opening series, but turns it over on downs.

- Mater Dei kicks things off to Centennial, and we are now under way.

Coming soon!

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