No. 4
Centennial (Corona) survived a thriller Friday night against No. 5
Mater Dei (Santa Ana), emerging with a 28-27 victory in California's Southern Section Division I semifinals. The Huskies also beat the Monarchs 43-36 back in September.
The game featured five lead changes, but came down to a 46-yard Mater Dei field goal attempt with nine seconds remaining. It was blocked, allowing the Huskies to survive and advance.
For the first time in a decade, Centennial (11-1) is in the section final as it takes on No. 7
Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) on Nov. 28 at the Rose Bowl. It's also the first time since 2015 that Mater Dei (8-3) or
St. John Bosco (Bellflower), which lost last week to
Orange Lutheran (Orange), won't represent Southern California in the state Open Division championship.
Senior quarterback Dominick Catalano is a big reason why Centennial is headed back to the section final for the first time in a decade. (PHOTO: Scott Padgett)
On Friday, Mater Dei took an early lead before heading to the
locker room trailing 14-10.
The second half featured four lead changes
and the game's lone turnover.
Trailing 21-19, Mater Dei's
Shaun Scott forced and recovered a
Dominick Catalano fumble, returning it to the Centennial seven-yard line. One play later
Ryan Hopkins found Ohio State commit
Chris Henry Jr. for a seven-yard TD strike and a 27-21 lead with just under 11
minutes left in the game.
The Huskies never blinked, driving 76 yards over the game's final four minutes and
finding paydirt. The go-ahead score came on a touchdown pass from Catalano to
Keawe Browne with 90 seconds remaining.
Still, Centennial had to withstand one last push from the team that started the
season ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25. Mater Dei drove the ball
into the red zone but Hopkins took a sack with time bleeding on the
clock and the Monarchs were forced to settle for the 46-yard field goal
attempt.
The Monarchs took a 10-0 lead with a stifling defense that forced a
handful of three-and-outs. But the Huskies ended that half with two
straight scores, runs from
Malaki Davis and Catalano, to grab a 14-10
lead at intermission.
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt took a
step-back screen to the house on the Monarchs' second play from
scrimmage out of the half for a 16-14 lead. The extra point was
blocked.
The ensuing drive saw the Huskies
drive 77 yards including a one-handed, highlight-reel catch from
Ty Plinski to get Centennial into the red zone. Three plays later,
Catalano plunged in from two yards out for a 21-16 lead
with 6:12 left in the third quarter.
Gavin Lorge (17) of Centennial tries to escape from Jaylen Grier of Mater Dei during the first half of Friday's Southern Section Division I semifinal. (PHOTO: Scott Padgett)
