Corona Centennial eliminates St. John Bosco in 2014 Pac 5 final

New division. Same results.

For all the success that coach Matt Logan and Centennial (Corona, Calif.) have experienced, they had never played in the vaunted Pac 5 Division, the class of the Southern Section and perhaps the nation. Some wondered if the bullies of the now-eliminated Inland Division could still win titles up at the highest of levels.

The answer: Absolutely.

No. 22 Centennial continued its amazing postseason run with a 48-41 victory over No. 5 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in a game that looked slower than their previous matchup, last year's 70-49 Bosco win in the Southern California Open Division Regional Bowl. The Huskies took advantage of three Braves turnovers and never trailed in sending last year's Open Division state champ home with a runners-up plaque. In addition, they became just the second public school to ever win a Pac 5 title (Long Beach Poly is the other).

It was the same result, in a new division, and it came behind a new name. Meet Sammonte Bonner. All he did was rush 43 times for 228 yards and four touchdowns in yet another week of filling in for JJ Taylor, still recovering from appendectomy.

"I've prepared for this all year," Taylor told Fox Sports West's Rahshaun Haylock after the game. "J.J. just told me 'Do what you do.' I told him 'I got you.'"

Three Bosco turnovers and a poor punt doomed Bosco. Down a touchdown in the second quarter, Sean Mcgrew fumbled on the first play of a drive and Centennial's Chacho Ulloa recovered, leading to a touchdown pass from Nate Ketteringham to Javon Mckinley from 18 yards out. On the next drive, McGrew shanked a punt for 13 yards and Ketteringham tossed a beautiful 33-yard scoring strike to Greyson Bankhead to make it 34-14.

Bosco quarterback Josh Rosen was intercepted later in the half, ending a Braves drive before the half.

In the second half, Bosco battled back with a 56-yard scoring sprint from McGrew but Bonner retorted with a 7-yard plunge of his own. Clifford Simms converted on a fourth-down run of 2 yards to make it 41-27 and 71 seconds later, Rosen unloaded a perfect play-action bomb to Jared Harrell for a 60-yard score that cut the deficit to 41-34.

The Braves got no closer. Even though Centennial missed its second field goal attempt of the game in the fourth quarter, the key turnover came with 8:09 left when Seleti Fevaleaki tipped a screen pass from Rosen to himself and secured the interception. Just seconds later, Anthony Catalano took the quarterback keeper in from 12 yards out to make it 48-34.

Kaylin Franklin's 13-yard touchdown catch from Rosen with 6:15 left got Bosco back within a score, but Centennial held strong the rest of the way and secured the title.

Early on, Bonner scored from 2 yards out and McGrew did the same from 6 yards in the first quarter. Bonner then scored his second touchdown before McGrew scored from 10 yards out and the Bonner did his thing again, this time from 63 yards out.

"I'm so proud of these kids. They showed their resiliency and toughness every week. It shows that we can play some good football in the Inland Empire," Logan said on television after the contest.

Centennial's run wasn't mired in doubt just because it was a maiden voyage in the Pac 5. The Huskies had a murderer's row on their side of the bracket. They had to gut out a 68-64 win over Serra (Gardena), avenge an earlier loss to Mater Dei (Santa Ana) with a 27-24 victory and stuff Bishop Amat (La Puente) on a 2-point conversion attempt to win 38-37.

In the end, their seven-point win over St. John Bosco was the largest amount they won by in the Pac 5 playoffs.

Now the Huskies will wait to hear if they are headed to a CIF Bowl Game. The Pac 5 champion usually has an inside track to the Open Division, but Oceanside of the San Diego Section has a valid argument for the Open Division spot and that could push the Huskies into Division I - or even out.

Check back on MaxPreps.com Sunday for bowl announcements.