MaxPreps Top 25 high school football scores: No. 21 Santa Margarita beats No. 9 Corona Centennial 33-27 in overtime

Carson Palmer got his first win as head coach as No. 21 Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) held on for a 33-27 overtime win against No. 9 Centennial (Corona, Calif.). Freshman running back Adrian Petero punched it in from one-yard out for the game-winning score in overtime. 

The Huskies erased a 27-14 deficit in the final four minutes thanks to two touchdown receptions from Ty Plinski. The first was a 76-yard score to make it 27-21 with 3:31 left. After the Huskies forced a punt, Dominick Catalano connected with Plinski for a 43-yard touchdown with just under a minute remaining. The Eagles blocked the PAT that resulted in the game going to overtime.

Leki Holani knocked down a fourth down pass attempt from Catalano on the Huskies' opening possession. Petero scored the game-winning touchdown from one yard out to secure the 33-27 victory.

Class of 2028 standout cornerback Ca'ron Williams had a huge night finishing with two interceptions, with one being a 62-yard pick-six. 

No. 17 Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) beat No. 25 East St. Louis (Ill.) 22-21 in the Battle at the Beach at Carey Stadium in the first of three MaxPreps Top 25 matchups. The Crusaders jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first half thanks to a Trey Tagliaferri touchdown pass to Bryan Porter and a one-yard TD run from Najee Calhoun.

Ahmad Coleman got the Flyers on the board with a five-yard score in the second quarter. That led to 21 unanswered points for the Illinois power.

Jabarri Lofton scooped up a fumble on an errant snap on a 33-yard field goal attempt and returned it for a 52-yard score to tie the game at 14-14 halfway through the third quarter.

Five-star junior running back Myson Johnson-Cook gave East St. Louis its first lead of the game with a 49-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. 

Four-star Ohio State commit Jordan Thomas made two huge plays late in the fourth quarter for the Crusaders. He had a big hit on Johnson-Cook to force an incomplete pass on third down and on the next play he blocked the punt that resulted in a 30-yard touchdown from Amar'e Newell on a scoop and score. The Crusaders elected to go for two and Tagliaferri connected with Porter to give Bergen Catholic a 22-21 lead with 1:18 left.

No. 5 Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) hosts No. 19 Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.) on Friday in one of the biggest games of the year between defending state champs. These two faced off last year with Grayson winning 15-14 in overtime. The Rams were dealt some tough news this morning as four-star quarterback Travis Burgess tweeted he will miss the remainder of his senior season after suffering an injury in last week's 24-19 win over Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Rabun Gap, Ga.). 

No. 22 Cass Tech (Detroit) gets its season started Friday against Central Catholic (Toledo, Ohio) in the Amazon Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University. The Technicians won their first state title in eight years last season and return star performers Corey Sadler Jr. and Donald Tabron II.

Kaleb Maryland and No. 23 North Shore (Houston) have a tough season-opener at South Oak Cliff (Dallas) on Friday as the Lone Star State gets underway this week. Maryland threw for 688 yards and five touchdowns to go with 303 yards rushing and four more scores in limited action as a junior. 

No. 3 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) is the only MaxPreps Top 25 team that plays on Saturday as they make the trip out to the Aloha State to face Kahuku (Hawaii). The Gaels cruised to a 52-0 win against Centennial (Nev.) as they racked up 15 sacks and 34 tackles for loss. 

• • 0-0
    Eastwood
  • 1-0
    St. John Bosco

  7p

• • 1-0
    Bishop Gorman
  • 2-1
    Kahuku

  8/30

• • 1-0
    Thompson
  • 2-0
    Grayson

  6p

• • 35
    IMG Academy
  • 14
    Winslow Township

  8/28 Final

• • 27
    Centennial
  • 33
    Santa Margarita

  8/28 Final

• • 0-0
    Boyd Anderson
  • 0-1
    St. Thomas Aquinas

  7p

• • 1-0
    Mission Viejo
  • 0-1
    St. Paul

  7p

• • 2-0
    Corner Canyon
  • 2-0
    Fremont

  7p

• • 18
    Lancaster
  • 22
    North Crowley

  8/28 Final

• • 1-0
    Grimsley
  • 1-0
    West Forsyth

  7:30p

• • 22
    Bergen Catholic
  • 21
    East St. Louis

  8/28 Final

• • 1-0
    Sierra Canyon
  • 0-1
    Oaks Christian

  7p

• • 0-1
    Rancho Cucamonga
  • 1-0
    Orange Lutheran

  7p

• • 0-1
    Central Catholic
  • 0-0
    Cass Tech

  7p

• • 0-0
    North Shore
  • 0-0
    South Oak Cliff

  7:30p

• • 2-0
    Carrollton
  • 0-1
    Rome

  7:30p