Rematch between IMG Academy and Corona Centennial is back on for 2017

Video: Highlights of T.J. Pledger
See the best runs from the IMG Academy running back last season against Centennial.

The anticipated rematch of national football powers IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and Centennial (Corona, Calif.) is back on, according to Honor Bowl organizer Mark Soto.

The teams engaged in arguably the Game of the Year in 2016, a 50-49 IMG victory in the Honor Bowl at Mission Viejo High School on Sept. 3. The Ascenders chose to go for a 2-point conversion at the end to win the game.

IMG Academy finished 11-0 and No. 3 in the final MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Football Rankings presented by the Army National Guard and Centennial (11-2) was No. 15.

According to Soto, the teams agreed in principal immediately after the game to play again in the 2017 event, which raises money and awareness for military veterans.

But when it was learned that the California Interscholastic Federation — the state's sanctioning body — tabled discussion for IMG Academy's recruiting practices at a recent meeting, Soto said all parties took a step back and put the game on hold.

"We all agreed to take a wait-and-see approach," Soto said. "We wanted to see if the CIF made any announcement."

According to Soto, CIF Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod told Centennial Athletic Director Bill Gunn that the CIF will continue to monitor IMG but that Centennial was cleared to play the Ascenders next season.

"I talked with Gunn (Monday morning) and the game is on," Soto said.

In 1978, IMG Academy began largely as a full-time tennis boarding school for elite players. It expanded to golf and then gradually to mainstream sports. It now boards and schools athletes in boys and girls soccer, baseball, boys and girls basketball and football, which just finished its fourth season.

The football program has come under heavy scrutiny for recruiting and landing an abundance of elite players from other states, including California. Florida players have to apply to IMG Academy before a coach may talk to them. IMG Academy is part of the Florida High School Athletic Association but says it chooses not to participate in district play or playoffs in order to play a national schedule. 

Heading into the 2016 season, IMG boasted seven of the top 100 recruited seniors in the country and 13 of the top 134. Heading into the 2017 season, IMG boasts six of the top 78 seniors, including No. 9 Taron Vincent, a 6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive tackle, and No. 25 T.J. Pledger, a swift 5-9, 188-pound running back.

Centennial returns second team Junior All-American quarterback Tanner Mckee, who accounted for 51 touchdowns last season. 

Soto said he did his own investigation last summer and visited IMG Academy. He was more than comfortable with his findings.

"The last thing in the world I want to bring to the Honor Bowl is dishonor," Soto said. "I found coach (Kevin) Wright and his staff as nothing but honorable men serving the kids and doing their jobs."

Soto said he was even more impressed when the team arrived in Southern California in September.

"The program was nothing but exemplary at our event," he said. "The players wore ties and all said ‘yes sir,' and ‘no sir.' They followed every rule. I felt like I was working with a college team. I'm so excited to have them back."

But what about IMG officials recruiting players while at his event?

"I was given complete assurances they would not recruit players from any team they would be playing at our event. And I was comfortable with that," Soto said.

The Honor Bowl started in Northern California in 2010 and migrated to Southern California in 2013 at Oceanside High School with a five-game, two-day format. After three seasons there, the games moved to Mission Viejo, but in 2017, the games will move back to the San Diego region and be played at Cathedral Catholic (San Diego).

Soto said he will announce the rest of the 2017 schedule during the Super Bowl weekend. He also plans to expand the games to the east coast in 2018.

"We have a lot of support from east coast schools," Soto said. "We're ready to take the next step."