No. 22
Centennial (Corona, Calif.) erased a 35-21 fourth quarter deficit and scored the final 21 points to pull off a 42-35 win over No. 16
Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.). Trailing 35-34, the Huskies defense got a goaline stand and took over at their own 10 with just under two minutes remaining. Senior running back
Cornell Hatcher Jr. capped off the 90-yard drive with the go-ahead touchdown run from 13 yards out with 31 seconds left to give the Huskies their first lead of the game.
Hatcher finished the night with 300 yards rushing and four touchdowns. The Inland Empire power is now 3-2 with both losses coming against the top-two ranked teams in the MaxPreps Top 25. It was the first loss of the season for Liberty as they fall to 4-1.
Jon Wilson scored four total touchdowns for the Lions.
No. 5
Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla.) added another statement win to its resume with a 31-28 victory over No. 4
Central (Miami) on Thursday in the only other MaxPreps Top 25 matchup. Senior quarterback
Cedrick Bailey
had a huge first half completing 22 of 32 passes for 266 yards and four
touchdowns as the Lions took a 31-21 lead into halftime. Five-star wide
receiver
Jeremiah Smith hauled in two touchdowns, with one being a remarkable one-handed snag.
The Rockets defense shut out the Lions in the second half but a missed field goal and late interception by
Curtis Janiver
helped the Lions improve to 5-0. It was Janiver's second interception
of the night. All five of Chaminade-Madonna's wins have come against
teams in our expanded top 100. Both the Rockets losses have come by a
combined seven points. They lost 39-35 at No. 2
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) to open the season.
No. 1
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) finished non-league play with a hard-fought 20-7 win on the road against
St. Frances Academy (Baltimore). The Monarchs did not score their first offensive touchdown until there was under a minute left in the game.
Nasir Wyatt had the first touchdown for Mater Dei with a scoop-and-score in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead.
Nicholas Harris tied the game at 7-7 with a 5-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. Junior defensive back
Chuck McDonald III picked off
Michael Van Buren and returned it for a 21-yard score to give Mater Dei a 14-7 lead late in the third. Wyatt continued his monster night with a big sack on St. France Academy's final drive to set up the Monarchs inside the Panthers 10.
Elijah Brown iced the game with a 7-yard touchdown run with 36 seconds remaining.
Mater Dei has not trailed at any point this season and head into league play 5-0. They have outscored the opposition 213-43. They begin Trinity League action next Friday vs. Servite (Anaheim).
No. 13
Colquitt County (Moultrie, Ga.) jumped out to a 29-0 lead on
Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Ga.) in the first half and held on for a 50-42 win. Four-star Georgia commit
Ny Carr had four receptions for 94 yards and a score.
Landen Thomas, the top-rated tight end in the Class of 2024, scored three total touchdowns. The Packers are now 5-0 and host Lincoln (Tallahassee, Fla.) next Friday.
No. 16 Liberty is averaging over 52 points per game entering Friday's showdown with No. 22 Centennial.(Photo: Steve Paynter)
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