Mater Dei Football Falls Short in CIF Semifinals Against Centennial

CORONA, Calif. — Mater Dei’s football team will not compete for a CIF Southern Section championship for the first time since 2016. The Monarchs lost to Centennial of Corona, 28-27, on Friday night in the Division 1 semifinals held at Centennial High School.

With just nine seconds left in the game, Mater Dei (9-3) made an attempt at a 46-yard field goal to regain the lead. However, Centennial linebacker Miles Schirmer blocked the kick, securing the victory for Centennial (11-1).

Cetnennial will face Santa Margarita for the Division 1 championship on Friday, Nov. 28, at the Rose Bowl. Santa Margarita previously defeated Centennial 33-27 in overtime during Week 1 of the season.

This defeat marks a significant shift for Mater Dei, which lost to Centennial twice this season. Their previous matchup on Sept. 12 ended in a 43-36 loss, breaking a streak where Mater Dei had not lost the Centennial since 2015.

Friday’s game featured five lead changes, with Mater Dei trailing 21-16 entering the final quarter. Kicker Jerry Shifman narrowed Centennial’s lead with a field goal, but the momentum shifted when Mater Dei’s Shaun Scott recovered a fumble on a defensive strip from Centennial quarterback Dominick Catalano.

Mater Dei took the lead after quarterback Ryan Hopkins threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chris Henry Jr. and completed a 2-point conversion to Mark Bowman, making the score 27-21.

Cetnennial responded with a game-winning touchdown, a 24-yard pass from Catalano to receiver Keawe Browne with 1:35 left on the clock. Mater Dei, attempting a comeback, advanced into the red zone but faced a setback when Centennial’s defense forced a sack, pushing them back to the 29-yard line.

The Monarchs initially scored on a 12-play, 64-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown by running back Kennie Leggett, giving them an early 7-0 lead. After a defensive stand by Mater Dei, Shifman added a field goal to extend the advantage to 10-0.

Centennial then mounted a comeback, scoring 14 unanswered points in the second quarter. Touchdowns by Malaki Davis and Catalano switched the lead in their favor, with a halftime score of 14-10.

This loss marks the first time Mater Dei has lost three games in a season since 2015 and the first instance since 2013 where they lost twice to the same team in a single season.