Football: IMG Academy pulls out 50-49 win over Corona Centennial

It was wild and crazy and a high school football game as good as you could find anywhere in America on Saturday night at Mission Viejo High School.

IMG Academy, the all-star team from Bradenton, Fla., kept matching Corona Centennial, Southern California’s top team from the last two years, touchdown for touchdown.

It looked like Centennial had finally taken the lead for good and put down IMG when Miles Reed scored on a six-yard run with 1:06 left for a 49-42 lead.

But IMG had Texas A&M commit Kellen Mond at quarterback, plus a group of receivers full of speed. And when Brian Hightower, a former Calabasas player, made a 38-yard touchdown reception with 12 seconds left, IMG decided it wanted to go back to Florida with a win.

On a two-point conversion attempt, Mond completed a shovel pass to Asa Martin, and IMG pulled out a 50-49 victory in the Honor Bowl.

Centennial had taken a 14-0 lead, then IMG led at halftime, 21-14. Then it was back and forth, with both teams making huge plays and refusing to go down.

Xavier Marshall of Centennial caught 14 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Tanner McKee passed for 374 yards with two interceptions. Miles Reed rushed for 179 yards in 41 carries and scored three touchdowns.

Mond passed for 411 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another. He also rushed for 101 yards.

For the latest on high school sports, follow @LATSondheimer on Twitter