Football: Centennial pulls it out
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Top-seeded Corona Centennial scored on its first four second-half possessions to erase a halftime deficit and defeat host Chaparral, 23-17, in the Inland Division championship.
It was the second consecutive Southern Section title and fifth in eight years for the Huskies, who will advance to a state Open Division or Division I bowl game next week against an opponent from Northern California to be determined.
Huskies quarterback Taylor Martinez, whose first-half interception led to a Chaparral touchdown that gave the Pumas a 7-0 halftime lead, led an inspired second-half attack by completing seven of 10 passes in the final 24 minutes. The Centennial defense also sacked Chaparral quarterback Mitch Glassman five times in the second half.
Martinez gave Centennial (14-0) the lead for good early in the fourth quarter when he rolled out and scored on a three-yard run. He also threw touchdown passes of 18 yards to Eddie Lopez and 14 yards to Ricky Marvray.
Jonathan Diaz had 141 yards rushing for third-seeded Chaparral (12-2), including a 48-yard touchdown run that tied the score at 14-14 in the third quarter. Centennial running back Arthur Burns had 132 yards rushing.
Centennial handed Chaparral both of its losses this season, with the first coming in a 26-16 triumph on this same field in September.
--Ben Bolch