Centennial Looks at Home on Road

Corona Centennial High ignored a banner reading “This Is Triton Country” hanging over a bridge above Interstate 5, and made itself feel right at home Friday during a 26-12 nonleague victory over San Clemente.

The Huskies knocked out San Clemente quarterback Beau Budde midway through the first quarter and turned five Triton turnovers into 20 points en route to winning their 21st consecutive regular-season game dating to 2000.

Centennial quarterback Shaun Lewis completed three touchdown passes, two of them to DeAnthony Hicks, for the Huskies (4-0), No. 10 in The Times’ rankings.

But Centennial Coach Matt Logan didn’t like everything he saw from his team. The Huskies missed blocking assignments, misread passing routes and Lewis had two passes intercepted.

“We made a ton of mistakes,” Logan said. “All we care about is winning the game, however we needed to do it.”

Lewis, who completed 19 of 34 passes, connected on his third touchdown pass to Ramiro Hernandez on a 15-yard play early in the fourth quarter for the final score.

Backup San Clemente quarterback Cole Bergquist played admirably in Budde’s absence, completing his first seven passes and finishing 12 of 24 for 115 yards. But he had two passes intercepted in the third quarter as Centennial increased a one-point halftime lead to eight. The No. 13 Tritons (3-1) trailed, 7-6, entering the third quarter but Bergquist had his first pass of the second half intercepted by linebacker Donovan Brown, who returned the ball to the Triton 24-yard line.

Lewis found Hicks streaking over the middle for a 15-yard touchdown pass three plays later to make it 14-6.

Bergquist bulled ahead for a one-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter to pull San Clemente within 14-12, but his pass on the two-point conversion attempt fell incomplete.

Lewis found Hicks just over the goal line on a four-yard touchdown completion with 50 seconds left in the third quarter, giving Centennial a 20-12 lead.

Husky running back Terrell Jackson, who was averaging 222 yards rushing a game, was held to 77 in 18 carries. Logan said the junior was nursing knee and shoulder injuries.

San Clemente running back Cheyne Verhagen ran for 97 of his game-high 144 yards after halftime.