Centennial Takes California’s No. 2-Ranked Team by Surprise

Ryan Bass rushed for 289 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead host Corona Centennial to a 42-21 upset of Fresno Clovis West, the No. 2-ranked team in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, in an intersectional game Friday.

It was the third huge game in a row for Bass, a sophomore backup to injured Tracy Johnson. Bass carried 27 times, and scored on runs of 70, two, 35 and seven yards. In three games, he has 857 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

Centennial (4-1), ranked No. 11 in the Southland by The Times but unranked in the state, will play at No. 10 Norco (5-0) next Friday in a Mountain View League opener.

“Their defense is really good,” Bass said of the team that shut out Concord De La Salle, 7-0, earlier this season. “But we can play better.”

Chris Scott completed 16 of 17 passes for 253 yards and touchdowns of 57 and 11 yards, both to Normando Mariscal, who had 10 receptions for 208 yards.

Clovis West (4-1), the defending Central Section champion, ended its 13-game winning streak.

Bass ran for a 70-yard touchdown on his first carry, and the Huskies built a 21-0 lead with 8 minutes 56 seconds left in the second quarter.

Clovis West, which scored three times in the second half but never drew closer than 14 points at 28-14 and 35-21, gained 321 yards. Centennial finished with 541.

“They’re better than De La Salle,” Clovis West Coach Jim Hartigan said. “They make you defend the whole field. There’s no question [Bass is] a good back, but the offense aided some of those runs.”

-- Martin Henderson