Football: Mater Dei-Corona Centennial game matches top teams
Trying to pick the winner of Saturday’s game between Santa Ana Mater Dei and Corona Centennial at 8 p.m. at Mission Viejo will be difficult, because both teams have been known to stumble early in the season, then get a lot better.
Both teams are also breaking in new quarterbacks. Jack Lowary takes over at Mater Dei. Cenntennial will play two quarterbacks, seniors Anthony Catalano and Nate Ketteringham.
The big unkown factor is JJ Taylor, Centennial’s new running back who’s set to replace Tre Watson. He’s 5 feet 6, 160 pounds and will be going against perhaps the best defensive line in the Pac-5 Division. If he has success, beware of the Huskies the rest of the season.
Centennial’s defense is supposed to be much improved. Mater Dei’s defense should be very good. Besides the defensive line, there’s linebacker-safety Ben Humphreys to cause trouble.
Centennial is ranked No. 4 in The Times’ preseason top 25. Mater Dei is No. 6.
I’d give Centennial a slight edge coming in.
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