Corona Centennial gears up for Division 1 playoffs with win over Murrieta Valley

Corona Centennial has been content to let everyone forget about its football team. A baffling loss to Santa Margarita on Aug. 30 helped fuel skepticism that the Huskies weren’t a Division 1 title contender.

“Nobody needs to talk about us,� one assistant coach said. “We’ll improve and it will be, ‘Oh my gosh.’�

The Huskies (6-2) won their sixth consecutive game on Friday night with a 28-9 victory over Murrieta Valley, giving coach Matt Logan win No. 292 in his career, tying him with Dick Bruich for most wins by an Inland Empire coach.

Quarterback Husan Longstreet of Corona Centennial takes off on a run against Murrieta Valley.

(Craig Weston)

This is the time of year when Logan-coached teams start to develop in preparation for the postseason. Sophomore running back Braylin Drake started the season on junior varsity, but injuries forced him to be the go-to back. He rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, giving him more than 850 yards rushing in six games.

“I wasn’t expecting to play much,� Drake said. “Injuries happened, and I’ve stepped up.�

Husan Longstreet, finally healthy, completed 22 of 33 passes for 251 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 45 yards. Any team with the Texas A&M commit on it must be considered dangerous.

“We’re making a lot of progress without a doubt,� Longstreet said. “There’s always things we can get better at.�

The Huskies lost two fumbles and had 11 penalties. They’ve been dealing with what Logan described as a “rash of injuries� to the offensive line, but the backups performed well.

Logan remains committed to having his team ready to take on the Trinity League schools, plus Mission Viejo, for the Division 1 playoffs. The Huskies are headed toward winning the Big West League North Division championship.

“I think we’re on our way,� Logan said. “We’ve got to get better.�

Boogie Williams of Corona Centennial comes up with an interception against Murrieta Valley.

(Craig Weston)

Centennial held a 21-9 halftime lead. Drake scored on runs of five and 16 yards while Cory Butler caught a four-yard touchdown pass. Murrieta Valley picked up a 62-yard touchdown reception from Kurelle Thomas near the end of the half.

Murrieta Valley (6-2) has managed to be one of the top teams for the forthcoming Division 2 playoffs despite that star quarterback Bear Bachmeier has yet to make an appearance because of a knee injury. Opposing coaches always offer a sigh of relief when they learn before games Bachmeier hasn’t suited up.

Bachmeier said, “I’m hopeful,� when asked if he would play this season. He was dressed in sweats. He’s committed to Stanford and is scheduled to graduate in December.

Centennial’s defense took away one of Murrieta Valley’s best weapons, running back Dorian Hoze, limiting him to 43 yards in 19 carries. Keawe Browne was active playing defensive end and had a sack for the Huskies.

Centennial closes out the regular season with games against Norco and Chaparral. If the Huskies can get healthy on the line and add some running back depth, they should be right where they always seem to be — a rare public school ready to play in the Division 1 football playoffs.

Big games set

Get ready for thousands of fans to fill up stadium seats on Friday night for two huge matchups. There’s St. John Bosco (8-0) taking on Mater Dei (7-0) at Santa Ana Stadium. And there’s the East L.A. Classic featuring Garfield (6-2) and Roosevelt (3-5) at SoFi Stadium. SoFi is opening Level 1 and Level 2 for an expected crowd of 30,000 with a halftime concert from the Black Eyed Peas.

Week 9 of the high school football season in 2022 featured a halftime concert by the Black Eyed Peas at the Coliseum during Garfield’s 16-8 win over Roosevelt.

(Craig Weston)