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Football roundup: Mater Dei loses epic battle with Centennial in semifinals

November 22, 2025

For the first time since 2016, Mater Dei’s football team will not play for a CIF Southern Section championship.

The Monarchs fell to Centennial of Corona, 28-27, Friday in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals at Centennial High.

Mater Dei (9-3) attempted a go-ahead 46-yard field goal with nine seconds remaining in the game. Centennial’s Miles Schirmer blocked the kick to seal the win for Centennial (11-1).

Centennial will play Santa Margarita for the Division 1 championship Friday, Nov. 28, at the Rose Bowl. Santa Margarita beat Centennial 33-27 in overtime in Week 1 of this season.

Mater Dei went 0-2 this season against Centennial, which beat the Monarchs 43-36 on Sept. 12. That was the first time Centennial had beaten Mater Dei since 2015 when it won the CIF-SS PAC 5 Division championship.

The game Friday featured five lead changes including two in the fourth quarter.

Mater Dei trailed 21-16 entering the fourth quarter and Jerry Shifman made a field goal to cut Centennial’s lead to 21-19.

Centennial defensive back Dean Gibson (13) breaks up a pass intended for Mater Dei wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. (15) in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 football semifinal game in Corona on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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On the next Centennial possession, a Mater Dei defender stripped the ball from Centennial’s quarterback and USC commit Shaun Scott recovered the fumble and returned it to Centennial’s 7.

One play later, Ryan Hopkins threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chris Henry Jr. to give the Monarchs the lead. Hopkins completed a 2-point conversion to Mark Bowman to give the Monarchs a 27-21 lead.

Centennial scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 24-yard pass from Dominick Catalano to Keawe Browne with 1:35 remaining in the game.

The Monarchs drove inside the red zone on the final drive of the game, but Centennial’s defense forced a sack that pushed Mater Dei back to the 29-yard line.

Mater Dei scored first on a 12-play, 64-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Kennie Leggett to give the Monarchs a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Centennial attempted a fourth down conversion but was stuffed at the line of scrimmage by Mater Dei linebacker Mike Davis Jr. at Centennial’s 27-yard line.

On the ensuing possession, Mater Dei drove to the 1-yard line, but had to settle for a field goal by Shifman to extend the lead to 10-0.

Centennial scored 14 unanswered points in the second quarter. Malaki Davis and Catalano ran for touchdowns to give Centennial a 14-10 lead at halftime.

On the opening drive of the second half, Hopkins threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt but the extra point was blocked.

Catalano ran for his second touchdown of the game midway through the third quarter to give Centennial a 21-16 lead.

This is the first time Mater Dei has lost three games in a season since 2015 and the first time the Monarchs have lost to the same team twice in the same season since 2013 (St. John Bosco).

In the Division 3 semifinals:

Palos Verdes 23, Edison 10: Edison’s bid to repeat as the CIF-SS Division 3 champions ended Friday in a loss to Palos Verdes.

The Chargers beat Palos Verdes 21-20 earlier this season and had won four of the last five meetings against the Sea Kings dating back to 2021.

Maddox Thomas ran for a 17-yard touchdown for Edison (7-6) to tie the game at 7-7 in the first quarter. Crue Bradshaw made a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter to cut Palos Verdes’ lead to 17-10.

Nathan Stevens had a forced fumble for Edison which prevented a Palos Verdes touchdown.

Edison was an at-large entrant in the playoffs from the Alpha League. The Chargers beat Huntington Beach and Inglewood in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Football roundup: Mater Dei loses epic battle with Centennial in semifinals Orange County Register

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Football roundup: Mater Dei loses epic battle with Centennial in semifinals

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