"Mater Dei had no elite running back like Jordon Davison; the offensive line couldn't overcome its lack of experience and too many 15-yard penalties proved costly. St. John Bosco's inexperience at quarterback and the absence of an elite running back also were exposed. Both teams had as good as a receiving corp as there is in the nation, but this season showed you have to be able to run the ball successfully in the fourth quarter."
"His teams won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015, then couldn't crack the playoff code of beating St. John Bosco or Mater Dei for the next eight seasons. Then came Friday night, when before some 4,000 fans, Centennial defeated Mater Dei 28-27 in the Division 1 semifinals to advance to a championship game Friday against Santa Margarita at the Rose Bowl."
Corona Centennial, coached by Matt Logan, prevailed 28-27 over Mater Dei in the Division 1 semifinals and advanced to face Santa Margarita in the championship. Logan is the only public school coach in California to have beaten private schools in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, with previous titles in 2014 and 2015. Mater Dei and St. John Bosco typically amassed dominant talent and depth that made postseason upsets rare. This season both programs showed vulnerabilities: lack of elite running backs, offensive-line inexperience, costly penalties, and quarterback inexperience. High-level receiving corps remained, but effective fourth-quarter rushing proved decisive.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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