Palo Alto defense makes goal line stand

Michael Eubank was held to a two-yard gain on fourth-and-goal at the Palo Alto seven and the Vikings will take over on downs leading 9-0 with 1:46 remaining in the first half.

-- Steve Galluzzo

Collins fumbles again for Centennial

Centennial continues to make mistakes and Palo Alto fans are fired up.

Barrinton Collins fumbled for the second time and the Vikings recovered at Centennial 39-yard line midway through the second quarter. 

-- Steve Galluzzo

Palo Alto 10, Corona Centennial 0

Davante Adams caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Christoph Bono in the back of the end zone and Palo Alto has a 9-0 lead over Corona Centennial with 6:43 left in the first half. 

-- Steve Galluzzo

Mistakes are costing Centennial points

Centennial outgained Palo Alto 85 yards to 61 in the first quarter yet finds itself trailing 2-0 because of costly penalties and turnovers.

Palo Alto, however, dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 7:25 to Centennial's 4:35. 

-- Steve Galluzzo

Palo Alto leading 2-0 after first quarter

Barrinton Collins was stuffed at the line of scrimmage on fourth down and three and Palo Alto will take over on downs when the second quarter begins. Palo Alto still leads 2-0.

Football: Centennial defense makes stand

Centennial stopped Palo Alto on downs and will take over at its own 24-yard line with 4:05 left in the fourth quarter. The Huskies are trailing 2-0.

-- Steve Galluzzo

Palo Alto 2, Centennial 0

It's been an inauspicious start for Centennial. A high snap sailed over the head of quarterback Michael Eubank, who finally recovered the ball in the end zone for a safety.

Even worse, the Huskies will have to punt the ball back to Palo Alto trailing 2-0 with 7:46 left in the first quarter.

-- Steve Galluzzo

Division I state bowl game ready to kick off in Carson

It's time for one of the marquee games of this year's state bowl football championships--the Division I matchup between Corona Centennial and Palo Alto.

Centennial (14-0), the Southern Section Inland Division champion, boasts one of the most prolific offenses in the state, led by quarterback Michael Eubank and running back Barrinton Collins. The Huskies average a staggering 536 yards per game and their closest game all season was a 42-23 victory over Chino Hills.

Palo Alto (13-0), the Central Coast Section Open Division champion, is making its first bowl appearance since losing to Orange Lutheran in the inaugural Division II game in 2006. The Vikings are led by quarterback Christoph Bono and running back Dre Hill.    

-- Steve Galluzzo

Expect Matt Logan to show up in shorts

Despite the wet weather, expect Corona Centennial Coach Matt Logan to be on the field in his usual attire, which means wearing shorts.

He'll probably be the only one at Home Depot Center in shorts, but he doesn't mind. It's a Centennial tradition, though I doubt any of his assistants will be in shorts for the 7:30 p.m. Division I bowl final against Palo Alto.

Update: Logan is in shorts. But he's wearing a jacket. He's not stupid.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Football: Get the rain gear out

We're going to see how dedicated fans are from Corona Centennial, Gardena Serra and Anaheim Servite this weekend, because the weather is miserable at the Home Depot Center for the CIF state championship bowl games, not to mention the traffic jam on the freeway.

It's asking a lot for football fans in Southern California who aren't used to watching games in the rain to come out and deal with the elements.

The good news is Home Depot is allowing umbrellas, and it will be fun getting cozy while cheering for your team. Of course, I'm in the covered press box, so I won't have to sacrifice as much as others.

Let's hope the weather lets up for Saturday's triple header, but the forecast is not encouraging. And an advantage could go to the Northern California schools who are used to playing in the rain.

-- Eric Sondheimer