UPDATED: Corona Centennial’s coaching staff blows it, opens door for kicker to share blame for shocking, upset loss to Palo Alto in state bowl championship …

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EDITOR’S NOTE: I updated the wording of this post to drive home to all of you the magnitude of Corona Centennial’s loss … because God knows you won’t get it put to you like this anywhere else.

The Corona Centennial coaching staff, whose biggest clutch decision this year has been what time to get off the bus, blew it on Friday night at the worst possible time.

Trailing 15-13 to Palo Alto with 35 seconds left, the Huskies’ coaching staff decided to send kicker Ezequiel Rivera out for a 42-yard field attempt on fourth-and-8 from the Palo Alto 25.

Naturally, Rivera’s kick in a driving rain storm, on a rain-soaked field, wasn’t even close. The loss ended Corona Centennial’s bid to be considered the best team in the country after a season in which the Huskies gained the most yardage in California state history.

Following the miss, Rivera was inconsolable on the Centennial sideline and coach Matt Logan came over to hug and try to calm his kicker down. What Logan was hopefully doing was apologizing for shifting all or some of the blame for the loss to Rivera, who he sent out in an impossible situation.

Blame for the loss actually belongs to Logan and what seems like a 30-man coaching staff for being thoroughly out-coached by Palo Alto’s Earl Hansen and his staff.

How many coaches does Centennial have on its staff? Twenty? Thirty?

For the first time all season, Logan and Co. had to coach in the clutch. Centennial’s average margin of victory this season was 37 points per game, so you can understand their deer-in-the-headlights look when they were actually in a competitive game and had to come up with something to pull their kids through.

Instead, what should have been a final drive that put the stamp on one of the best seasons ever ended with Logan essentially deflecting blame by sending his kicker out in a near-impossible situation.

Centennial’s final drive started at the Palo Alto 43 with 2:33 left in the game. To only gain 18 yards in that amount of time with the best offense in state history is an embarrassment.

And for those blaming the rain, let me remind you that Palo Alto QB Christoph Bono, the son of former NFL QB Steve Bono, was able to throw for over 220 yards.

The move for Logan to make was to go for it on fourth down and let his all-everything QB Michael Eubank make something happen. To send Rivera out was tantamount to waving the white flag and letting a player take all or part of the blame for a loss that belong squarely to Logan and his staff.

  • Huskies

    No rain and CC wins by 2 or 3 scores… bad day for rain!

  • Aaron

    That’s what Edison said last year as well, Monrovia said that too last year. Guess what…Palo Alto had a 15 point lead at the half and then didn’t score and still won.

    Vaunted offense of Corona Centennial my buttox.

  • Bob

    Good game to watch on TV on a rainy night. Yes Corona Centennial fans it rain last night.It rained on both teams. Tough luck, those are the breaks-THAT’S FOOTBALL. DO NOT take anything away from Palo Alto, this team was loaded. Their Receivers were bigger, faster than Corona Centennial defense backs and made big plays in the 1st half.The two unsportsmen like fouls in the 1st half hurt.The one for jamming the signals on a big 3rd down was a bone head play.I can not remember ever hearing someone doing that let alone in a big game.They talked a lot about how Corona Centennial was upset that they were not put in the open division. Maybe that took away their focus away from a good Palo Alto team. Corona Centennial (fans too)you have won like a Champion for years, now you have to know how to lose like a Champion..

  • Joe Drysol

    A kicker in the rain shouldn’t be missing even a 42 yard kick.I was a kicker and weather is no excuse.Weather is always the number 1 thing that take down a good team and even’s up the playing field.
    Palo Alto was the better team but with a dry field who knows but that how it all falls.Servite probably should have been in the Open last year but they weren’t.Corona was 3 losses last year and no championship?How is Corona better?Servite has a 26 plus game streak.So does De La Salle so it probably the biggest game to watch in awhile.
    Maybe Corona had a big head and thats the coaches fault if they did or just maybe Palo Alto was really a better team.
    That why they play’em!Never seen a game played on paper and won or lost that way.
    Joe

  • kurmujin

    Bad attitude, bad acts add up to bad results. Corona Centennial unimpressive all night. Where did the mojo go? Maybe future CC foes should pray for rain or dial up their sprinklers for a little extra soaking before home games.

  • http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvfootball Aram

    The rain isn’t an excuse? The kicker should make a 42-yarder with or without rain? ARE YOU DREAMING?

    In high school, I’m stunned when they make extra points. In college, I’m stunned when they make anything outside of 30 yards. In the pros, I’m stunned when they make anything outside of 40 yards. And none of that is with a state bowl championship on the line.

    Corona Centennial’s passing game was a disaster. Yeah, it was raining, but Steve Bono’s kid seemed to have no prob throwing it around for Palo Alto.

    Look, as I said, the most clutch decision the Centennial coaching staff has had to make this season was what time to show up to the stadium.

    They got the ball back with over 2 minutes left and at the Palo Alto 42. They did next to nothing with it when you consider that yardage-wise this was the best team in state history.

    The CC kicker was balling on the sideline after missing the kick and Coach Logan went right over to him and tried to console him. I hope he was apologizing to the kid because what Logan did was take part or all of the blame off himself by sending the kid out there in a situation he COULD NOT succeed in.

  • No Tears

    Instead of crying about the Open Game selection, they should have focused on the task at hand. What about the lack of undiscipline? What’s the excuse for that? Go away Huskies!

  • Huskies

    “what Logan did was take part or all of the blame off himself by sending the kid out there in a situation he COULD NOT succeed in.”

    In high school, I’m stunned when they make extra points. In college, I’m stunned when they make anything outside of 30 yards. In the pros, I’m stunned when they make anything outside of 40 yards. And none of that is with a state bowl championship on the line.

    Aram do u know how easy it is to make a FG? The rain had a major factor in this game, but it seems like you think a FG is impossible.

  • fan

    I SCREAMED last night when CC set that kid up for a lifetime of doubts. What an absolute catastrophe.

    Eubank couldn’t get it done.

    Goodman kept them in the game.

    Then its dropped on the kicker who had already slipped and fallen on a punt? 6 fgs all year and was it 8(?) punts or 1st punt in 8 games? some unbelievable stat, then that call? Why did they not use one of their 3 timeouts earlier in the final drive.

    What do I know

  • xs and OS

    Aram, what is the proper head placement for a o tackle makingg a down block on a three technique? Explain the high low progression reads a qb must make. What’s the difference between pattern reading and spot dropping for a linebacker playing zone coverage? how does a trips formation force a defensive secondary to adjust? What’s the proper footwork for a frontline on punt? These are all very basic football questions that all coachs know the answers to and very few sportswriters know the answers. its real easy for some guys watching a game that they never played to criticize guys who have been busting their humps for very little and I mean very little money…. They put up with criticism from armchair qbs who really don’t have a clue…. Its easy to rag on neuheissel. He’s a public figure making tons of money but Logan and co. Are doing it for thr lovr of the game… I can’t believe that hs coaches have to put up w crap from people who really don’t have a clue

  • mother nature

    lets see , the game is meant to be played outdoors, it’s the middle of december and people(teams) act like the rain is a surprise? a hindrance? you might want to prepare yourself, it was in the forecast all week long! lol the winners travel 350 miles, come down here to play CC , who has all the press and typical front running Los Angeles fans bragging about how great they are, I loved every minute of it, don’t mess with Mother Nature, I hope you all have learned your lesson!

  • Dan

    Centennial and the Big 8 were overated this year.
    Look at Centennials schedule. For a state rated D 1 team it was pretty soft. They looked impressive early in week two against Mater Dei because Mater Dei was injured. Other than that the Inland was down this year, Chapparal was down, Norco and Roosevelt didn’t pan out to be what everyone thought, Vista Murietta was blown out by Crespi. Chino Hills might have been the best team they played. Compare that to Servite or Mission Viejo or the Maremonte teams and it’s not even close. Centennial was exposed for who they were these last three weeks, the best team in the Inland division and thats about it.

  • Kickers Dad

    I TOTALLY disagree with Aram, a 42 yrd FG in those conditions is NOT impossible. Rivera is an All-League, All-CIF kicker. He should make that, the kick never had a chance. If you watch the replay he was never comfortable, he re-set his tee and then rushed the kick. Rivera CHOKED.

  • http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvfootball Aram

    Huskies,

    I watch a lot of high school football. The biggest adventures are PATs or field goals. In theory, it’s easy. I don’t think it’s that easy in practical terms and you even see at the college level that nothing’s a given.

    You don’t send a kid out there who had kicked six or seven FGs all season, probably during big routs, for the kick of a season. You don’t do that to a kid.

    I get it, Logan is never in games where he has to think beyond the third quarter.

  • high school sports fan

    Cenbtennial got outcoached and outplayed- they acted like a bunch of primadonnas- the QB tried to win it by himslef- early in the game they should have kicked field goals when they were inside the 10 yd line instead of going for it on fourth down- it wasnt the rain it was a cocky team thinking that they would blow the Palo Alto team away-they got what they deserved- in the LA times this week Sondheimer said that SERVITE and MV were lucky they didnt have to play CENTENNIAL- let me tell you that those two teams are well coached disciplined teamd and both would have beaten CENTENNIAL- defense and discipline win champiuonships and CENTENNIAL has neither!

  • http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvfootball Aram

    THIS IS FOR Xs and Os, (Not Huskies)

    Don’t come at me with all those coaching terms. I could give you 100 journalism terms and ask if you know any of them and what they mean.

    I’m a sportswriter. This is what I do. I watch a game, I report on it, I give my opinion. I stoke debate and hopefully get my readers to think about an angle they may or may not have thought of.

    I’ve had tons of coaches tell me “I didn’t like the tone of that article.” or “You were biased” … and my reply is always “Do you want me to come down to the sidelines and ask you “Why did you throw on second down?” … They’ve got a job to do, and so do I. And guess what, we both do it for little money.

  • http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvfootball/2010/12/palo-alto-upends-centennial-after-huskies-miss-42-yard-fg-in-the-rain-with-35-seconds-left.html paul

    kickers dad, i saw the same thing, when he re-set that tee, i said to myself, he going to miss it, i believe that Palo Alto just out played CC and CC was very undiciplined for a Championship team , maybe they thought they had the game won, by just showing up, i felt bad for the kid, but if he would have made it , hhe would have been the hero and would Aram ,still blame the coaches for sending him out there, 3 unsportsman penalties cost them this game

  • Bulldogs have bite

    Just to play devil’s advocate here. Logan set that kid up to be a hero if he makes the kick. Making that kick would be a story his grand kid’s kids’s would be telling at the dinner table. But it was not to be, and such is the life of a kicker at any level. Win as a team, lose as a team. CC had another great season and will be back. Congratulations to Palo Alto!

  • Huskies

    LOL… Aram, why in the world are u trying to come at me for something I didn’t post!!! WOW… All I did was QUOTE u and ask if u knew how easy it was to kick a FG!

    BTW, it’s extremely easy! Ask the CC kicker or any real kicker and they’d tell you the same thing. The big difference, which I stated was the RAIN! Other than that and the fact that it was for a state title, kicks are like DUNKS in basketball!

  • Deserved to lose

    Aram has valid points about kicking under those conditions, but what about the Centennial staff’s ego earlier in the game? Twice they go for it on 4th down inside the 10 and twice they are turned away. In a game in which points weren’t going to be easy, kick the short field goals early in the game and you take the lead with 4 minutes to go rather than relying on a long field goal in the rain on a muddy field with a soaked football in the last minute.

  • Don

    See, this is what happens to teams like Centennial, used to winning in the bigger fishbowl, put ‘em out in the aquarium and they gag.

    Actually looked to me like Eubank tippy toed around all night trying his best to avoid Paly’s #43 and #58.

    The Huskies did manage to prove themselves in the battle for the most stupid, inopportune penalties. Hey guys, next time wait for a lead before you cheap shot some guy 100 pounds lighter than you.

  • Go for it?

    Their “all-everything QB? Eubanks couldn’t even score on a 2pt converion to tie just minutes earlier. Could THAT have gone into the decision on what to do on 4th down? Or that they were stuffed on two 4th downs earlier? Easy to say after the fact – but the FG was the way to go. Servite won a title in the same conditions a year ago. It was partially blocked – if the line does their job maybe it goes in. That was more of a factor than the conditions. GOOD teams have good kickers. Aram only watches games in the FishBowl – where everything is an adventure!

  • Huskies

    BTW, isn’t there a way you can figure out who posts what, so when you try and reply to someone you don’t sound “DUH” doing it?

  • Don

    Also was just wondering how brutally trashed that nice natural field will be by 8 PM tonight when Servite plays La Salle.

    48 Hours rain + 5 football games = MUDBOWL

  • David

    I thought the playcalling all night long was terrible for CC. It was evident that Palo Alto knew what plays (all 3 of them) the Huskies were running all night long. Palo Alto stacked the middle, figuring that the Huskies were going to run there either with Eubank keeping or handing to the tailback, & PA guessed right pretty much the whole game. CC looks like it coasted all year on the strength of superior athletes, & when it met a team that was well prepared, the CC coaching staff was clueless as to how to adjust to that. The Huskies fell apart with several personal foul penalties, some costly fumbles, & completely unimaginative playcalling. Given all that I don’t think the Huskies would have picked up that 1st down in the last minute either. They were doomed either way–the coach would have called the same QB keeper and Eubank would have been stuffed. And no, don’t blame the kicker: Palo Alto outplayed the Huskies the whole way. To blame a kid who missed a very tough kick when CC screwed up as a team (and as a coaching staff) for the previous four quarters is ridiculous.

  • Oh. Ver. Rated

    Not impressed with CC at all. Beat Mater Dei without MDs best players. Who else did they beat? Birmingham? Notre Dame Sherman Oaks beat them. Vista Murrietta in the finals? Crespi beat them. Upland in the quarters? Loyola beat them and they couldn’t even win a game in the Serra. Amat beat each of those teams in league. Based on what I saw – Amat beats CC.

  • Huskies

    So CH beats BA, because Tesoro beat BA and CH beat Tesoro! Out of control…

  • Mr Transitive

    game 3 with a bunch of sophs in a letdown week.
    or Amat beat Damien (handily)-Damien beat Claremont-Claremont beat Chino Hills ->so Amat beats Chills?

  • Huskies

    Exactly!!!

  • http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvfootball Aram

    Huskies,

    I apologize. That was for Xs and Os. Not you. My bad.

  • football jones

    Wow, what a bunch of CC lame excuses;

    The bus ride was too long- farther than Stanford?

    It was raining and field was soggy obviously only on CC side of field.

    We deserved to play on Saturday really?

    Causes for CC loss:

    CC offense met a defense that although smaller – was strong, not intimidated and faster.

    Coaching staff that doesnt believe in practical field goals – why not take 3 points right before half time? CC only had 6, and it was obvious game was going to be low scoring.

    I agree with Aram, final desperation field goal was just plain stupid!

    Many times in life you get what you deserve.

  • http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvfootball Aram

    I’m serious, how many coaches does Corona Centennial have on staff? How do they (the state, us) pay them all? All those schools out there have humongous staffs.

    By the way … check out Centennial’s website

    http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?sid=126700198&url=centennialhuskyfootball

    Come on, Amat! Get with the program. You gotta go cyber if you wanna truly be big time.

  • sgvpride

    Maybe those are all lower level coaches brought up? Just a guess

  • http://www.insidesocal.com/sgvfootball/2010/12/palo-alto-upends-centennial-after-huskies-miss-42-yard-fg-in-the-rain-with-35-seconds-left.html paul

    Southern California just got their heads handed to them this weekend in State football

  • reality

    After tonites boring games I’m sure glad I went to the West Covina-Bonita thriller last week. You can,t beat a packed stadium no matter how small for real atmosphere. I think we had more fans at Walnut than that empty cavern where ever it is that they played in tonite. Southeast finals was one for the ages.

  • SPHS 83

    Amat??? They couldn’t even get out of the 1st round much less beat Corona Centenial. Bishop Amat was the most overrated team in the CIF and getting beat on their own field in the 1st round proved that

  • socalfootball fan

    I don’t think to many so-cal fans were sad to see Corona Centennial lose. I watched the tape of the Palo Alto-CC game and Paly was the better team. Even on a day field they would have beat CC. Paly had some good athletes on both offense and defense and was well coached. Palo Alto known more for its 2 state titles in basketball was the underdog vs Morningside and Mater Dei and beat both teams with their best player on each team going ivy league. Just about everyone on calhi rivals message board predicted a rout for CC not realizing that Paly had speed and a good qb. Paly will be a force for many years now that the are getting better athletes on their team.
    There would have been more fan interest if CC would have played Servite. If the state games continue they need to play some of the games in nor-cal or some other so-cal fields as 5 games in rain on grass destroys the field.

  • On the Spot

    Did anybody else slow-mo the replay??? I saw that the kick was deflected by a PA outstretched hand. The kick looked like it was on it’s way…after it’s first five feet, end over end. Then the ball knuckles into the night. If you don’t see the block, then just look at the ball flight–I have to think it’s impossible to kick a ball that knuckles/tumbles over ever so slowly with that kind of height.

  • Tom

    Maybe the teams CC played to reach the SBG are just not as good as everyone thinks they are. True, Paly squeaked by Mitty in the CCS playoffs because the game was played in a driving rainstorm and their passing game was compromised. With all of the vaunted SoCal teams coming up empty in the SBG one would have to surmise that the SoCal leagues may have been a bit overrated this year. Teams don’t reach the SBG out of luck. They are all talented and well-coached, but coaching takes on a bigger importance when the teams are more evenly matched. It appeared to me that CC thought they could beat Paly with Eubank only. This was a huge lapse of judgement and all blame goes to the coaching staff. They simply underestimated Paly as a team and didn’t play like one themselves.

  • Kickers Dad

    To: On the Spot, My son is an All-League kicker, and believe me it is possible to kick a ball that badly. I did not see the kick blocked. The way Rivera reacted, it seems to me he just blew it. Feel bad for him but he needs to make that kick.

  • just sayin’

    here’s a video.
    http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/articles/football-palo-alto-wins-state-title-in-stunner#video-4026758

    at the 3:55 mark they line up for the kick. you can see 4 Paly players with great penetration. They would have had to try NOT to block it. Pretty certain it was tipped. It was blocking – not the elements

  • Kickers Dad

    To: Just Sayin’,

    I saw the video posted, and what I saw was poor blocking but I also saw Rivera very slow to the ball. He does not start his approach until the holder has the ball, that is too slow. A kicker needs to start his kick as soon as the ball clears the snappers butt. If he starts on time the kick is not blocked.

  • just askin’

    Keekers Papa – so now you’re saying it WAS blocked – bit it’s still the keekers fault anyway?

  • Kickers Dad

    To: Just Askin’,

    Yes, that is what I am saying. If he starts sooner like he is supposed to, the kick is not blocked. The defense would not have the time to get to the kick. Even you can comprehend this….

  • just sayin’

    Kickers Dad – it sounds like you just want to blame the keeker because you are a great keekers Dad. First you said he just missed it, no way it was blocked, then it was blocked BUT it’s the keekers fault anyway because my little keeker is better

  • Bring it

    Homers

    If you think you can comp with us, just put us on your schedule and try it for size!

    Talk about fishbowl, maybe one SGV team worth a @hit in that valley..

    Step up or shut up!

  • Kickers Dad

    To: Just Sayin’.

    I am done trying to explain the basics of the kicking game to you, you are having a tough time understanding it. You are right, the kick was blocked, the line failed, and the CC kicker in no way is to blame. And by the way my son is the better kicker. Have a nice day….

  • I agree xs and os

    I agree with xs and os. Aram and Fred have no clue as to what they are reporting on when it comes to football. I know Fred never played he isn’t even big enough to be a jockey, and Aram is so soft and out of shape he looks like the pilsbury dough boy! So you know he never played he was probably a band member (probably played the flute, buy the size of his arms), but yet they get to report on something they have no clue about!

  • WTF?

    Didn’t CC and their bad staff win a state title last year? Or ws it the year before? I’m sure Bogan or Farrar would have gotten it done, right Aram? Oh yeah they were sitting on the couch like your fat ass was.

    The reason the toughest coaching decision they had to make all year is when to get off the bus is because they are good coaches that get their team ready to go and kick everyone’s ass. The coaching gets done January to August. Finally, they are good they are extremely impressive and they would beat the Christmas Morning San Gabriel All Star team as well. I have seen them roll teams that would beat everyone in the valley except Amat.
    (Upland – Chino Hills)

  • Coach

    Aram,

    What I find so very interesting is you blast CC for making it to the state championships but you give Bishop Amat a “B” for their season. What is it about some of these local teams and the Tribune’s hands off approach to reporting. Or is it really that you guys have no clue what you are reporting……

  • just sayin”

    Coach (doubt it) – you’re a fool. a “season grade” is different than a game performance grade. Aram was justifiably critical of Amat’s single game performance vs Tesoro too. Dang – glad you never “coached” my kid!

  • Dan

    I beg to differ, West Covina, Chino Hills and Upland would all be good games. [Uh Oh, here comes the backlash]

  • Ro

    kicking the field goal was a good choice.they didnt have much success scoring all game ,so that was the only decision that could be made. This was a team loss to a great defensive team who didnt allow many points this year. corona centenial played very weak defenses this year except chino hills ,who has great defensive backs ,but still nothing like palo altos.on rainy days northern cal teams do have a little advantage,it rains more often up north than in So Cal.maybe CC should schedule Servite,westlake,Serra,Oak Christians,Mission Viejo next year.

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