Corona Centennial does something no Huskies team has done — win a summer passing title

Eric Sondheimer
·2 min read
Defensive back Jaden Mickey of Corona Centennial.
Defensive back Jaden Mickey of Corona Centennial. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

It's just before 7 a.m. Saturday in the Huntington Beach Marina High parking lot. As the sun's rays begin to penetrate the morning clouds, Corona Centennial High coach Matt Logan is lathering up protective lotion all over his face. For 25 successful football seasons, you can pretty much ignore what the Huskies did in summer passing tournaments because they're about using the running game to set up the pass and there are no running plays in seven-on-seven tournaments.

Asked whether his teams had ever won a passing tournament, Logan said, "Never."

Except there's something different about his current group. The Huskies made it to the championship game of the St. John Bosco tournament July 10 before losing to Santa Ana Mater Dei. The players had barely arrived Saturday when they lost their first game to Cypress after talented two-sport athlete Matthew Morrell made a spectacular touchdown catch to clinch the Cypress win.

Centennial didn't lose another game. The Huskies took home the Marina tournament championship. It means watch out in the fall because the Huskies' skill-position players are good and will be joined by a talented defensive line Logan believes can help his team compete with the likes of Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.

The players to single out Saturday were defensive backs Jaden Mickey, Owen Chambliss and Aaron Williams, wide receivers Eric Denham and Demarieon Young, and quarterbacks Izzy Carter and Carson Conklin.

During the spring, Centennial went 4-1 and lost a rare Big VIII League game to Norco, which just got great news in that former running back Jordyn Ott is returning to the team after leaving for Las Vegas Bishop Gorman two years ago.

Centennial is facing another challenging schedule, opening up with Mater Dei at home Aug. 20 followed by games against Cathedral Catholic, Sierra Canyon, JSerra and Long Beach Poly. Logan is already feeling good with his team's rare summer success.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.