High School

Live score update recap: Corona Centennial finishes off Peoria Liberty with 1-2 defensive punch

California's No. 1 2025 recruit Husan Longstreet throws four TD passes but it's two fourth-quarter pick 6s that ignites the Huskies' 63-39 win at No. 1 Liberty

Mitch Stephens

Corona Centennial 2025 Husan Longstreet is one of the top 50 California QBs to watch in 2024.
Corona Centennial 2025 Husan Longstreet is one of the top 50 California QBs to watch in 2024. / Photo: Heston Quan

For a game that featured more than 100 points, it's hard to believe a couple of defensive plays proved pivotal, but they did in Corona Centennial's 63-39 win at Peoria Liberty Saturday night.

In a bonafide track meet, where both offenses were trading punches, it was back-to-back pick 6s from Charles Castille (85 yards) and Cade Paterson (37 yards) in the middle of the fourth quarter that broke this game wide open.

Liberty (3-1), Arizona's top-ranked team, was within striking distance at 42-32 and driving before Castille's 85-yarder proved to be the back-breaker. Then Paterson added icing on the cake with his return midway through the fourth and Centennial won its third straight game over an out-of-state opponent.

The Huskies opened with back-to-back losses to national No. 1 Mater Dei and Trinity League power Santa Margarita.

The defensive backs had plenty of offensive help from California's No. 1 recruit Husan Longstreet, a Texas A&M commit, who threw for four touchdowns — two each to Cory Butler and Tyler George. Braylin Drake also rushed for three touchdowns as Centennial (3-2) put up 63 points against a defense that had already recorded two shutouts and allowed just 20 points in three games.

Top junior prospect Zeth Thues had a pick 6 and fumble recovery of his own for Liberty, which got two touchdowns by Esteban Demby-Iamas and two touchdown passes from Hayden Fletcher.

See all the scoring plays below.

AT A GLANCE: Centennial at Liberty

(Refresh for updates throughout the night)

FOURTH QUARTER

TOUCHDOWN LIBERTY! Don't be surprised of Liberty wins an Arizona state title. Never stopped pushing. Esteban Demby-Iamas with his second TD, a 20-yard with 2:15 remaining. Centennial 63, Liberty 39.

TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL! Huskies pouring it on now as Braylin Drake rushes for his third touchdown, a 42-yarder. Corona Centennial 63, Liberty 32. 5:15 4Q.

PICK 6 CENTENNIAL 2: The third of the game and second for the Huskies, this one 37 yards by Cade Paterson surely puts it away. Centennial 56, Liberty 32. 6:30 4Q

PICK 6 CENTENNIAL! The Huskies match Liberty's pick 6 with on of their own as Charles Castille rambles 85 yards for the score, which should likely be the dagger. A huge 14-point swing. Centennial 49, Liberty 32. 8:11 4Q.

THIRD QUARTER

TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL! Fourth TD pass for Longstreet, a 41-yarder to Cory Butler. Back and forth we go. Centennial 42, Liberty 32. 1:00 3Q. There's a reason Longstreet is the No. 1 senior recruit in California. Absolute perfect toss. Great video from THE GREAT Richard Obert of the Arizona Republic.

TOUCHDOWN LIBERTY! Control, hah! First one to 50 might win this one. Esteban Demby-Iames 5-yard TD run. 2-point conversion good. Centennial 35, Liberty 32. 3:05 3Q.

TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL! A long scramble by Longsteet sets up Drake's second short TD run, a 1-yarder to put the Huskies back in control. Centennial 35, Liberty 24. 5:02 3Q.

PICK 6 LIBERTY! The above-mentioned Thues shows why he's heavily recruited. jumps a short rout, takes it 60 yards for a touchdown and the Lions are right back in it. Centennial 28, Liberty 24. 6:24 3Q.

FIELD GOAL LIBERTY! Big leg of Karson Dombrovski drills 49-yarder. Centennial 28, Liberty 17. 7:30 3Q.

SECOND QUARTER

HALFTIME SCORE: Centennial 28, Liberty 14

LONGSTREET STRIKES AGAIN! The Centennial senior QB connects with Tyler George again, this time a 12-yarder, his third TD of the half to put the Huskies up 28-14 just before halftime. the play came on fourth down and George beat double and close coverage. Eight seconds left in the half.

TURNOVER ON DOWNS X2! Both teams drive into other team's territory, but defenses stiffen. Centennial takes over at its own 20 with about 2 minutes to go in the half, still leading 21-14.

TOUCHDOWN HUSKIES! Centennial wouldn't be denied this time as Longstreet with his second TD pass, this time to Tyler George, 30 yards. 2-point conversion pass to Butler. Centennial 21, Liberty 14. 8:36 2Q.

HUGE TURNOVER! Centennial driving toward go-ahead score, but instead fumbles in the end zone. Liberty recovers. Lions take over at its own 20. 2:00. Liberty 14, Centennial 13.

FIRST QUARTER

TOUCHDOWN LIBERTY! This is turning into bonafide track meet. Fletcher with 87-yard touchdown to Marley Chancey. Liberty 14, Centennial 13. 1:00 1Q.

TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL! Longstreet hooks up with Cory Butler for 60-yard scoring strike off quick post pattern. Butler catches at about the Liberty 40 and is gone. Centennial 13, Liberty 7. 5:01 2Q. XP failed.

TOUCHDOWN LIBERTY! Braxton Huynh hauls in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Fletcher. Game tied at 7. The Lions recover a Centennial fumble at the Huskies 31 and take it in. 6:00 1Q.

TOUCHDOWN CENTENNIAL! Longstreet to Noah Westbrooke connection sets up 1-yard dive by Braylin Drake. Huskies take 7-0 lead just two minutes into play.

PREGAME

The Huskies of Corona Centennial have dropped a couple early games but no shame in losing to national No. 1 Mater Dei and Trinity League power Santa Margarita.

The Huskies rebounded with wins over a pair of Utah stalwarts, Timpview (56-20) and Lone Peak (49-35) and now play the top team in Arizona, Peoria Liberty in a big cross-state game 7 p.m. Saturday.

California's top 2025 recruit, quarterback Husan Longstreet, a Texas A&M commit, will try to solve the tough Liberty defense, which shut out its first two opponents, Desert Edge (22-0) and O'Connor (40-0) before a 49-20 win at home over Mountain View.

Liberty is led by 6-foot-6, 280-pound offensive tackle Nick Spence, a Minnesota commit. Defensive tackle Caden Branston (6-3, 270), a Colorado State commit, leads the other side of the ball. Safety Zeth Thues, a 5-11, 185-pound junior is another top recruit with offers from Arizona State, Boston College, Kansas, Kansas State and Washington State, among others.

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Mitch Stephens
MITCH STEPHENS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

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