Third-ranked Centennial scores surprising lopsided win over Serra in California showdown

Javon Mckinley, one of the nation's top wide receivers, got the Centennial (Corona, Calif.) football team off to a stirring start Saturday at the Honor Bowl.

He returned the opening kickoff against talented Serra (Gardena) 84 yards to the 1, setting the tone for a surprising 52-13 blowout win in the premier game at Oceanside High School.

More surprising than the final score was that McKinley had little to do with it. That's how good the nation's No. 3 team is as it took a 49-0 lead into the fourth quarter against one of Southern California's most talented programs.

The last time the teams met, Centennial won a memorable 68-64 game in the Pac-5 playoffs last season.

According to Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times, McKinley's opening kickoff set up a 1-yard TD run by J.J. Taylor, who later scored on runs of 38 and 10 yards to make it 28 late in the second quarter.

Quarterback Anthony Catalano added a TD run and scoring toss to Cameron Jackson to make it 35-0 at halftime.

McKinley hadn't touched the ball on offense, until he turned a short pass into a 78-yard touchdown making it 42-0.

Down 49-0, Serra finally got on the board on a 79-yard pass from Jalani Eason to Brandon Burton late in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock.

In the earlier game at Oceanside, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), led by USC-bound receiver Michael Pittmann, raced to a 35-7 lead, then held off a furious Cathedral Catholic rally to win 35-33.

Pittman had nine catches for 223 yards and two scores when Oaks Christian took its big lead. But Pittman had to snag an onside kick in the final minutes to help win it.

According to Sondheimer, Pittman finished with 12 catches for 251 yards. His quarterback, Matt Corral, passed for 400 yards and three scores along with a rushing touchdown.