Centennial’s Cornell Hatcher Jr. is lifted by Aj Vaipulu after scoring a touchdown against Long Beach Poly during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
CORONA >> Offensive execution is the name of the game for Centennial.
Jayson Cortes rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns as Centennial scored on each of its first seven possessions in a 52-7 nonleague victory over Long Beach Poly on Friday night.
Centennial’s Nathan Jimenez (3) races ahead of Long Beach Poly???s Austin King (26) during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Titus Bordeaux (14) is shoved by Centennial???s Owen Chambliss during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Jason Robinson, left, hauls in a catch as he???s closely defended by Centennial???s Laurence Williams during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Centennial’s Jayson Cortes (5) fights for yards through Long Beach Poly???s defense during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Shea Kuykendall (5) charges through the field during a football game against Centennial at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Centennial’s Cornell Hatcher Jr. is lifted by Aj Vaipulu after scoring a touchdown against Long Beach Poly during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Devin Samples carries the ball through the field during a football game against Centennial at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Centennial’s Izzy Carter races through the field during a football game against Long Beach Poly at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Centennial’s Izzy Carter (1) charges through the field during a football game against Long Beach Poly at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly takes the field before a football game against Centennial at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Shea Kuykendall (5) scans the field as he scrambles away from Centennial???s defense during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Centennial charges onto the field to take on Long Beach Poly at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Centennial’s Carson Conklin (17) charges through the field during a football game against Long Beach Poly at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Darius Curry (1) fights through Centennial???s defense during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Centennial’s Nathan Jimenez, left, tries to run past Long Beach Poly???s Armani Wilkson during a football game at Centennial High School in Corona, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
“We did a good job running the ball. They gave us a lot of defensive fronts so it was good work for us this week,” Centennial coach Matt Logan said.
Cortes ran for a pair of 1-yard scoring runs, and Jaden Mickey added a long kickoff return for a touchdown in the first half as Centennial (4-0 overall) jumped out to a 35-7 halftime lead.
“(Long Beach Poly) has some good players, so to be able to contain their athletes and not give up anything cheap or any big plays is huge for us,” Logan said.
Carson Conklin completed 7 of 10 pass attempts for 71 yards and two touchdowns, and Izzy Carter was 5 of 8 for 76 yards and also ran for a 33-yard score for the Huskies, who scored on eight of nine possessions overall.
Shea Kuykendall was 9 for 15 passing for 105 yards and one touchdown but Long Beach Poly (1-3) lacked balance and was held to just 25 rushing yards.
“It all boils down to execution and we had some lapses that hurt us,” Poly coach Stephen Barbee said.
Jason Robinson hauled in a team-high five passes for the Jackrabbits, who ran just five running plays for 11 yards in the second half.
“My hat is off to Coach Logan. He’s a great coach and he runs a great program,” Barbee said.
Mickey broke two tackles and avoided a third before racing up the left side for a 92-yard kickoff in the first half.
“I set it up real good and cut it back across the field, and it was all she wrote,” Mickey said.
The University of Notre Dame commit also made four tackles – one for a loss – in the win.
Centennial left its starters in for the first two possessions of the second half, with Carter sprinting up the middle to finish off a quick four-play, 51-yard drive, and Conklin hitting Nathan Jimenez for a 4-yard touchdown and a 49-7 lead.
