Sept. 11, 2026 11:05 PM PT

That was a strange game.

There were 22 accepted flags for 211 yards in penalties, fumbles galore and three turnovers. There was a safety and a missed field goal. Ultimately, Mater Dei won 10-9 over Corona Centennial despite converting only two of 10 third downs.

Beyond the weirdness, however, a solution at the quarterback position might have emerged for the Monarchs — in the form of a freshman, no less. Coach Raul Lara has cycled through three players in the position this season, and the standout against Centennial was Paytyn Guess.

“The young kid is dynamic, no doubt,” Lara said before the game. “But he’s young and he’s still learning the program and playbook. Once he learns, we’ll get him in the game a little bit more.”

Friday night’s win showed that Guess might be ready to start.

Santa Ana Stadium has played host to Mater Dei football games for decades, but the fans in its stands might not have seen a better pass than one the freshman conjured in the second quarter. Running away from oncoming rushers, Guess threw the ball back against his body — something most coaches advise against — and found heavily recruited senior wideout Gavin Honore at the one-yard line.

It was a dot. Right on the money. Professional players 10 years Guess’ senior would be excited to make that kind of play.

Mater Dei High freshman quarterback Paytyn Guess.

(Caleb Otte / For The Times)

However, the reason for his coach’s hesitation to start Guess was clear on the very next snap. Guess fumbled it, and Centennial recovered the ball in the end zone.

Ultimately, though, Guess made the key throw after being entrusted to lead the final drive. With Mater Dei (4-0) in its own half of the field on a third down, he found Honore along the sideline to pick up a first down and effectively end the contest.

That came after Mater Dei junior quarterback Russell Sekona tied the score, 9-9, midway through the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown plunge. Jerry Shifman converted the point-after kick for the winning margin.

Centennial had a chance to reclaim the lead with 2:30 left, but its last drive ended in a missed field goal.

As far as Guess, he can make plays and had multiple downfield passes that fell just incomplete. But in that moment with the game on the line, the kid showed composure. There might be growing pains, but the raw talent is on display.

Guess finished four for nine for 56 yards while rushing for 19. Lara had no worries about putting the freshman in the fire and letting him secure the victory.

“Coach Lara’s trust in me means everything,” Guess said after the win. “It shows me what I can accomplish on the field.”

He has a lot of time to develop, but Guess said he needs to acclimate to this new stage.

“High school football moves quicker,” Guess said. “I also need to be louder in my cadence because this was my first game in front of a big crowd.”

His skills directly resembled those of his counterpart, Centennial senior Jaden Jefferson. The Hawaii commit might be ending his high school career just as Guess is starting, but both have a slippery and slinking style of play that excites fans just as much as it moves their teams down the field.

Jefferson had a solid game, going 14 for 23 with 205 yards and tacking on 65 on the ground. The play that defined the night, however, was a blemish on his record. Backed behind its own 10-yard line, Centennial looked to Jefferson for another magic moment. His flip pass to a running back bounced off his teammate and into the waiting arms of a Mater Dei defender, setting up Sekona’s score.

Centennial’s defense was top-notch all night, with the Monarchs managing only two third-down conversions. Mater Dei’s run game was shut down, gaining fewer than 100 yards, and it looked like the Monarchs would be stifled for the entire four quarters.

The game started with a jet sweep touchdown from Kennie Leggett, a former Mater Dei player, and it seemed as though Centennial would beat the Monarchs as it did twice last season when building a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. The home team’s defense ratcheted up the pressure, however, not giving up another touchdown. The Huskies scored again only on the freak safety in the first quarter.

Centennial (1-2) has dealt with a lot of injuries to the offensive line, which enabled Mater Dei to get sacks and hurries on Jefferson. Before the game, coach Matt Logan said his team has been treating every game the same way regardless of the opponent. Three tough Trinity League matchups to start the season, however, have left them with a losing record.

Centennial played better, and Logan was right by saying it can go toe-to-toe with any opponent, but the scoreboard favored Lara’s boys on a weird night in Santa Ana.