Don’t ever doubt the toughness of Max Eldridge from Corona Santiago High.
During football season, he’s a 6-foot-3, 220-pound defensive lineman who loves to make quarterbacks feel uncomfortable. He recorded four sacks in the season opener last week against Yucaipa and another on Friday against Temescal Canyon.
As an outfielder-pitcher for the baseball team, he showed off power with his bat and arm. He had eight home runs last season. He’s committed to UC San Diego for baseball.
For him to keep playing football even though baseball will be his sport in college shows that he wants to make his senior year memorable and enjoy his final months playing with his best friends.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
If anyone wants to know what “big-boy” football in Southern California looks like, Santa Margarita’s 21-20 road win over Corona Centennial on Friday night gave fans everything they expected from two powerhouse programs.
“There was greatness on that field,” Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer told his players afterward.
From cornerback Caron Williams producing a pick six on the final play of the third quarter to Mighty Mouse 5-foot-4 running back Adrian Petero rushing for 108 hard-earned yards in 23 carries to run out the clock, the Eagles (2-0) are proving they are no one-hit wonder after winning last year’s Southern Section Division 1 championship over Centennial.
“Even if I can’t find a hole, I’ll make one,” Petero said.
Unlike that 42-7 loss at the Rose Bowl, Centennial rallied from a 14-0 deficit. An 11-yard touchdown run by Braylin Drake with 7:33 left put the Huskies within 21-20. But Santa Margarita’s Jake Martin deflected the PAT attempt, and the Huskies (1-1) never got another opportunity to score against a defense with top linemen, young and sensational linebackers and defensive backs who engaged in hand-to-hand combat with one of the best receivers in the nation in Quentin Hale.
Santa Margarita’s defense celebrates a pick six by Caron Williams (21) at the end of the third quarter from 30 yards.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
Centennial was at a severe disadvantage by not having two potential starters available on its offensive line because of injuries. Then the Huskies lost a third lineman in the third quarter. Quarterback Jaden Jefferson was left having to run for his life from the outset but used his instincts and intelligence to find ways to succeed. He passed for 192 yards with touchdowns of seven yards to Hale and 24 yards to Kennie Leggett. He adjusted to the pass rush by scrambling up the middle for gains of 11 and 15 yards. Hale caught seven passes for 105 yards.
For some unknown reason, Williams, a junior, now has five of his six career interceptions against Centennial. He said the pick six was no surprise.
“I saw it coming,” he said. “I saw the quarterback’s eyes.”
“Defense suffocating,” is what Palmer told his players in his postgame talk, and he was right.
Santa Margarita’s defense controlled much of the first half because of its ability to put pressure on Jefferson. It wasn’t until Centennial’s final possession of the first half, when trailing 14-0, that Jefferson finally started to connect with Hale. Jefferson got the ball to Hale for a touchdown, rolling left and throwing off his back foot to find Jefferson in the back of the end zone.
Santa Margarita’s defense lost nine of its 11 starters to graduation and was supposed to need time this season to develop, but the guy who wears No. 99 for the Eagles, Kingston Jimmerson, had two sacks in the first half. He’s 6-foot-2, 270 pounds, only.a sophomore and likes to manhandle ballcarriers.
“When he’s a senior, he’s going to be an All-American,’’ Williams said.
Also contributing was 6-5, 225-pound freshman lineman Kaleb Herndon and linebacker Cruz Nunez, a transfer from JSerra. Then there’s freshman linebacker Aydan Steen, who contributed two huge tackles in the second half in critical situations.
Short touchdown runs by Petero and Jaion Smith accounted for Santa Margarita’s first-half touchdowns. Centennial fumbled on its first possession to set up Petero’s two-yard TD run.
The last time Centennial coach Matt Logan was on the same field with Santa Margarita, his face with bright red at the Rose Bowl. He blamed himself for his team’s poor performance. “We weren’t prepared to play football that night,” he said.
This time, the Huskies were able to stay close with the help of a defense that sacked Santa Margarita quarterback Fletch Palmer three times. Cal-bound Miles Schirmer was effective on the defensive line.
“The defense played phenomenal,” Logan said. “We were not on the same page on offense. The kids didn’t waver and kept fighting.”
Corona High baseball coach Andy Wise has pulled off the most intriguing acquisition of the summer season.
Former Dodgers relief pitcher Joe Kelly, a Corona graduate, is joining the program as an assistant coach to help guide pitchers.
Known for his quirky personality and ability to thrive under pressure, Kelly has followed the program in recent years after retiring as a player and jumped at the chance to help the pitchers, Wise said.
“My conversations with him over the years have been incredible,” Wise said. “What an asset for the pitching staff and the whole program. He’s got the time and he’s got a lot of kids. He’s not going to be here six days a week. He’s excited.”
The plan came together after Wise went up to Northern California to speak with a group of players with Kelly.
“No stress, no pressure, anything you might help us with would be awesome,” Wise said he told him.
Wise said Kelly has been following the team in person and on GameChanger and offering ideas.
Just having around a 13-year former MLB pitcher should be inspiring to players next season.
“Joe is Joe and I expect him to be Joe,” Wise said.
