It was a moment applauded and appreciated by high school football fans and coaches throughout California.
Matt Logan, respected and admired for his vision, creativity and consistency as head coach at Corona Centennial for 29 years, achieved historic victory No. 300 on Thursday night when his team delivered a 62-20 win over Eastvale Roosevelt.
He becomes the 15th football coach in state history to reach 300 wins, according to CalHiSports.com. Jim Benkert at Simi Valley is the only other active coach in the exclusive club that is topped by Hall of Famer Bob Ladouceur with 399 wins at Concord De La Salle.
Corona Centennial football coach Matt Logan closing in on 300 victories in his career.
(Craig Weston)
The school tried to get as many of his former players to come to the game to celebrate, with 18 graduating classes represented. Afterward, Logan received lots of hugs and a special trophy from athletic director Tony Barile. There was a large sign unfurled with “300 wins” prominent, along with special T-shirts and hats made for the occasion. His teams have won 10 Southern Section titles. The Huskies (5-1) are hoping to earn an 11th when the playoffs begin next month.
“Something I’ll remember forever,” Logan said.
One of the humorous moments was Logan trying to recognize and remember some of his former players from as far back as 1995.
“I actually recognized most of them, especially from the ones from when I first started,” he said.
Logan, 58, started out as a defensive coordinator at Centennial for two years before taking over as head coach. To show his versatility, he became known for his program’s warp speed, no-huddle offense through the years. His team in 2015 remains the only team other than St. John Bosco and Mater Dei to win a Division 1 championship.
“I love this city. I grew up in this city,” Logan said of his loyalty to the community.
Two Centennial running backs, Malaki Davis and Zander Lewis, led the Huskies on Thursday night, each rushing for more than 100 yards. Davis had four touchdowns.
Next week is a showdown league game against unbeaten Vista Murrieta.
