Beating Mater Dei is family affair for the Catalanos of Corona Centennial

After beating top-ranked Mater Dei in a thriller Friday night, Dominick Catalano joins his brother and sister in athletes that've beaten the Monarchs while atop their respective sport.

(L-R): Anthony, Dominick and Giuliana Catalano take a photo together after Dominick led Corona Centennial to a 42-36 stunner over Mater Dei on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. / Courtesy photo of Catalanos

UPDATE: Corona Centennial, led by Dominick Catalano, defeated Mater Dei for a second time this season with a 28-27 win over the Monarchs in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals on Friday, November 21.

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For the Catalanos, beating Mater Dei runs in the family.

Corona Centennial senior quarterback Dominick Catalano led the Huskies to a 43-36 victory over Mater Dei Friday night, which sent the high school football community into a frenzy.

"This is why you come to Corona Centennial, to play in games like this," Catalano said.

Centennial led 28-0 at one point before taking a 33-7 lead into halftime. Mater Dei scored 29 unanswered points to take a 36-33 lead in the third quarter, but a Centennial field goal and touchdown capped by a controversial game-winning interception sent the home crowd into pandemonium.

"It was super special. I'll live with it forever. It was incredible," Catalano added.

The victory halted Mater Dei's current winning streak of 21 games in a row dating back to the fall of 2023, but the win also marked the first time Mater Dei lost to a program not named St. John Bosco since 2015 — and that's where the Catalano bloodline comes in.

That 2015 loss came at the hands of Corona Centennial on November 27 — with almost an idential score (42-36) — and the quarterback was Anthony Catalano, Dominick's older brother. Anthony, known by many as the 'CatMan', is now the Huskies' assistant head coach and WRs coach.

Anthony Catalano (left in all black) watches on as his little brother, Dominick Catalano, warms up before Centennial takes on Mater Dei at the Santa Ana Bowl in 2024. / Tarek Fattal

"I thought my proudest moment as a big brother was when Dominick played against Mater Dei last year (in a losing effort)," Anthony said of his younger brother. "But this is it. Because he's always had to live up to expectations of beating Mater Dei because I did it."

"He got to have his own moment. He was the star. I was proud of that," Anthony added.

Slaying the proverbial dragon that is Mater Dei runs even deeper for the Catalano family.

Sister, Giuliana Catalano, a 2023 Centennial graduate, was on the Huskies girls basketball team that beat Mater Dei 65-51 in the CIF State Open Division Southern California regional championship game in June of 2021. That year is better known as the 'COVID season' after the 2020-21 school year was essentially washed away due to the pandemic.

After Friday night's win over Mater Dei, Giuliana was the one who pointed out all three had taken down Mater Dei at some point in their respective high school careers.

"She brought it up," Anthony said laughing. "My Mom was so happy. My Dad was chirping a little bit, he's real competitive. He was loving it."

Giuliana was a sophomore on the Huskies' 25-1 team that year. And for anyone who knows anything about high school sports, the Mater Dei girls basketball team led by legendary coach Kevin Kiernan was just as much a juggernaut as Mater Dei football has been the last decade.

Corona Centennial coach Matt Logan gives Dominick Catalano a fist bump before the team's game. / Heston Quan, SBLive

"I wish there was girls flag football when (Giuliana) was in high school, she would have been a great quarterback," Anthony said of his sister.

Dominick was the ball boy for Centennial when Anthony was on the team. When the Huskies beat Mater Dei in 2015, Dominick was 9 years old. The coach then is the man at the helm now: Matt Logan.

"Coach Logan has known me my whole life pretty much. I told him I loved him after the game," Dominick said. "He said he was proud of me. That meant a lot."

There's more football to play for Corona Centennial (3-1). Sure, the Mater Dei victory is a feather in their cap, but Dominick knows this can't be the pinnacle of the season.

"We want to keep this rolling. Huge win and confidence builder. We can compete with anyone in country, and we proved that last night," Dominick said.

As for finally joining the 'Catalano Owns Mater Dei' club ...

"I was the only one that hadn't done it. It feels good," Dominick said laughing.

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A post shared by Tarek Fattal (@_tarekfattal)

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THE LATEST IN CIF FOOTBALL

The CIF Southern Section declared 19 football players at Bishop Montgomery ineligible due to CIF violations including undue influence and falsifying paperwork, which were findings revealed in an internal investigation at Bishop Montgomery.

MORE ON THAT STORY IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:

• FIVE BISHOP MONTGOMERY PLAYERS DEEMED INELIGIBLE, AUG. 20
• GAME AGAINST MATER DEI FORFEIT, AUG. 25
• ON-FIELD SCUFFLE WITH TEAM IN HAWAII, AUG. 27
• HSFB 'MONEY MAN' ADMITS TO PAYING FAMILIES/PLAYERS, SEPT. 2
• ARCHDIOCESE CANCELS 2025 VARSITY SEASON, SEPT. 2
• VIDEO: INSIDE ADMIN-PLAYER MEETING, SEPT. 3
• AUDIO: INSIDE PARENT-ADMIN MEETING, SEPT. 5
• SCHOOL PRESIDENT PAT LEE RESIGNS, SEPT. 10
• 'MONEY MAN' ISSUED CEASE AND DESIST FROM ARCHDIOCESE, SEPT. 11
• 19 PLAYERS DEEMED INELIGIBLE UNTIL 2027, SEPT. 12

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