Centennial looks to continue turnaround against Faith Lutheran
Many of Centennial’s current football players suffered through a 1-7 season last fall.
They didn’t want to do it again.
“Most people from this team were on the team from last year, and we know what it feels like to win one game, the last game of your season,” senior defensive back Kamden Garrett said. “And we don’t want that anymore. So I think it helped us change the culture around here and get on the winning side.”
The Bulldogs have opened the season 3-2, and put that winning record on the line when they travel to play at sixth-ranked Faith Lutheran at 7 p.m. on Friday in a key Northwest League matchup.
“We always expect to do better every season,” Garrett said. “We worked hard in the offseason — in the spring and the summer — because we set the bar for ourselves.”
No. 9 Centennial may have set a higher bar, but the forecast for the season improved dramatically after the Bulldogs rallied for a 32-26 home win over Sierra Vista in the season opener.
“Last season it was kind of rough,” senior defensive end Cody Coffman said. “We came into this season, we had some high expectations, but it wasn’t as high of expectations as now. When we first stepped on the field against Sierra Vista and we won that game, that’s really when we knew the season was going to be a lot better.”
That win helped set up this showdown with Faith Lutheran (2-3), which defeated Cimarron-Memorial 48-7 in its league opener last week. Centennial fell to league-favorite Arbor View to open league play two weeks ago and is looking to avoid an 0-2 start that could help derail the team’s hopes of ending a two-year playoff drought.
“Honestly, this week’s a big week,” Coffman said. “It really is going to set the tone for our season. It’s a make-or-break game.”
The defense may set the tone for the game against the Crusaders, who feature one of the area’s top quarterbacks in Idaho State-bound senior Sagan Gronauer.
The Bulldogs have been strong on defense, yielding an average of 14.8 points and posting a pair of shutouts.
“Defense wins championships, and everybody knows that,” senior linebacker Jacob Buchanan said. “If the defense gets rolling, then everything gets rolling.”
And if Centennial keeps rolling, it may well be because of lessons learned in a painful 2017 campaign.
“It’s a big turnaround,” Buchanan said. “Last year was definitely not a good season. It was a learning thing, though.”
More preps: Follow all of our Nevada Preps coverage online at nevadapreps.com and @NevadaPreps on Twitter.
Contact prep sports editor Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4587. Follow @DamonSeiters on Twitter.
Three games to watch
Legacy at Las Vegas — This game should have some playoff implications in the Northeast League. Both teams are looking to end losing streaks. Legacy has lost four straight and the Wildcats have dropped their last three after a 2-0 start.
Durango at Spring Valley — The Trailblazers have rebounded from a tough start to win two straight, but will need a road victory to prove they are in the mix for a home playoff game.
Boulder City at Desert Oasis — Both teams have rebounded after dismal 2017 seasons. The Eagles, who were 3-6 as an independent last fall, are 4-1 and look like legitimate contenders in the Sunrise League. Desert Oasis is 3-1 after going 0-9 last season.
