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PEORIA — For the first time in Centennial’s nearly three decades of varsity football, the Coyotes have recorded five consecutive shutouts.
Sunrise Mountain was the latest victim as Centennial continued its rampage through the Northwest Region with a 50-0 victory over the Mustangs on Friday night.
The Mustangs decided to hold out senior starting quarterback Alex Gianoli and his absence was glaring. Gianoli was cleared to play after an earlier concussion but Mustangs head coach Steve Decker was thinking about the next month.
“I made the decision to sit Alex,” Decker said. “We would’ve liked to be at our best tonight but we can’t risk losing Alex for the playoffs. He will be ready to go next week.”
With Gianoli out, the Mustangs’ offense struggled all night as junior Michael Chavarria Jr. and sophomore Kaden Felker shared quarterback duties for Sunrise Mountain (7-3, 4-1).
Head coach Richard Taylor’s Coyotes set a school record, outscoring region opponents 254-0 in five games en route to another region crown. Since allowing 71 points to Mater Dei in Game 2 of the season, the Coyotes have allowed 28 total points in the past eight contests (3.5 PPG).
“I know that was extremely tough on them to not have their quarterback but they continued to play hard,” Taylor said. “They are well-coached and give effort.”
Centennial (9-1, 5-0), top ranked in 5A and fourth in the latest open division poll, started quickly with a 31-yard TD run by Jaydin Young after Young had picked off Chavarria three plays earlier. On the next series, Felker tossed the ball backward into his own end zone as he was sacked and Centennial’s Joseph Salazer easily recovered for a score.
Centennial QB Jonathan Morris then found Andre Dimbiti with a 37-yard TD pass and Elijah Brooks added a 2-point conversion. Touchdowns by Tage Rigby and Eric Haney gave the Coyotes a 36-0 halftime lead.
Young was the main man in the second half, adding a 26-yard TD catch from Morris then capping the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run.
The Mustangs’ only chance to score in the game was thwarted by an acrobatic interception in the end zone by junior Devin Sanchez.
The eight-team open division bracket is going to be very tough and Taylor knows it. That tournament begins on Nov. 15.
“Every team in this open bracket will be good,” Taylor said. “Whoever we get, we will prepare as hard as we can and give it everything we have.”
Despite the defeat, Decker was looking forward to Gianoli returning to the lineup next week.
“I think we can make a run,” said Decker, whose Mustangs were ranked #8 in the latest 5A poll. “I feel good about our chances. There are a handful of teams that can win it all in 5A.”
Football playoff brackets will be announced by the Arizona Interscholastic Association on Saturday morning.
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