Centennial survives late barrage at Queen Creek

By Richard Smith
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QUEEN CREEK - A Centennial team that overcame never ending obstacles to get to this point had to wonder what other road block Queen Creek could conjure on the drive to state.

The visiting #14 seed Coyotes took a 37-18 lead with 9:20 left in the game, but the Bulldogs were only getting started. Queen Creek stacked a 92-yard return touchdown of the ensuing kickoff, a kickoff dying at the 2-yard-line leading to a 30-yard touchdown pass and a successful onside kick.

Suddenly, the home team trailed 37-32 with the ball at its 45-yard-line with 4:23 remaining. It was up to a four-year Coyote to make a play to save the 6A semifinal.

On fourth and three from the Coyote 48, senior linebacker/kicker Aaron Alvarez leaped to get around a blocking back and tackled Queen Creek junior quarterback Tait Reynolds a yard short. Centennial (6-7) ran out the clock to earn its 13th - and most improbable - state final berth in the last 20 years.

"It felt great, but it also felt like second nature. It only took a fraction of a second to know exactly what he was doing, I listened to coach Andrew Taylor, shot the gap and made the play," Alvarez said. "We never quit on ourselves and our vision all year was to shock the state."

The Coyotes took their lumps from the best of 6A this year, including two Open Division teams and the #1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 seeds in the 6A bracket. #2 Queen Creek (10-3) beat the Coyotes at home 31-21 on Oct. 18.

To reach .500 and win its eighth state football title, the Coyotes will have to knock off a team they haven't played in 18 years. #4 Mesa Mountain View (12-1) is the hottest team in the state, beating #1 Brophy Prep (10-3) in Phoenix 28-27 Friday.

The 6A title game kicks off at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 at Mountain America Stadium on the ASU campus in Tempe.

"Starting out 0-4 and going to the state championship game says a lot about a lot of people. A lot about our players - our seniors, who as freshmen were 3-6 and everybody said the worst freshman group to come through," Centennial Coach Richard Taylor said. "Our coaches work unbelievable hours. Our principal should give them a raise. We're at school until 5 Saturdays and meet again Sundays after church. The scouting report is 32 pages long."

None of Taylor's previous state finalists reached the title game with more than three losses.

In his five decades as a coach, the team with the most similarities to this one was the first time he coached in Arizona. Taylor was the defensive coordinator on Doug Clapp's staff for the 1986 Peoria High team, which went 5-5, then won the 4A state title as an underdog in every playoff team.

"Yeah, that team was very similar," Taylor said. "Chris Laskos, I coached him at Peoria. He's still the same kind of person, and talks to himself. He works really hard and he worked that defensive line so hard as a player. It's really good to see those kids as men. Chris isn't a kid anymore. Andrew (Taylor) isn't a kid anymore. Kris Lee isn't a kid anymore. And I think we've got 10 guys on staff that played here. It's special to them."

Centennial completely dominated the first 23 minutes of play Friday. Sophomore running back Darrion Bartholomew ran in a one-yard touchdown after freshman slot back Jhaheem Brown's 55-yard burst set it up.

Alvarez ended three more drives with successful field goals of 45, 29 and 33 yards. The Coyotes led 16-0 and stopped Reynolds on a scramble for fourth and 5 at the Bulldogs' 25.

"The first game, they converted 8 of 13 third downs. All week that was the emphasis. We went over each third down they converted 10 times. And we had to contain (Reynolds). He's a great player," Alvarez said.

A holding call on the play gave Taylor the option of backing up Queen Creek for third and 19 at the 11. He went with the percentage play and declined the penalty, expecting to get the ball near midfield with about 45 seconds left.

In retrospect, taking the penalty may have avoided a lot of pain. Queen Creek punter Jaron Liles ducked a tackle and got off a boot on the run that clipped a blocking Coyote.

The Bulldogs recovered at the Centennial 48 to kick off a remarkable sequence.

Reynolds immediately completed two passes, the second in the corner of the end zone to junior receiver Bear Fisher for a 15-yard touchdown. After a Reynolds two-point run it was 16-8 with 20 seconds left.

The Bulldogs nearly were in position to tie after drilling an onside kick off a Coyote and recovering near midfield. Reynolds pass was caught just out of bounds and Tristan Vogt kicked a 29-yard field goal for a 16-11 halftime score.

"Man did they ever get the momentum. Everything was going their way. If they had 10 more minutes they probably would have scored 10 more touchdowns," Taylor said. "I could see the looks on our faces. It was bad. We had to snap them out of that. We told them they played a great half except for the last three minutes."

Queen Creek players pile up on Centennial junior running back Owen Reynoso (#1) during the fourth quarter of a 6A semifinal Nov. 29 in Queen Creek. (Courtesy JDigos Photography/For West Valley Preps).

After a chance to get their bearings, the Coyotes started the second half with a crucial 66-yard touchdown drive. On third and goal, Manna scrambled for a seven-yard score and Alvarez's kick pushed the lead to 23-11.

"We ran a flood concept and their linebackers dropped into the end zone," Manna said. "They were expecting a pass play and playing zone. Our offensive line did a good job scanning to the left and left that right side B gap open. I was able to attack it."

Queen Creek answered with its only extended drive of the night. Reynolds hit Fisher for 34 yards  on third and long, then ran 20 yards for a touchdown.

It was still 23-18 after three quarters, but a 40-yard pass from Manna to senior receiver/cornerback Shamar Berryhill flipped the field and put the ball in junior Owen Reynoso's hands.

The junior was Centennial's leading rusher but injured his ankle in the first quarter of the Coyotes' quarterfinal win at Casteel. The plan was for limited snaps, but plans change.

"I thought going in I was going to just be in for pass protection and stuff like that," Reynoso said. "Once the adrenaline started flowing I didn't feel my ankle anymore."

His offense line went to work and opened a chasm in the middle of the defense. Reynoso strolled 13 yards for a touchdown on a draw to start the fourth quarter.

After a quick defensive stop and senior Nikko Boncore-Montoya's punt return to the Bulldogs 22, Reynoso added a four-yard run for a TD and 37-18 lead.

"It wasn't their defense as much as our offense. Our offensive line just out worked them. It showed because I scored twice," Reynoso said. "I'm so happy for everybody."

But senior cornerback Crew Leavitt would not let the Bulldogs fade quietly.  In the third quarter he made a play of the year candidate, a leaping one-handed interception of Manna.

Down 19, Leavitt saw the ensuing kickoff bounce over his head. But he backtracked and took advantage of the rhythm of the play being off and dashed down his sideline for an 92-yard return touchdown.

Vogt's kickoff bounced laterally along the 1-yard line and Centennial only returned it to their 2. That led to the Bulldogs starting their next drive on the Coyotes' 49.

Reynolds connected with senior Kace Grimmer for a 30-yard touchdown. Centennial batted away a two-point pass and it was 37-32.

"They've been doing that all year," Taylor said. "They played really hard. We won. But I'm not sure I can watch that game again."

In the final two minutes, Manna scrambled for seven on third and seven to force Queen Creek to use its time outs, and Reynoso finished the game by getting another first down.

Out of the ashes of Centennial's other 3-7 season in 2021, the same year as that 3-6 freshman team, the Coyotes made their second straight title game. Liberty denied Centennial in the 2023 Open Division final.

"We definitely had a lot higher expectations. 3-7 wasn't on our bingo card. Perseverance is real. We came together and fought as a team and we're in the spot we want to be," Manna said. "We could have easily gave up and a lot of schools would have."

Richard Smith
Senior News Editor | Glendale & West Valley Preps

rsmith@iniusa.org

Richard Smith has been with Independent Newsmedia since 2016, and worked at a Sun City-based news outfit covering the Northwest Valley for 22 consecutive years.

An NAU alum and lifelong Arizona resident, Richard began as a copy editor and page designer at Surprise Today and the Daily News-Sun, then rekindled his love of sports writing by taking the reins on West Valley Preps in 2008.

For most of the mid-2010s he was the Surprise editor and West Valley Preps reporter. Now he’s the West Valley Preps Editor and Surprise Associate Editor.

As COVID restrictions slowly lift, Richard is cautiously optimistic he will visit book stores, football fields and gyms again this fall.