Stevenson’s work pays off as Bulldogs beat Spartans

Centennial running back Rhamondre Stevenson worked all week with his coaches on staying low, pushing forward and delivering shots rather than taking them while he’s running.

His work paid off Friday night, as the 6-foot, 200-pound junior rumbled for 213 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries and to lead the Bulldogs to a 37-14 homecoming victory over visiting Cimarron-Memorial.

“My linemen were getting a good push, and in the second half it really opened up,” Stevenson said. “Me and my coaches worked hard all week … and I think that helped me out a lot tonight.”

Centennial (6-0, 2-0 Northwest) turned a close game into a rout, by outscoring the Spartans 24-7 in the second half, while outgaining them 463-215 for the game. The Spartans managed just 2 yards rushing in the second half, as Centennial’s defense tightened up. The Bulldogs held Cimarron to a total of 55 yards after halftime.

“When our defense is playing well and Zach (Mays) is kicking the ball like he did, it’s very difficult to beat us,” Centennial coach Leon Evans said. “He did a great job kicking the ball tonight.”

Mays, who orally committed to attend Cornell, kicked three field goals, including a 44-yarder in the third quarter, to help the Bulldogs keep their distance. Quarterback Juan Rodriguez completed 8 of 16 passes for 113 yards and ran for an additional 59 yards and one TD.

Running back Tyree Riley rushed for 74 yards on 21 attempts to lead Cimarron.

The Spartans (2-4, 0-1) got on the board first, scoring on the game’s opening drive, as Adam Mitchell turned a short pass from Derek Morefield into a nifty 73-yard touchdown reception.

The Bulldogs wasted no time in responding, going 65 yards in five plays, highlighted by a 36-yard run by Stevenson, and culminating with his 8-yard rush for a touchdown.

Neither team would find the end zone the rest of the half, as Mays’ two field goals gave the Bulldogs a 13-7 edge at halftime.

“They came out and played tough; that’s the Cimarron football program,” Evans said. “They’re a good football program and always have been and we knew they were going to come in here ready to play us tonight. But we’re still a run-heavy football team and once we get the running game going, we open up our passing game and the rest of our play-action game.”

Centennial scored on the opening drive of the second half, driving 80 yards in nine plays, as Rodriguez ran 16-yards for a touchdown, to extend the lead to 20-7.

After holding the Spartans to three-and-out on their next drive, Centennial managed to get inside the red zone after Rodriguez and Stevenson hooked up on a 44-yard pass play, but two false starts pushed the Bulldogs back to the Cimarron 27, leaving it to Mays to boot his 44-yard field.

Stevenson’s second touchdown of the game, a 2-yard run at the 10:35 mark of the fourth quarter, put the game out of reach.