‘Hump’ game in store for Bulldogs
Centennial was rolling during the early part of the football season, getting off to a 3-0 start before hitting a speed bump last week against Cimarron-Memorial.
Now the Bulldogs need to regain momentum and keep that speed bump from becoming a mountain as they try to make a run at the playoffs.
The first hurdle comes at 7 tonight when Centennial (3-1, 0-1 Northwest Division) plays at second-ranked Palo Verde (4-0, 1-0).
"This is the hump game," Centennial coach George Baker said. "We've got to come up over the hill on this one to get some speed for the rest of the season. It's a huge game for us.
"And with them being undefeated, that makes it even bigger."
The Bulldogs were in a similar position last season. They were 2-1, but back-to-back losses to Cimarron and Palo Verde to start league play put the team in a hole.
Centennial finished fifth in the Northwest and missed the postseason.
"When you start out conference play with Cimarron and Palo Verde back to back, wow," Baker said. "That's two big challenges right off the bat."
Things don't get much easier for the Bulldogs after Palo Verde. They face sixth-ranked Mojave (4-0) next week and Cheyenne (3-1) after that.
But first, Centennial must focus on Palo Verde, which has played in the state semifinals the past five seasons while relying on its double-wing offense.
"The most impressive thing about Palo Verde is they don't miss a beat," Baker said. "They run that offense, and they run it to perfection. They find people to play the positions, they put the best people in those positions, and they teach them."
That has meant annually reloading at running back. Sophomore Sidney Hodge leads the Panthers with 333 yards and three touchdowns, but two other backs have topped 200 yards, and five players have at least two TD runs.
Baker said his team has gotten into trouble in the past by trying to dissect the Palo Verde attack. He said the Bulldogs will take a more aggressive approach this season.
"One of our problems before is we tried to diagnose what they're doing," Baker said. "So we're just going to attack it."
Palo Verde coach Darwin Rost came away impressed after watching film of Centennial's 20-14 loss to Cimarron.
"They're one or two plays away from being undefeated," Rost said. "They played real well."
Rost said he is pleased with his team's defense in recent weeks. The Panthers have allowed 44 points in the past three games after giving up 40 in the season opener.
"The last two weeks I think we've controlled the ball a little bit," Rost said. "I think we're stepping up and playing a lot better defense. We're hitting people harder than we did the first two weeks."
Baker's team also has played good defense this season, allowing an average of 13.8 points. He said he was happy with his team's effort against Cimarron but said the Bulldogs need to come up with a victory this week.
"The kids played with a lot of pride, heart and character," Baker said. "But there's no moral victories. Whether you lose by one, lose by six or lose by 40, it's all a loss in the record column."
Preps Central
TODAY'S SCHEDULE All times 7 p.m., unless noted Class 4A • Bishop Gorman at Bonanza • Centennial at Palo Verde • Cheyenne at Legacy • Cimarron-Memorial at Shadow Ridge • Clark at Western • Del Sol at Green Valley • Durango at Spring Valley • Foothill at Basic • Las Vegas at Eldorado • Liberty at Coronado • Mojave at Arbor View • Rancho at Valley • Sierra Vista at Canyon Springs • Desert Pines at Chaparral, 7:30 p.m. Small schools • Faith Lutheran at Virgin Valley • Indian Springs at Round Mountain • Moapa Valley at Boulder City • Spring Mountain at Tonopah • The Meadows at White Pine KEY GAMES FOOTHILL (0-5, 0-2 SOUTHEAST) AT BASIC (5-0, 1-0) -- This matchup of nearby rivals is usually interesting, regardless of the records. The Falcons know that as well as anyone. They took an 8-0 mark against a 4-5 Basic team in 2005, only to have the Wolves win 40-21. BISHOP GORMAN (4-0, 0-0 SOUTHWEST) AT BONANZA (1-3, 0-1) -- The top-ranked Gaels finally take on a local team, albeit one they've owned in recent years. Gorman has outscored Bonanza 119-20 in the past two meetings. DEL SOL (4-0, 2-0 SOUTHEAST) AT GREEN VALLEY (1-3, 1-0) -- A slow nonleague start would be forgotten if the Gators could pull off an upset against the fourth-ranked Dragons. Del Sol has had plenty of success running the ball behind its massive offensive line, but Green Valley has been strong defensively, yielding an average of 15.6 points per game. And the Gators counter with their rushing attack, paced by Frank Satterfield, who has rushed for 471 yards in his last two starts. FAITH LUTHERAN (4-1) AT VIRGIN VALLEY (4-1) -- The 3A Southern League opener for teams that split last season. Faith Lutheran beat the Bulldogs 31-15 during the regular season, but Virgin Valley won 28-7 in the playoffs on the way to capturing the state title. DAMON SEITERS / REVIEW-JOURNAL
