The Open Division football state championship game will be a rare and exclusive westside story.
Forty-one years have passed since the biggest stage in Arizona prep football has included two schools west of the I-17, but next Saturday that’s exactly what will happen.
Centennial punched its ticket to the title game by way of a 35-27 victory over defending Open champ Basha Saturday night in a semifinal clash at Dobson High in Mesa.
Centennial sophomore quarterback Kainan Manna threw three touchdown passes, while the Coyotes ferocious defense did just enough to end the reign of Basha's superstar quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
Centennial (11-1) will get another shot at its Peoria rival Liberty next week at Arizona State’s Mountain America Stadium.  
Liberty manhandled Highland 54-12 in the other Open semifinal, and dealt Centennial its only loss of the season in week 10 (36-17). 
“That’s what we wanted,” Manna said after Saturday night’s victory.
“We’ve wanted that rematch since November 3rd, so I’m excited to get there. I’m glad we got through two tough teams, because that rematch is what we’ve been waiting for.”

Basha finished the season 10-2, and will say goodbye to the best player in school history.

 

Big Plays Both Ways

In addition to Manna playing beyond his years, Centennial’s celebrated veterans were difference makers on both sides of the ball. Senior Noah Carter was a monster on defense, harassing Williams and holding Basha’s rushing attack all game long from his defensive end position. The future Washington Husky also caught a nine yard touchdown pass in the second quarter that gave the Coyotes a 21-7 lead.

Fellow senior Kenneth Worthy III used his speed to put Centennial on the board first, bursting through the Basha defense for a 91-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. The Washington State commit added a 36-yard scoring run in the third quarter, and was all over the field defensively, delivering a handful of jarring hits to Williams and others.

Hayden Allen caught Manna’s other two touchdown passes. The first was a 25-yarder in the first half, and the second on a perfectly thrown 61-yard connection early in the fourth quarter which gave Centennial its final score of the night and a 35-21 cushion.

“I’ve got a great team I’m blessed to play with and my teammates were amazing tonight,” Manna commented on his offensive weaponry.

Worthy finished with 167 yards rushing, and struggled to keep his emotions in check afterward.

“This is everything I’ve been working for and it’s really my dream,” Worthy told reporters afterward.

“We’ve worked all year for this game and to get to ASU, and to get Centennial back to where we belong.”

Demond Williams Jr: An Extensive Case Study

Centennial coach Richard Taylor is no stranger to championship games.

He’s won seven championships at Centennial–including the 6A title in 2015. So when it came to preparation this week, he and his staff did a thorough and exhausting study of Demond Williams' entire 2023 season.

“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen,” Taylor said of Williams.

“Our defensive coaches put in so much time this week. They watched every single play that Basha ran this year from every single game. Then they broke it down to every one of (Williams) touchdown runs and touchdown passes. You’re not going to stop him, but we wanted to at least try to slow him down, and I think we were fortunate enough to do that tonight.”

The overtime preparation notwithstanding, Williams played his typical brand of dazzling football, throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 117 rushing yards and his two scoring runs. More than anything, it was Centennial’s physicality that may have been the difference.

Williams is not one to shy away from contact, but the Coyotes dished out more punishment than any other Basha opponent this season.

After Williams tied the score at 7-7 with a 55-yard scoring jaunt, the Bears spent the rest of the night playing catch up. Javery Mayberry and Darron Dodd were on the receiving end of Williams' second half scoring passes. 

“(Coach Taylor) he’s done it and he’s been here before over and over again, and there’s no one I’d rather do it with," Worthy added. 

 

Ben Stapley is a staff reporter for AZPreps365. Follow him on 'X' @AZPreps365Ben. For human interest story ideas, contact him at bstapley@azpreps365.com