It's not do or die for Centennial, but it's do or 0-2.

And starting the season with two straight losses is hardly ideal for a team with Open championship aspirations.

After battling Hamilton on the road last week in a hard fought, sometimes ugly contest, Centennial went home with a 17-10 loss. Junior quarterback Kainan Manna spent much of the game running for his life, and the Coyotes are young in terms of experience, but somehow they found themselves tied with Hamilton in the second half. 

The Huskies broke the tie before their defense stopped Centennial on its last three possessions to secure the win.

"We had opportunities against Hamilton but we just didn't capitalize," Mannan said of the loss to the Huskies.

Dropped passes and five sacks didn't help the Coyotes cause. But as the saying goes, there's no rest for the weary, and tonight Centennial is back on the road to the East Valley for another bought, this time with perennial 6A power Highland, an Open semifinalist from a year ago.

"We'll be ready," Mannan said of tonight's contest.

"We know (Highland) had an easy time last week, so we went back and watched film of their playoff game against Liberty last year. It got away from them early but they fought back. Hopefully we were able to see catch some of the their tendencies."

10 years since 0-2

The last time Centennial lost its first two games of the season was 2014. From that point the Coyotes reeled off 12 straight wins and captured the 5A state championship. That was before the Open division playoff era, which started in 2019. Open history has shown that three losses is the threshold for 6A teams with difficult schedules, which Centennial is facing this season. Next week they'll face another Open favorite in Brophy, and the second half of the season is no picnic either.

"We've known what our schedule has looked like for some time," added Mannan. But we have to look at each week and game one at a time."

Is Highland 'Open' in '24?

The Hawks lost plenty of firepower from last season, but depth and numbers have been a strength for Highland in recent years. Senior quarterback Kalen Fisher has started since midway through the 2022 season. He played efficient last week during a 35-0 rout of Shadow Ridge, throwing for 236 yards and three touchdowns, and most importantly no interceptions. Fisher lost his best receiver and deep threat Greg Toler, who transferred out of state, so it remains to be seen who will step up for Highland. 

Kash Allen led the Hawks last week with two touchdown receptions while rushing for 90 yards on 12 carries. Yet another Kullimore has already made an impact for Highland, as sophomore Kruz Cullimore averaged nearly seven yards per carry and scored a touchdown.

However, Highland knows its in for a much tougher contest tonight. The winner will feel much but better about its Open chances going forward.

 

Higley takes Flight

Two-time 5A defending state champion Higley departs Sky Harbor Airport this morning for Southern California for a match up with San Juan Hills. The Knights are making a weekend of it, as they'll hit Sea World on Saturday before attending the San Diego St-Oregon St. game Saturday night, finally flying home Sunday. But tonight's opponent will be anything but a vacation for Higley, who many picked to make the Open playoffs. 

San Juan Hills is one of Southern California's strongest programs, and this season appears to be no different. In two games, San Juan Hills has outscored its opponents 81-17, as it comes off an 11-2 season in which it reached the CIF Southern Section semifinals.

"They've got some studs," Higley coach Eddy Zubey said of San Juan Hills. "They've got a 5-star UCLA commit and some others who will play in college, plus a young qurterback who's on the rise. This is definitely my toughest out of state opponent."

Even with Desert Edge coming up in two weeks, tonight's opponent might be Higley's most difficult of the season. And out of state games count towards power points just like in state opponents.

Higley look flawless in last week's 42-0 rout of Campo Verde, and boasts two of the state's best quarterbacks in Luke Haugo and Gunner Fagrell. Much like its neighbor Highland, tonight's contest will pose a much tougher test for the Knights.