Top-ranked Centennial begins the toughest stretch of its schedule Friday night as the Coyotes travel to third-ranked Apollo for a key Division II, Section I matchup with the Hawks. It should be a high scoring affair as the teams rank one-two in points scored in the division. Apollo head coach Zack Threadgill said he “expects Friday to be a great atmosphere and exciting game to watch. I think we are going to have to play great on both sides of the ball and special teams in order to win this football game. “

The Coyotes have cruised to a 3-and-0 record so far this season, outscoring their opponents 179-32, which includes a 76-19 rout of La Joya on the road last week. The victory put Centennial at the top of the aia365.com rankings released earlier this week for the first time. However, the road gets even tougher for Centennial. After Friday’s game at Apollo, the Coyotes host 12th-ranked Willow Canyon next week before traveling to seventh-ranked Ironwood Ridge on September 28th. Centennial head coach Richard Taylor said the “next three weeks with Apollo, Willow (Canyon), and (Ironwood) Ridge will be a real test. It should give us a good idea of where we stand.”

Centennial's starting defensive unit has held opponents to just 29 total yards of offense and has yet to give up a touchdown, despite missing star defensive end Marcus Farria in the first three games. Taylor said the senior will return next week against Willow Canyon. The defense collectively has limited teams to just 163 yards in the three wins. On the other side of the ball, senior quarterback Tre Grant has thrown for 411 yards and six touchdowns. Jalen Ortiz leads a balanced ground game that has racked up 741 yards and 11 TDs.

Apollo is off to its second straight 3-and-0 start and is aiming to win four in-a-row to begin a season for the first time since opening up 8-and-0 in 2009. The Hawks crushed Ironwood on the road last Friday, 53-7, and have outscored their first three opponents, 156-49. Junior quarterback Jordan Gungl {Jungle} has thrown for just under 700 yards with nine TDs and two interceptions. The Hawks rushing attack has suffered some injuries, losing Robert Walls in their preseason scrimmage against Greenway. Threadgill said Nico Bayless, who ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the Hawks’ 57-40 season opening win over Peoria, is questionable for Friday's game. The Hawks may have to lean on senior wide receiver Abe Mendivil, who ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries last week. He also had two catches for 105 yards, including a 95-yard TD grab that put the game away.

Apollo holds a 2-1-and-1 record in the all-time series, but Centennial won 40-28 in the most recent matchup last year in Peoria. Asked how to his team will try to slow down Centennial’s high powered offense, Threadgill said “we have to play one possession, one play at a time. We need to be good in third down situations and do our best to prevent the big play.”

Prior to last season’s game, the teams hadn't met since playing three times in the mid-90's. The Hawks played the Coyotes close last year, but Jalen Ortiz and Zach Hoffpauir, now at Stanford, were just too much. Ortiz had 174 of the teams 231 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns, while Hoffpauir found the end zone four times as Centennial pulled away late for the victory.

This could be a future playoff matchup but coach Threadgill won’t let his team overlook this game. “We are currently focused on game four of our season right now and what we can do to win this game…..If we play them again, then I'm sure this experience will help us down the road, but we are not worried at all about that right now. We are focused on Friday night.” Kickoff is set for 7pm.

By Thomas Jenkins