#8 Mountain View knocks off #9 Centennial to advance to Open Quarterfinals

In what was a rematch of the 2024 6A championship game, the Mountain View Toros took down the Centennial Coyotes 22-14 to secure the #8 seed in the Open Division.

The Toros looked sharp on both sides of the ball to start the game. 

They owned the trenches from the beginning, as senior quarterback Brady Goodman, senior wide receiver Talan Arnett, and junior running back Coy Bodily all had crucial run plays on the first drive. 

Getting in the end zone on the first drive for Mountain View was Goodman, who kept it himself for a 1-yard touchdown. 

They then went for a two-point conversion, and it was Bodily who converted it for them. 

Mountain View then scored on its next drive, making it two touchdowns on two drives.

It was their run game that once again helped them find the end zone as Bodily scampered for a 24-yard touchdown. 

Relying heavily on the ground game worked well for the Toros, and Bodily was pleased with the physicality on the offensive line. 

“Very physical on the line, our boys are dominant when they get the chance to be,” Bodily said. “I’m really proud of them; they do great every single week.” 

In the middle of the second quarter, though, Centennial got a positive play to go their way on defense. 

Once again, Mountain View was heading towards the end zone, but that all stopped, though, when Centennial junior defensive back Nathaniel Olmos snagged an interception. 

The Coyotes' offense was not able to make anything of the turnover, though, and ultimately punted the ball away. 

Making up for the interception, Mountain View added to its lead. 

Goodman fired a missile to senior wide receiver Zachary Galviz for a 14-yard touchdown. 

Having a strong start was a main priority for Mountain View, and they did just that behind their star quarterback Goodman. 

“I thought this season we’ve been struggling to start fast,” Goodman said. “I think finding that balance of starting fast and ending strong will help us.” 

Centennial, needing a positive drive before halftime, was able to put points on the board. 

The Coyotes' big play of the drive was when their senior running back, Owen Reynoso, had a 60-yard run play to set up Centennial near the goal line. 

Two plays later, Centennials junior quarterback Titus Hill found junior wide receiver Qwyntyn Hadley for a 3-yard touchdown. 

The Coyotes were able to carry that drive's momentum early in the third quarter. 

On their opening drive of the second half, Centennial found the end zone again as Hill connected with Hadley once again, this time for a 5-yard touchdown. 

Both teams then stalled on offense for the rest of the second half.

Centennial struggled to find success after their back-to-back touchdown drives, and Mountain View found themselves in field goal range twice, but both field goal attempts were no good. 

However, one staple of the game was how good the Toros' defense was. 

With 4 minutes left in the game, Centennial had a chance to go down the field and tie the game up. 

The attempt was no good as on 4th and 14, Mountain View's defense forced an incomplete pass and got the turnover on downs. 

Mountain View then iced the game as Goodman and Bodily moved the chains to run the clock out. 

With the win over Centennial, Goodman will get to finish off his high school career playing in the Open Division. Mountain View head coach Andy Litten said it’s where he belongs. 

“He is one of, if not the best, I’ve ever coached,” Litten said. “He’s a great teammate, a great person. He plays his heart out.” 

Mountain View is filled top to bottom with talent, and they think they can be the best, and they’ll have the opportunity to show Arizona that when they face Hamilton next Friday night. 

“I think we can play with anybody,” Litten said. “Our biggest opponent is ourselves.”

Next up: Mountain View will place Hamilton in the Open Division quarterfinals. Now 2-seeded Centennial will face #7 Mesa in the 6A quarterfinals.