Centennial Pulls Away from Casteel in 6A Championship Rematch to Remain Undefeated

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Centennial pulled away from Casteel in the second half Friday night, scoring 18 points in the third quarter to secure a 34-17 victory and remain undefeated.

The Coyotes improved to 5-0 with the win, while the Colts fell to 0-5.

Both teams opened the first quarter with lengthy drives.

Centennial started with the ball, implementing multiple run plays and draining a lot of clock. However, the Coyotes eventually got stopped by the Colts’ defense.

Casteel responded with a long drive of their own, moving the ball into Centennial territory after completing a long catch.

The Colts continued the drive before settling for a field goal to take a 3-0 lead late in the first quarter.

Sophomore kicker Jax Demmelmaier completed the short kick.

Centennial began the second quarter with possession but was forced to punt once again, giving Casteel the ball past the 50-yard line.

While the Colts looked to extend their lead, they were unable to capitalize against a tough Coyote defense and punted the ball back to the Coyotes around the 20-yard line.

Centennial then found its offense once sophomore quarterback Jonah Garcillano took over.

The Coyotes started to make progress offensively as Centennial Garcillano started to connect with his receivers.

Shortly after, Garcillano connected with junior tight end Torrin Hill on an extremely long gain for the first touchdown of the night.

The Coyotes added the extra point to take a 7-3 lead.

Centennial’s defense started to make an impact on the next Casteel possession.

After holding the Colts to a punt, the Coyotes were able to block the punt, forcing it out the back of the end zone and resulting in a safety.

The safety extended the Coyotes' lead to 9-3 around midway through the second quarter.

The Coyotes continued to build off their momentum following the safety.

Centennial’s offense moved the ball down the field entering the Colts territory.

Moments later, Garcillano picked up his second passing touchdown of the night, completing the deep ball to junior wide receiver Jason Lee down the sideline.

The Colts looked to respond before halftime, driving all the way down inside the 20-yard line late in the first half.

Casteel senior quarterback Tee Smith orchestrated the great drive.

Finishing it with a deep pass to senior wide receiver Troy Jauregui for a long touchdown.

With only one minute and 14 seconds remaining, the Colts trailed 10-16 after completing the extra point.

The Colts carried that momentum into the third quarter.

Casteel opened the second half with a strong offensive drive, moving the ball from midfield to inside Centennial’s 30-yard line.

Smith then connected on his second passing touchdown of the night.

Senior running back Wyatt Defreitas caught it after sneaking out of the backfield to give the Colts the lead early in the third quarter.

The Colts led 17-16.

Centennial did not hesitate, as shortly after the Coyotes responded.

Garcillano drove the Coyotes past midway and then connected with junior wide receiver Qwyntyn Hadley on the deep pass down the sideline for a touchdown.

The Coyotes completed the 2-point conversion to give themselves a 24-17 edge.

Centennial’s defense kept their foot on the gas, coming up with multiple key plays and then recovering a Casteel fumble at the Colts’ 40-yard line.

The Coyotes looked to carry their momentum and capitalized.

Garcillano connected on his fourth passing touchdown of the night, finding Hill on the deep ball over the middle for his second touchdown reception of the night.

With just under nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Coyotes were able to extend their lead to 31-17.

This game was huge for Centennial after losing to Casteel in the 6A championship.

“Get back, I mean, obviously they beat us last year in State, and we had to get our get back this game, and I think we proved it,” Hill mentioned when asked about his mindset heading into tonight's matchup.

Casteel struggled to regain control of their offensive rhythm following the turnover.

The Colts were forced to punt, giving Centennial another opportunity to add to its lead.

Centennial continued to move down the field as the third quarter progressed.

The Coyotes offense wasn’t able to score another touchdown, but senior kicker Jermiah Harvey was able to drill a field goal to make it a three possession game.

The Colts attempted to mount a comeback in the fourth quarter, but Centennial’s defense continued to prevent Casteel from finding the end zone.

Garcillano and the Coyotes were able to drain the clock and maintain possession, limiting Casteel’s opportunities for the remainder of the game.

Casteel continued to battle until the final whistle, even attempting a 47-yard field goal about midway into the fourth quarter, but it missed to the right side.

The Coyotes 18 points in the third quarter alone were a key part of tonight's victory, while also holding the Colts to zero points in the fourth quarter.

The win keeps Centennial undefeated at 5-0 as the Coyotes continue their season and prepare for Sandra Day O’Connor at home.

“I’m elated with our team tonight”, Coyotes head coach Andrew Taylor mentioned following the game. “We really showed a lot of heart and toughness against a really good Casteel team.”

Next up: 0-5 Casteel looks to get in the win column when they take on 4-1 Desert Vista. 5-0 Centennial looks to stay undefeated when they take on 3-2 O'Connor.