Centennial claims Northwest title

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 11:08 a.m.

Throughout the 2001 high school football season, most of the attention on the west side of town has been heaped on No. 4 Palo Verde and No. 6 Durango, two teams with one loss apiece entering week nine.

Third-year Centennial, meanwhile, quietly put together one of the area's strongest campaigns, winning five of its first eight games and losing the other three by a combined 18 points -- two to ranked foes and the third in double-overtime.

On Thursday night, the Bulldogs stepped out of the shadows and squarely into the spotlight, defeating visiting Palo Verde 21-14 to claim the Northwest Division title and a top seed in the upcoming 4A Sunset Region Tournament.

"We had to establish ourselves, prove ourselves and earn some respect," Centennial coach Greg Murphy said. "I told them if you win, you'll get respect."

The Bulldogs (6-3, 4-0) took a 13-7 lead out of the halftime locker room, then took control of the contest just 23 seconds into the third quarter, when defensive lineman Jon Tripp scooped up a Panther fumble and rumbled 26 yards for a touchdown.

Cory Gray passed to Mike Smith for the ensuing two-point conversion, and the hosts led 21-7.

The Panthers (7-2, 2-2), who needed to win by three points to capture the division title and avoid a third-place finish, struggled to mount a comeback, going 3-and-out on their next three possessions and turning it over with another fumble midway through the final quarter.

"Our defense stepped up a lot," said Centennial quarterback Cory Gray, who passed for a pair of touchdowns, including a 34-yard strike to a leaping Cole Miyahira in the game's opening quarter. "They wanted it so bad. We talked about that all week."

Still, Palo Verde managed to make things interesting in the closing minutes, capping a 64-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Dayton Ponder to Jordan Wilmore with 1:41 to play.

The Panthers then appeared to recover an onside kick, but the play was called back when referees ruled the ball did not travel 10 yards.

"I'm the happiest man in the world," proclaimed running back Patrick Gray after the final seconds ticked off the clock. "It's one of the best feelings of my life."

Gray finished with 101 yards on 15 carries, with Devin Patterson adding 75 yards on 12 attempts. Ponder led the way for the Panthers, completing 9-of-17 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, one of them an 89-yarder to Loren Perkins-Johnson.

"These kids deserve every bit of it," Murphy said. "They met the first challenge. We knew tonight was the start of a new season."

The Bulldogs will host Bonanza (1-7) in round one of the playoffs next Friday, while Palo Verde will travel to face Durango (8-1).