Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

kickoff 2015:

Centennial escapes Legacy with blocked extra point in final minute

high school football media day 2015

Christopher DeVargas

Centennial high football players Sky Rodriguez, Tishawn Barnaby, and Paul Blair before the 2015 Season.

Prep Sports Now

Kickoff time

Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer and Case Keefer spend some extra time on the three biggest games of the week — Arbor View at Desert Pines, Chandler (Arizona) at Bishop Gorman and Liberty at Saint Louis (Hawaii) — before getting to their full picks. They also discuss the hypothetical first pick of a high school football fantasy draft.

Justice Selmon may have prevented one of the biggest high school football upsets of the year.

Centennial, the No. 3-ranked team in Southern Nevada, got all it could handle in a 27-26 victory against unranked Legacy in the teams’ season opener Friday night. The Longhorns just needed to make an extra-point to send the game to overtime with a minute left in regulation, but Selmon tipped the kick and forced a miss.

“It was just a matter of who could make some plays down at the end,” Centennial coach Leon Evans said. “We were able to block an extra point and then make a huge run to pick up a first down and run out the clock.”

Junior quarterback Jamaal Evans picked up the decisive yards on a keeper. Centennial leaned on the first-time starter all night, as he picked up 194 passing yards and a touchdown to go with 88 rushing yards.

Jamaal Evans had to pull Centennial out of a 13-0 hole created largely by the efficiency of Legacy’s running game and the ferociousness of its pass rush. Legacy senior Tiger Geeslin tore apart Centennial’s highly touted defensive front with 221 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Senior defensive end Derriyon Shaw recorded five sacks for the Longhorns.

“We earned our respect because everyone was talking about them as the No. 2 team and said they wouldn’t lose until Bishop Gorman in the playoffs,” Legacy coach John Isola said. “Our intention was to let everyone know Legacy is for real.”

Centennial rallied back behind Savon Scarver, who had 112 receiving yards and a touchdown. The score was tied at 13 going into halftime, but the Bulldogs took control in the third quarter.

Kavon Miller, who finished with 80 rushing yards, led them down the field and into the end zone on consecutive drives. Legacy roared back in the fourth quarter, but came up ever so short with the blocked extra point.

“I hope it shows our guys we can't take anyone lightly and come out and expect people to lay over because they’re playing Centennial,” Leon Evans said. “That game was going to be a barnburner. They are big up front, and they played us tough.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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