Sports Update
Last impression: Titans thump Heritage in district finale
BY CHRIS O'DELL, codell@starlocalnews.com
FRISCO -- Although there was little doubt who would win Thursday night's district contest between Centennial and Heritage, the game still had plenty of implications for each team.
The Titans had a chance to enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak and also clinch a share of the District 9-4A championship while the Coyotes looked to upset their cross-town rivals for Heritage's first district win of the season.
Centennial took care of business in convincing fashion, winning a 42-7 contest to finish the regular season with a 9-1 mark and 6-1 against 9-4A counterparts.
"We needed to have a pretty convincing win going into the playoffs," said Mark Howard, Centennial head coach.
Heritage (1-9, 0-7) seemed poised to make it a close game during the early going after taking the game's opening drive 75 yards for a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Twayne Blackwell capped the possession with a 2-yard run that put the Coyotes ahead 7-0 with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter.
"It was fun early on," said Che Hendrix, Heritage head coach. "The kids got off to a good start."
However, it took Centennial just 22 seconds to respond after taking the ensuing kickoff to the Heritage 3-yard line and junior Kelly Cordova punching it in from there to even the game at 7-7.
"We had a big letdown on that kickoff return," Hendrix said. "It gave [Centennial] a big spark and really got them going."
The quick score also seemed to ignite Centennial's defense, as the Coyotes were forced to punt on their next three drives.
That effort allowed senior quarterback Lamar Jordan and the Centennial offense to get going, with the Titans taking a 13-7 lead on their second possession of the game when sophomore running back Brandon Anderson found the end zone from 3 yards away with 4:56 left in the first.
Jordan then made it a 21-7 advantage by finding junior receiver Stoney Hawkins for a 6-yard strike after selling a fake handoff near the goal line. The touchdown made it a 21-7 affair heading into the second quarter.
A quick three-and-out from the Heritage offense gave the Titans a chance to widen their lead and Jordan capitalized on the opportunity by hitting senior receiver Cameron Peters on a fade route for a 12-yard score. The Peters grab put Centennial's advantage at 28-7 with 10:21 left in the opening half and no sign of life from the Heritage offense.
Following a turnover on downs, the Coyotes forced Centennial to punt for the first time in the game but followed the stop with an interception from Blackwell to senior linebacker Blair Swanner that gave the Titans possession at the Heritage 4-yard line.
Jordan then threw his third touchdown of the half after finding Hawkins once again, with a 14-yard hookup giving Centennial a 35-7 lead with just 3:03 remaining in the half.
"[Jordan] had a very solid game," Howard said. "He put the ball where he needed to."
The Arkansas commit finished the night with 157 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions after completing 14-of-20 pass attempts. The senior signal caller also added 38 yards on nine carries.
Jordan's counterpart, Blackwell, drove the Coyotes into Centennial territory on their final possession of the half. However, time expired before adding any points.
The sophomore threw for 215 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while completing 17-of-28 pass attempts and also ran for 62 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries.
Centennial tried to add an insurance field goal on its opening drive of the second half but a 41-yard attempt from senior kicker Austin Shoemake went wide left and kept the game at 35-7 with 7:11 remaining in the third.
Sophomore kicker Bryce Crawford tried to boot one in himself on Heritage's following drive. Things went from bad to worse for the Coyotes on the play though after senior Ranthony Texada blocked the attempt and senior Cydney Calvin returned it 90 yards for a touchdown to give the Titans a 42-7 lead.
"Centennial is a really solid team," Hendrix said. "They execute on offense, have a great defense and make big plays in special teams."
Neither team would score again after trading punts for a majority of the final frame, giving Centennial a 42-7 victory entering the postseason.
"I was really concerned about having a letdown tonight," Howard said. "Heritage is a very well-coached team and can be dangerous if you don't come ready to play."
The Titans will now take on third-place West Mesquite (7-2, 5-1) from District 10-4A in a 7:30 p.m. game on Friday from a site yet to be determined.
"[West Mesquite] is very athletic and very talented," Howard said. "They're very explosive on offense and have a lot of similarities to us."
Meanwhile, the Coyotes finish their season without a district win, but Hendrix said his team is heading in the right direction.
"We have a lot of guys coming back," he said. "We should have a lot of guys with varsity experience next year."
The Titans had a chance to enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak and also clinch a share of the District 9-4A championship while the Coyotes looked to upset their cross-town rivals for Heritage's first district win of the season.
Centennial took care of business in convincing fashion, winning a 42-7 contest to finish the regular season with a 9-1 mark and 6-1 against 9-4A counterparts.
"We needed to have a pretty convincing win going into the playoffs," said Mark Howard, Centennial head coach.
Heritage (1-9, 0-7) seemed poised to make it a close game during the early going after taking the game's opening drive 75 yards for a touchdown. Sophomore quarterback Twayne Blackwell capped the possession with a 2-yard run that put the Coyotes ahead 7-0 with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter.
"It was fun early on," said Che Hendrix, Heritage head coach. "The kids got off to a good start."
However, it took Centennial just 22 seconds to respond after taking the ensuing kickoff to the Heritage 3-yard line and junior Kelly Cordova punching it in from there to even the game at 7-7.
"We had a big letdown on that kickoff return," Hendrix said. "It gave [Centennial] a big spark and really got them going."
The quick score also seemed to ignite Centennial's defense, as the Coyotes were forced to punt on their next three drives.
That effort allowed senior quarterback Lamar Jordan and the Centennial offense to get going, with the Titans taking a 13-7 lead on their second possession of the game when sophomore running back Brandon Anderson found the end zone from 3 yards away with 4:56 left in the first.
Jordan then made it a 21-7 advantage by finding junior receiver Stoney Hawkins for a 6-yard strike after selling a fake handoff near the goal line. The touchdown made it a 21-7 affair heading into the second quarter.
A quick three-and-out from the Heritage offense gave the Titans a chance to widen their lead and Jordan capitalized on the opportunity by hitting senior receiver Cameron Peters on a fade route for a 12-yard score. The Peters grab put Centennial's advantage at 28-7 with 10:21 left in the opening half and no sign of life from the Heritage offense.
Following a turnover on downs, the Coyotes forced Centennial to punt for the first time in the game but followed the stop with an interception from Blackwell to senior linebacker Blair Swanner that gave the Titans possession at the Heritage 4-yard line.
Jordan then threw his third touchdown of the half after finding Hawkins once again, with a 14-yard hookup giving Centennial a 35-7 lead with just 3:03 remaining in the half.
"[Jordan] had a very solid game," Howard said. "He put the ball where he needed to."
The Arkansas commit finished the night with 157 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions after completing 14-of-20 pass attempts. The senior signal caller also added 38 yards on nine carries.
Jordan's counterpart, Blackwell, drove the Coyotes into Centennial territory on their final possession of the half. However, time expired before adding any points.
The sophomore threw for 215 yards, no touchdowns and one interception while completing 17-of-28 pass attempts and also ran for 62 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries.
Centennial tried to add an insurance field goal on its opening drive of the second half but a 41-yard attempt from senior kicker Austin Shoemake went wide left and kept the game at 35-7 with 7:11 remaining in the third.
Sophomore kicker Bryce Crawford tried to boot one in himself on Heritage's following drive. Things went from bad to worse for the Coyotes on the play though after senior Ranthony Texada blocked the attempt and senior Cydney Calvin returned it 90 yards for a touchdown to give the Titans a 42-7 lead.
"Centennial is a really solid team," Hendrix said. "They execute on offense, have a great defense and make big plays in special teams."
Neither team would score again after trading punts for a majority of the final frame, giving Centennial a 42-7 victory entering the postseason.
"I was really concerned about having a letdown tonight," Howard said. "Heritage is a very well-coached team and can be dangerous if you don't come ready to play."
The Titans will now take on third-place West Mesquite (7-2, 5-1) from District 10-4A in a 7:30 p.m. game on Friday from a site yet to be determined.
"[West Mesquite] is very athletic and very talented," Howard said. "They're very explosive on offense and have a lot of similarities to us."
Meanwhile, the Coyotes finish their season without a district win, but Hendrix said his team is heading in the right direction.
"We have a lot of guys coming back," he said. "We should have a lot of guys with varsity experience next year."
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