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Another stirring Battle

Posted by: Tony Bleill

Saturday, October 18, 2008 12:18 AM

Thoughts from a wet night at the Battle of Champaign, won by Central 31-21 with 10 points in the final 4 1/2 minutes:

--It evolved into a battle of running backs: Centennial bruiser Rayvonte Rice (189 yards) vs. Central speedster Denzel Stewart (199). I was impressed with both, although it was clear each side was getting tired near the end. The Chargers showed a great deal of pluck, playing the best all-around game I've seen them play in 2008. Ultimately, a series of plays early in the fourth quarter proved their undoing.

First, they wasted a botched punt by Central that set them up 30 yards from the end zone. After turning the ball over on downs, Centennial allowed the go-ahead scoring drive. The key play: Central converted 3rd-and-10 on a pass to Reggie Walker, who slipped a tackle and ran nearly the entire 10 yards after doing so.

After the go-ahead score, Centennial received the kickoff, but the player had his knees on the turf when he received the ball -- on his own 5-yard line. Then the Chargers shanked a punt, and Central turned that into a field goal with 3:07 left. Ballgame.

--Nice to see former Central coaches Tommy Stewart and Jeff Trigger watching from a golf cart near the south end zone. Including Centennial assistant Jeff Hasenstab, who coached the Maroons early in this century, four of the last five Central coaches were present, dating to Stewart's first season in 1953. Only Rich Wooley (1984-88) interrupted that foursome.

Former Centennial star Mikel Leshoure also made an appearance.

--One of the more encouraging signs for the Maroons was their attitude after facing some adversity. Too many times this season they've hung their heads -- or turned their anger on each other -- after a bad play or series of poor plays. Not this time. Central kept playing and managed to find a way to win, which has to make Dave Jacobs feel better about his team.

--Centennial coach Mike McDonnell pointed to two Central punt returns -- one returned for a score, the other setting up a score -- that proved decisive. But the Chargers' offense also was inconsistent. On its first possession of the game, the unit marched 93 yards for a touchdown in just seven plays. And on its first possession of the second half, the offense went 80 yards for another score. Very impressive. But those two drives accounted for 173 of Centennial's 345 total yards.