Rematch of the Year in Class 5A Semis
The biggest game of the year so for Independence and Centennial comes against each other on Friday night.
The Cougars (12-1) and the Eagles (13-0) square off against each other in Thompson Station in the Class 5A semifinals and the winner goes on to the state championship 2015 Blue Cross Bowl.
The teams won convincingly in the quarterfinals. Centennial shut out Henry County 25-0. Independence beat Hillsboro 28-20 in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score.
“We are honored and proud to have advanced for the first time to the semis,” said Centennial head coach Brian Rector.
“Make the commitment to give this your all over the next few weeks and I promise you, great things will happen,” he said to his team on Friday night.
Both teams are playing their best football of the year, but Centennial has to be the underdog in this one: See that 1 on the right side of the Cougars record? The sole blemish in a stellar season? That came from Independence, way back in August.
But time has done little to dull the stark statement the 49-6 loss said about the match up between these two teams. Since then, Independence won Region 5-5A and Centennial won out and got the Region7-5A crown.
Indpendence is the same team it was in August, better even given a season of experience.
Centennial is much the same, team, too, experience being the only difference.
This match up comes down to the question of what happens when an unstoppable force (the Independence offense) meets an unmovable object (the Cougar defense).
In August, Indy quarterback Andrew Bunch threw four touchdowns and ran in another, all before halftime, as the Eagles- as they so often have this year- jumped out to an insurmountable lead before the other team knew what hit them.
Centennial, a defense-first, run-and-grind team that wins by controlling the clock and wearing their opponent down, is not built to play from behind.
They have a talented quarterback, Tristan Pisacane, and athletic, vertical receiving threats in Devious Christmon, Austin Waddell and tight end De’Sean McLemore. But the Cougars are not used to relying on their receiving game for wins.
Independence is.
If Centennial wants to have a hope in this game, they absolutely need to use star linebacker Tyrel Dodson and their defensive line to put pressure on Bunch, and the secondary, led by Peyton Pisacane, needs to lock down receivers Seth Huner and Nate Johnson.
And they need to do it right out of the gate.
A big first quarter by Independence could decide the game. A big game by Centennial could win it.
Whoever sets the tone, and maintains intensity, will wrest control. These teams want to play very different kinds of football. Whichever is able to impose its will on the other in this one will win.
(For all scores live on Friday night, check out our Scoreboard)
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