Question Number One: How will Centennial respond to adversity in the state championship game?
A championship game is stressful, and how you choose to respond to adversity says a lot about you as a person. This season, the Centennial Bulldogs had to decide how they would respond to serious adversity. After winning the 2023 4A State Title, Centennial was moved to the 5A III and opened the 2024 season 0-4. The team then picked up their first win of the season, a 45-26 victory over Sunrise Mountain, before dropping another game, this time to Canyon Springs, 48-41. Their record stood at 1-5. There had to have been anger, doubt, and frustrations, perhaps even temptation to quit or to believe that a successful season was beyond their grasp, but this team refused to quit and refused to believe the season was lost. They won five in a row including playoff wins over Clark and Desert Oasis to put them in the 5A III State Title game with the Galena Grizzlies. Look for Centennial to stand strong in the face of adversity in the game.
Question Number Two: Will last year’s state championship game experience benefit Galena when they take the field with Centennial?
Galena played for the 5A III State Title last year, coming up short, 21-14, watching Legacy celebrate the victory. That has to have been a motivating factor for Galena this season. One can imagine their coaches calling for them to work harder all offseason so they could get back into position to win Galena its first state title in football. Galena started the season 2-0 before losing to Oakdale (CA) and Reno High. Sitting at 2-2, the Galena players chose to trust the process, their coaches, and each other; the reward has been seven straight wins including playoff wins over North Valleys and Damonte Ranch. With players like Colson Kermode, Ben Imse, and Matthew Rittenhouse leading the way, look for Galena to stand strong under pressure.
Question Number Three: How will Galena’s defense handle Centennial’s offense?
The starting quarterback for Centennial is Ashton Hunt, junior, who has thrown for 1347 yards this season in 11 games, 12 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Senior running back Khy Harris is averaging 109.9 yards per game, has rushed for 1099 yards this season, and has 16 touchdowns. Centennial is averaging 35 points per game this season. Galena’s defense surrenders just 14 points per game, however, the challenge for the Grizzlies will be facing an offense that has better weapons and more balance than a number of the teams they faced this season.
Question Number Four: Will Colson Kermode frustrate Centennial’s defense the way he has other defenses?
On offense, Galena depends on senior quarterback Colson Kermode. Kermode averages five yards per carry while also having thrown for 1639 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Kermode has proven to be difficult to bring down for defenders and with weapons like Ben Imse and Matthew Rittenhouse, Centennial will be hard pressed to slow down a Galena offense averaging 31 points per contest. Each football game has games within the game, in this state title game one of those games within the game will be Centennial’s defensive coordinator, and his defense, versus Colson Kermode, and that might just decide the outcome.
Question Number Five: Why is a state championship game being played on a Monday at noon?
That is a question the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association would have to answer. As a kid growing up in Denver, I loved championship Saturday. All the Colorado High School Activities Association football title games were played on the same Saturday, throughout the state. Local stations would bid for the rights to broadcast the games, my friends and I would sit there for hours watching different schools play. Perhaps in our rush to see kids grow up we have forgotten that they are just kids, they don’t need to play in an NFL stadium for there to be pomp and circumstance. We can give kids a once-in-a-lifetime championship experience on a public-school campus or, if available for the right price, on a college campus. Saturday championship games make it much easier for friends and family to get to the game. In addition, weekday championship games require taking time off of work and pulling younger siblings out of school and speaking of school, we appear to have forgotten that they are student athletes and that weekday games mean they are missing valuable class time and in-person instruction. I am sure there are factors I am unaware of, and perhaps my sense of nostalgia needs to take a break, but Championship Saturday just feels right.
5A III STATE TITLE GAME
North Champion Galena Grizzlies, 9-2, ranked 14th according to MaxPreps
South Champion Centennial Bulldogs, 6-5, ranked 21st according to MaxPreps
Noon, Monday November 25th
Bishop Gorman High School
Get your tickets in advance from the NIAA website
About Your Author: Lynn Ault covers high school athletics for Battle Born Preps while also working with middle and high school students for Hope Community, a non-denominational church in south Reno. His wife, A'Laina, works at Damonte Ranch, where Lynn announces a number of sports and helps with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club.
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