Northside Head Coach Kevin Kinsler described Centennial as a team headed in the right direction “in a hurry.”
True enough, the Knights finished 2017 with a 7-1 record in Region 7-AAAAAA, 8-4 overall and with two state playoff games under their belt. They also averaged about 45 points a game.
Still, 2018 has begun a bit different. Centennial, thanks to a 38-14 Eagles win, was a team – only time will tell where they go from here – headed in the wrong direction “in a hurry.”
Northside scored 10 of its points in the first quarter, seven in the second and third and then 14 in the fourth. The Knights found the endzone once in the second and once in the third.
Both punted to start the game. Turnovers helped move it in the Eagles’ favor. The first was a recovered fumble. Northside was unable to turn it into points – a rare miss by Cory Munson – but didn’t waste its second opportunity. It came via an interception by Raymario Allen and led to Munson getting back on track and connecting from 43 yards out. That came with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.
Eric Smith scored two of Northside’s touchdowns. Those came in the fourth quarter – a two-yard run and a run from six yards out. He finished with 185 yards on 20 carries and also helped set up a couple of scores. The first was by Donovan Delgado and following the field goal. He ran it in from the five. Smith’s contribution was a 55-yard run.
The second was a one-yard run by Jadin Daniels – the game in the second quarter by then. Smith’s contribution to that was a 44-yard pass reception. And oh by the way, credit Tubby McCall for his interception in getting that drive started. Munson converted both extra points and with that made it 17-0.
Centennial did cut it to a score thanks to Julian Nixon’s four-yard run to cap an 80-yard drive, and that’s where it stood at the half.
Willie Northern, with the point after added in, then made it 24-7 with his 80-yard run.
The Knights answered that with a pass from quarterback Max Brosmer to Rekevian Mathis to make it 24-14. That’s where it stood after three, with Smith adding in his scores to follow.
