Centennial emerging as top contender for Open title
There is a power shift in Arizona high school football from one side of the Valley to another, a buzz that has made its way from the East Valley to Peoria.
Two schools stacked with talent in that West Valley community -- both from the same school district -- could be destined for another Open Division championship showdown next December.
Last season, Liberty dominated the competition and through for its first Open state title, a year after Chandler Basha kept the string of Open titles in the East Valley.
But as great as Liberty is, with transfers again expected to make it a top team, Centennial, which lost to Liberty in the title game last season, might not only have caught up but passed the Lions in a wild offseason of its own transfers.
While Liberty adds a big piece to what has become the best defense in Arizona with safety Zeth Thues transferring in from 6A champion Scottsdale Saguaro (the 2021 Open champ), Centennial has added several top transfers, most notably wide receivers/defensive backs Nikko Boncore (from Glendale Cactus) and Shamar Berryhill (from 3A champion Tucson Sabino).
Both quickly connected with their new teammates and found out how competitive it is on the 6A team, which takes pride in the time spent in the weight room to prepare for football season.
“They welcomed me with open arms,” said Berryhill, whose little brother Romeo has joined him and could be a varsity starter as a sophomore next season. “Just a lot of energy, building up for this season coming with spring ball and getting to work.”
Berryhill checks a lot of boxes, as the Coyotes move on from all-state cornerback/receiver Kenny Worthy III and allstate edge rusher/receiver Noah Carter, both of whom will be playing college ball next fall (Worthy at Washington State, Carter at Alabama).
Berryhill caught 75 passes for 1,392 yards and 20 TDs at Sabino last year. The jump from 3A to 6A is pretty big. But Berryhill, who comes from a strong family football pedigree, is up to the challenge, taking his game to a new level.
“It’s bigger in every way,” Berryhill said. “The weight room, on the field, the chemistry, the playbook, it’s different. I am on the learning stage. But when we get it down, we know it’s going to be good news.”
Boncore recovering, developing chemistry with new team
Boncore was an all-state receiver at Cactus the last two years, when he combined for 24 TD catches. Both of his sophomore and junior seasons he had more than 1,200 yards receiving. And that was while starting at cornerback.
He is recovering from a hip injury suffered in track and field season while long jumping, but he’s got lots of time before he’ll start his first game at Centennial. Because of the transfer move, he’ll take the five games sitting out and be ready to go by midseason. He’ll be back for 7on-7s
in June, though. Already, he feels the chemistry being around Centennial players this spring.
He teamed with returning quarterback Kainan Manna in youth football, so they have a good connection.
Because so many players at Centennial are trying to gain college football scholarships, Boncore said the competition in the program is tremendous.
“We’ve added a few key players here, including myself,” Boncore said. “Everybody just wants to do their part. The main goal is to go to the Open, win the state. We look at it as we need to build chemistry. We lost key pieces. But we’re building that chemistry and can’t wait for the season.”
Coach Richard Taylor can’t downplay this team. He’s won state championships in the past without a Division I quality player. Now he’s had several in the last year in addition to Worthy and Carter. Running back Derrion Bartholomew, a top 2027 prospect with offers from Arizona State and Colorado State, has been compared to former Centennial great Zidane Thomas, “only bigger,” Taylor said.
“These guys like each other,” Taylor said. “They work very hard. They listen. Expectations are high for them.”
Taylor calls Berryhill and Boncore “good guys” who were “accepted by the team right away.”
“They didn’t try to come in and tell people how good they are,” Taylor said. “They just showed them.”
Taylor is still trying to get to know all of the transfers.
Strong in the trenches and on defense as a whole
Jesus Diaz III, 6-4, 285, transferred in the winter from Cactus to Centennial. He’ll make a good offensive line even stronger. The Coyotes graduated a few starters from the line, but enough return who had playing time to be ready next season.
There’s already a strong nucleus back from last year’s team that lost to Liberty twice, including the Open final.
Middle linebacker/kicker Aaron Alvarez, quarterback Kainan Manna and nose guard Taurean Hall all are back, considered the backbone of this team. Hall, 6-1, 265, last season had 12 sacks. Hall believes the defense will be strong. He cited Julian Brown and Gavin Gardner as playmakers.
“We have a ton of athletes,” Hall said. “We’re very close already. And we just started.”
Manna calls this a new ride.
“It’s been fun,” he said. “We started with kind of a chip on our shoulder from last year. We’ve got new guys in places learning their jobs. It’s been a lot of determination to get it right.”
Taylor isn’t calling this coming season Open title or bust. But he knows there is talent, even if the two stars who mainly carried the Coyotes last season are gone.
“We talked to the seniors, and they said, ‘Coach, we might not have the stars that we had last year, so we’ve got to make up for it with good guys who work really hard,” Taylor said. “That can be done.”