No surprises for Centennial, Blaine

In retrospect, Centennial football coach Mike Watson sees his team's Week 2 upset of Blaine as a combination of the Cougars' talents and the Bengals' overconfidence.

Until defeating Blaine 34-25 on Sept. 11, Centennial was 0-5 against the Bengals since joining the Northwest Suburban Conference in 2004. Last season was the low point -- a 52-7 Blaine rout.

"When you beat a team as badly as they beat us last year, it's hard to take them seriously," Watson said. "We caught them by surprise."

In reality, the Cougars (9-1) have fooled everyone but Watson. He predicted his team would finish among the top three teams in the conference. Now the No. 2 seeded Cougars aim to be the last team standing in Class 5A, Section 7. Their final obstacle to the state tournament is No. 1 seed Blaine (8-1), which plays host to the section championship at 7 p.m. Friday.

Blaine coach Shannon Gerrety said his players were unmoved when he announced after Saturday's semifinal game victory that a rematch with Centennial was set.

"We're pretty business-like here," said Gerrety, whose Bengals went all the way to the state championship game last season. "It's sort of like, 'Who's next?'"

Neither team is drastically different than they were in the second week of the season, but personnel has changed and new playmakers have emerged.

Gerrety is most encouraged by his defense. The unit returned just two starters this season and Gerrety said, has "recently toughened up." Senior Travis Gavin, a 6-5, 270-pound defensive end, has developed into a strong player. And converted running back Chris Thomas ranks among the team leaders in tackles from his linebacker spot.

"He came over to defense the week of the first Centennial game," Gerrety said. "Chris is a hard hitter, and he and David Ackerman provide a lot of speed at linebacker for us."

The Bengals' defense, Gerrety said, must contain Centennial's myriad offensive threats. He offered high praise for Chris Anderson, the Cougars' tough-running, strong-armed quarterback.

"He kind of reminds me of James Peterson," Gerrety said. "He's a gunslinger that makes things happen."

Lousy field conditions in Centennial's section semifinal victory against Andover kept Anderson from attempting many throws, but he can erupt. He threw for a season-high 214 yards in the first meeting with Blaine and connected with Mike Golis for three touchdowns in the regular-season finale against Coon Rapids. Wide receiver Brian Sarvela caught eight passes for 109 yards and a score against Blaine.

The running backs in Centennial's wing-T offense are the shifty Adam LaMere -- who broke a 38-yard touchdown this season against Blaine -- and the workhorse, Jeff Burns. He set season highs for carries (29) and yards (130) against Andover.

Like Blaine, the Centennial defense needed an overhaul this season. Graduation claimed much of the unit's experience, but it also opened the door for the new guys to transition from eight-man fronts to a 3-4 scheme.

They must slow Blaine's spread offense, a group averaging 38.7 points per game. Quarterback Eric Kline accounted for four touchdowns in the loss to Centennial. He has 28 touchdowns this season, and his 809 rushing yards is second on the team to running back Mike Thai (823). Thai has scored a combined 21 touchdowns this season.

Despite getting the No. 1 seed, Blaine has something to prove in Friday's game. And Centennial knows there will be no surprises this time.

"If we go in there taking them lightly, we're going to get beat," Cougars senior safety Steve Lindner said. "If we take them seriously, we'll be all right."

David La Vaque • 612-673-7574