Centennial High School football coach DJ Campbell celebrates with his team and the Class 4A state championship trophy after Centennial defeated Sunrise Mountain 49-31 at Allegiant Stadium Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023.
Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023 | 8:02 p.m.
Vic Plotnikov’s first day as a Centennial High School student was conducted from his family’s living room in August 2020 when schools were shuttered because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The closures also meant Plotnikov’s first season of football wouldn’t happen. So, Plotnikov and a few of his would-be Centennial teammates joined a recreation passing league to gain experience.
That experience was part of an unusual journey that led to Centennial beating Sunrise Mountain 49-31 Tuesday at Allegiant Stadium for the Class 4A state championship. It was the first football state title in the school’s nearly 20-year history.
Three of Centennial's four captains didn’t play a down of football until they were sophomores. And in the initial two years, the group combined to win just one game — a performance so bad that Centennial was demoted two classifications during realignment.
After the first week of games this season in the Class 4A, Plotnikov realized his Bulldogs were a contender. They spent the offseason training with an eye on reaching Allegiant Stadium to play for state, but seeing the results come to fruition on the field was rewarding, he said.
“I was like, ‘Wow, we have a chance,’” Plotnikov recalls.
Centennial jumped out to an early 14-0 lead behind Plotnikov’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Angelo Ahern. Ahern was part of that passing league team in 2020.
“The kids made the most of their opportunity,” Centennial coach DJ Campbell said. “They just kept fighting and refused to give in.”
Plotnikov had two passing touchdowns and a rushing score. Ali Kamara and Kolten Silbernage had rushing touchdowns, and the biggest play of the game was a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Khyren Harris.
Sunrise Mountain scored 90 seconds into the third quarter on a 31-yard touchdown run from Auhsoj Cunningham to trim its deficit to 21-18. Seconds later, Centennial extended its lead to double digits on the return and never looked back.
Thomas Marcellino, Demarion Carter and Christein Thompson had touchdowns for Sunrise Mountain.
Win or lose, the participants in the four state championship games Tuesday at Allegiant Stadium are raving about the experience of playing in the Raiders’ home stadium.
“You could see it hit them when they got off the bus,” Campbell said of his team’s reaction to playing on an NFL field. “I’m just super proud of the kids.”
