Thursday, May 15, 2003 | 9:55 a.m.
Four hours of an Advanced Placement government exam on the day of the state final proved to be more than Daniel Wright could handle.
"I blew it," Wright said. "I couldn't think. I'm reading all that stuff and I'm like, I can't think about that stuff when I've got volleyball on my mind."
But Wright aced the test that mattered most to him Wednesday night at Chaparral High School.
Wright's 41 assists paced the precision Centennial offense as the Bulldogs fought off determined Durango, 25-17, 25-18, 25-21, to cap a perfect 23-0 season with their first 4A boys' volleyball state title.
"We played probably our best match at the end," Centennial coach Dave Fish said.
The consensus favorite all season long, Sunset Region champion Centennial did not miss many opportunities to fulfill prophecies. Jeff Robinson totaled 17 kills in 20 attempts, Kevin Sagers tallied 10 kills in 15 swings and Mike Hilsabeck put down 6 kills in 9 tries.
After being eliminated in last year's state semifinals, the Bulldogs relished their status as leaders of the pack.
"We finally felt we were getting the respect we thought we had earned," Fish said. "It was (less) pressure to win, but more pressure that we wanted to keep what we worked for."
While the coach may not have felt pressure, his players bore the weight of expectation.
"I don't know how to explain it," Wright said. "I was at that nervous point where I didn't know what to expect."
Hilsabeck, a senior, wore a huge smile after the match that appeared part excitement and part relief.
"I'm just glad that we won it," Hilsabeck said. "We were the favorite, but it just feels good to put it behind us now."
The Bulldogs received a fight from Durango (SS-2) and Blazers coach Scott Zeidler said his team was not intimidated.
"We knew that we had everything to gain in this situation," Zeidler said. "No one expected us to be here."
The Bulldogs, however, wore the look of a confident champion. Wright held an extra-long stare at Durango's Kris Stinnett after he stuffed the Blazers' big hitter to give Centennial a 20-16 lead late in the second game, while Sagers gave a huge fist pump after ripping an outside set down the line to close out that game.
"No reason to save the shoulder for tomorrow," Fish said.
Durango held firm, rallying from an 8-3 hole to tie the third game at 18. After a pair of Hilsabeck blocks and a super backhand dump by Wright, Centennial came to match point, and an errant Durango hit sealed the school's first state championship in a boys' sport.
Stinnett led the Blazers with 12 kills and Miles Peshlakai added six kills. Ken Huffman totaled 20 assists for Durango.
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