Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Centennial erases 19-0 deficit, scores winning TD in final seconds

LVSUN HSFB Media Day 2018

Christopher DeVargas

Members of the Centennial High football team pose for a photo at the Las Vegas Sun’s high school football media day Tuesday July 31, 2018 at the Red Rock Resort and Casino. They include, from left, Kamden Garrett, Tyler Fujimoto and Damien Jones.

The Centennial High football team felt it left a few victories on the field in 2017, especially in the initial two weeks of the season by losing two games by a combined six points.

So when the Bulldogs drove into scoring position tonight against Sierra Vista in the final minute of the season opener and facing a small deficit, coach Dustin Forshee sensed the result would be different.

Then, the Bulldogs missed the extra point. They trailed by two points with less than a minute to play — a repeat of last year, right?

Not so fast.

On the first play of the ensuing Sierra Vista drive, Nate Conger stripped the ball loose from the running back, picked up the ball and raced 25 yards for the winning touchdown in an improbable 32-26 win. Just 44 seconds remained on the clock.

“We preach to them all the time about adversity and character,” Forshee said. “We could have easily said, ‘Man, another one-score game we are going to lose in the last second.’”

The crazy ending was just the beginning.

Centennial, which relies on many juniors and sophomores, and was breaking in a first-time starter at quarterback, trailed 19-0 in the second quarter. But that quarterback, sophomore Colton Tenney, hooked up withwith Aaron Johnson for a 70-yard touchdown reception to start the Centennial comeback.

“He played well,” Forshee said of Tenney. “He is going to be good.”

Tenney also connected on a pair of scoring strikes with junior Armani Miller.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21