Prepzone Pigskin Preview 2017

CENTURACENTURIONS
By: Spencer Schubert
It has been awhile since Centura
football has made the waves
their home fan base has been
wanting them to make. The last
time the team made the playoffs
was 2013, and the last time they
won a playoff game the movies
Christmas Vacation and Field of
Dreams just hit theaters in 1989.
What Larry Baker is building in
Cairo as he enters his fourth year
should get fans to come, even if
one of them is cousin Eddie.
the offseason, there could be no
ceiling for the junior.
“Austin is incredibly strong,”
Baker said. “He hang cleans over
275 pounds, he has a 30” vertical
jump - these are great numbers
as he finishes his sophomore year
and heads into his junior year.”
Baker went on to say if the team
makes the playoff push in 2017,
it will be through their defensive
play.
2017 SCHEDULE
8/24 @ Kimball
9/1 Wood River
9/8 @ Bayard
9/15 Hershey
9/22 @ Central City
9/29 @ Arcadia-Loup City
10/6 St. Paul
10/13 @ Shelby-Rising City
10/20 Twin River
OVER 100 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CENTRAL NEBRASKA
PERSONAL - BUSINESS - MORTGAGE - AG SERVICES
CAIRO - ORD - BURWELL - GRAND ISLAND
GOOD LUCK IN THE UPCOMING SEASON!
COVERING CENTRAL NEBRASKA BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE
CENTRAL NEBRASKA’S
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
LEADER
The Centurions went 5-4 in
2016 and had a very promising
3-0 start to boot. It has the 2017
bunch thinking this could be the
year they return to postseason
play, as a lot of the starters
returning are in key spots.
Quarterback Noah Wooden
returns for his junior season after
starting on both sides of the ball
for coach Baker last year. Wooden
earned an honorable-mention
All-District nod for his solid play.
But the player coach Baker might
be most excited to have back is
junior lineman Austin Simmons.
Simmons was a First Team All-
District player in 2016, and with
the work Baker is seeing through
TEAM FACTS
“This year’s team will be defined
by its defense,” Baker said.
“We will have a very big and
physical defensive line, and the
linebackers and defensive backs
are extremely athletic.”
While Centura returns seven
starters on offense and eight
on defense, Baker says where
his team might lack the most is
leadership, as of those returning
starters only four are seniors this
fall.
“The leadership component will
be crucial as we’ve graduated
most of the leadership from last
year’s team,” Baker said. “Austin
Simmons and Barrett Selden will
have to fill this leadership role
as they have done all through
conditioning.”
next five, with only one of those
setbacks being relatively close -
an 18-14 loss to Hershey.
Centura will see the Panthers
again, who finished 7-2 last year.
The fellas from Cairo are also set
for a road trip to Central City
and a home contest against St.
Paul. Those two teams combined
to go 13-5 last year, proving that
Centura certainly won’t have
anything handed to them.
Centura kicks off the season on
the road at Kimball, which will
give coach Baker his first chance
to see how the team leadership
roles take shape.
“Weaknesses will be depth in
general, but if everyone does
their job, it shouldn’t affect us
negatively,” Baker said.
WEEKNIGHTS AT 6 & 10 PM
BRANDON RECTOR • SPENCER SCHUBERT • CATHERINE SILVER • JUSTIN BIEGEL
Team Name: Centurions
Class: C2
2016 Record:
Playoff Appearances: 6
Head Coach: Larry Baker
Like every team this year,
Centura will be seeing the same
schedule they did in 2016, and
it’s one coach Baker feels his
guys can improve on. In 2016, the
Centurions shot out to a 3-0 start
with wins over Kimball, Wood
River, and Bayard.
Key Players:
Noah Wooden (5’10” 150 lbs) Jr.
QB
Austin Simmons (5’11” 220 lbs)
Jr. OL/DL
Barrett Selden (6’3” 275 lbs) Sr.
OL/DL
SEASON PREMIERE
SEPT 25
MON & TUES
8/7c
However, they lost four of their
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