After Centennial had completed a rock 'em, sock 'em 9-0 victory over Rosemount on Thursday, there wasn't a speck of dirt or grime to be found on any player.
Centennial shuts down Rosemount, zeroes in on the football postseason
The Cougars avenged a 2022 loss, covering up for three lost fumbles with stern defense.
October 20, 2023 at 4:34AM
It just didn't seem right.
The artificial turf at Centennial kept uniforms clean, but otherwise the game was everything modern football isn't. Two teams with reputations for being among the more physical in the metro showed their stuff.
No long runs. No flashy passing games. Plenty of big hits, the kind that make fans say "Ooooh." Yards were paid for in spit and sweat and, yes, even blood.
Mano-a-mano, and may the best mano win.
"It's always fun when you get those games where you can just go out there and smack someone in the mouth," said Centennial quarterback Daylen Cummings, who scored the game's only touchdown, on a 3-yard run in the second quarter. "When you're running the ball, you've just got to lower your shoulders and get what you get."
Centennial senior defensive end/running back Marcus Whiting is the type who relishes contact. "We practice like it's gonna be a hard-nosed game," Whiting said. "We don't care, we're gonna hit them. That's what defines Centennial."
It was rough, but also rough around the edges. Both teams made their share of mistakes. Centennial lost three fumbles, Rosemount turned it over twice.
Cummings' score made the game 6-0 until Keaton Frase sneaked a 36-yard field goal over the crossbar midway through the fourth quarter. Otherwise the game belonged to the defenses.
"That's a really physical football team," Centennial coach Mike Diggins said. "We didn't want to back into the playoffs. We wanted to win this game. I'm really proud of how our kids have learned and gotten a lot better."
Rosemount coach Jeff Erdmann said he was pleased with how half of his team played.
"They were more physical up front," he said. "On defense, we played really well. Offensively, we've got to be able to move the ball and sustain drives."
Diggins was glad his team, which was averaging more than 30 points per game, was tested. "Tonight was good for us," he said. "It was good for our offense to get punched in the mouth a little bit."
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
