Centennial at Canyon View – 5A Elite 8

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On February 22nd there was a battle between the <strong>Centennial Coyotes</strong> and the <strong>Canyon View Jaguars</strong> with a spot in the 5A Final Four on the line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the onset it was a back and forth battle. In the first quarter it was 7-6 in favor of Canyon View until Centennial went on a 5-0 run. At the end of the first quarter the Coyotes had a 24-22 lead. Hot shooting kept the Jaguars within striking distance throughout the first half of the game. Centennial had a 35-31 lead late in the second quarter. Canyon View ended the quarter on a 6-2 run to end the first half tied at 37. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The third quarter continued the theme of runs. Centennial had a 7-2 run that got them out in front 44-39. A Canyon View 5-0 run tied the game again at 44. After three quarters the score was Centennial up 50-46. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When it looked like Centennial was about to pull away [player_tooltip player_id='1150852' first='DeNali' last='McNeal'] went on a 6-0 personal run that closed the gap 55-54 around the six minute mark. Canyon View looked to be taking control of the game when they held a 67-64 lead with a little over two minutes left in the game. The turning point was when freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1598402' first='Johnny' last='Rios III'] hit a clutch corner three pointer that brought the Coyotes within one with 55 seconds left. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With 23 seconds left and the ball, Centennial ran a play that resulted in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1275428' first='Zander' last='Kamai'] hitting a pull up jump shot with 4 seconds left to give them the lead. After a unsuccessful in-bounds play Canyon View turned the ball over pretty much ending the game. Centennial advances on to the Final Four with a <strong>71-70 </strong>win over a good Canyon View. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Here are some of the stars that shined bright that night.</strong> <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='831118' first='Emery' last='Young'] <strong>Centennial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior guard is as poised as they come on the court. He calmly knocks down three's and he can go by his man and absorb any contact. He is a very capable ball handler as a lot of times he initiates the teams offense. Ultimate team player as he could easily score more if he wanted to but he sacrifices individual success for the better of the team. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1150852' first='DeNali' last='McNeal'] <strong>Canyon View</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The combo guard does a little bit of everything for his team. His high level IQ allows him to excel as a passer while maintaining his productivity as a scorer. As a scorer he has a variety of moves that allow him to get shots off no matter who the defender is. He also is probably his teams best rebounder as he's not afraid to go in among taller players. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1275428' first='Zander' last='Kamai'] <strong>Centennial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A shifty guard who is a tough cover for multiple reasons. Opposing teams naturally respect his outside shot for which he is known. Besides that he can create off the dribble with either hand and make the proper read while having excellent body control. One of the better unsigned seniors in the state. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1128252' first='Gage' last='Galbreath'] <strong>Centennial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gage was all over the place in this game. He was extremely tough on the boards. On offense he showed a variety of moves including a left handed jump hook. He also made some exceptional passes including passing out of the double team.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1273664' first='Cohen' last='Aldridge'] <strong>Canyon View</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A pure stroke is the first thing that comes to mind. Textbook form and he doesn't need much space to get it off. If you try to run him off the three point line he's good enough to put it on the floor and hit the one or two dribble pull up shot. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='1598402' first='Johnny' last='Rios III'] <strong>Centennial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He plays the position the right way and has the kind of toughness that you would want out of your point guard. On defense he sits down and makes the opposing ball handler very uncomfortable with his quick hands and feet. On offense he does what his team needs at the point as evidenced by his timely corner three pointer towards the end of the game. That shot by the way was the only perimeter shot that he attempted the entire game. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->