GameDay: Thunder face defending champ Centennial in televised matchup tonight

Thursday night. Spotlight. Two-time defending Class 5A-II champion Peoria Centennial. Desert Vista. Televised.

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Yeah, it's a big game.

"It brings up the excitement, but you've got to treat it like any other game," said DV quarterback Cody Sokol. "You can't get too hyped over it."

The Thunder (3-1) will take on Centennial (4-0) Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Peoria. The game will be shown live on Cox 7 as the game of the week.

The Coyotes come into the game as the best state in the state in the eyes of many. Centennial has outscored its opponents 206-30, including a 35-16 win over perennial 5A-I power Chandler Hamilton Sept. 12.

"They've proved themselves as a good team, but I think we've also proven ourselves over the course of the past three weeks that we can hang with the better of the teams," Sokol said.

Centennial's opponents to date carry a combined 9-8 record.

"They beat Hamilton, there's no getting around that," said DV linebacker Lee Williams, "but we've preached a lot that our defense hits. They're not used to being hit.

"We're going to come out and hit them and they're not going to be used to that. They're going to get a little dose of something new this week."

DV narrowly escaped Chandler two weeks ago, stopping the Wolves on a two-point conversion attempt in winning 21-20, then came from behind to beat Gilbert Mesquite last week, 28-21.

"We've just found ways to win," Williams said.

Which leads to something Sokol said DV needs to remember: because Centennial has been killing its opponents, the Thunder may have an edge in a close game.

"I hope it's a dogfight," Sokol said. "I hope it comes down to the end where we're a little more experienced with closer games. They've kind of blown every team out. In the long run, it's going to help us in those fourth-quarter games where every play matters."

The televised matchup was supposed to be a big draw of Centennial, the champs, against Devon Kennard, the nation's No. 2 overall recruit, and the Thunder. Kennard tore his ACL against Chandler and is out for the rest of the season.

"You can never make up a player like that," Sokol said. "It's hard losing a player of that magnitude and that much leadership out on the field, but we almost owe it to him to keep fighting and keep going strong.

"They're just another team in our way of getting to our main goal."