Centennial Centaurs win AAA high school football championship

The Centennial Centaurs finally ended a 43-year drought Saturday evening by winning the senior AAA title at the Subway Bowl provincial football championships at McLeod Stadium in Langley.

The Centaurs edged the W.J. Mouat Hawks of Abbotsford 39-36 for their first title since 1966, the year the Coquitlam school opened.

It was the second year in a row the Hawks have lost the AAA championship game. Last year, they fell 56-16 to the Terry Fox Ravens of Port Coquitlam.

The win enabled the Centaurs to complete a rare double. Friday, their junior varsity team also won the provincial AAA title with a 24-22 victory over the St. Thomas More Saints of Burnaby.

The Centaurs went into Saturday’s game ranked No. 1 and lived up to their billing. However, they had to survive a battle from the plucky Hawks. At one stage of the second half the Centaurs led 32-15. But Mouat got back in the game by scoring two TDs in a space of 14 seconds.

After Centennial assumed control once more the Hawks again battled back and got to within a field goal at 39-36 before time ran out.

The Centaurs, who did not have to punt once in the game, got outstanding individual efforts from running back Nehemie Kankolongo and quarterback Lemar Durant. Kankolongo rushed 37 times for 219 yards and four TDs while Durant added 222 yards rushing and two TDs.

For the Hawks, they got 72 yards rushing and a TD from Allan Dicks. Quarterback Bedore ran for one major and threw three TD passes — one each to John Watson, Desmond Bassi and Nick Taylor.

Earlier Saturday, the Mt. Douglas Rams of Victoria won the senior AA title with a 41-20 victory over the Windsor Dukes of North Vancouver. Like the Centaurs, the Dukes also claimed the junior varsity AA title Friday by whipping the Mission Roadrunners 61-21.

Source: Vancouver Sun

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