High School Football: Rising Centaurs Reach Semifinals at BC Place

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The Coquitlam-based program that did not record a win in three consecutive regular seasons from 2017-19 eliminated the top-ranked Vancouver College last week and is one of only four teams left in the Subway Bowl Coastal playoffs.

Author of the article:

Steve Ewen

Head coach Dino Geremia leads practice for Centennial Centaurs this week. “Changing the culture has been part of this and winning certainly helps with that. Create more acceptance, ”says Geremia.
Head coach Dino Geremia leads practice for Centennial Centaurs this week. “Changing the culture has been part of this and winning certainly helps with that. Create more acceptance, ”says Geremia. “We just want to get better and keep getting better.” Photo by Francis Georgian /PNG

The Centennial Centaurs, who are targeting a three-game winning streak this weekend, feature players who were part of a three-year loss not too long ago.

Centennial, who went 0-7 in regular seasons in 2017, 2018 and 2019, will face GW Graham Grizzlies of Chilliwack on Saturday (4pm) at BC Place Stadium in a Costa semi-final playoff game. The other semifinal (7 pm) features the Notre Dame Jugglers and Terry Fox Ravens, and the winners will meet the following Saturday in the downtown dome for the Subway Bowl Coastal crown.

The BC high school football playoffs have been reorganized from a provincial to a regional format by BC School Sports due to travel concerns caused by recent weather problems in the province. Soccer, like all high school sports, didn’t have any games in 2020, getting stuck in practice-only mode last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Centennial (6-5 overall, 4-3 in the league) is coming off a 39-6 wild-card round win over the Belmont Bulldogs of Victoria on November 12 and last Saturday stunned the Vancouver College Fighting Irish’s No. 1 ranking 27-24 at Vancouver College to advance.

Port Coquitlam’s Terry Fox beat Centennial 28-24 to close out the regular season on November 5.

“Changing the culture has been part of this and winning certainly helps with that. It creates more buy-in, ”said Dino Geremia, who is in his third year as head coach of the Coquitlam-based Centaurs. “You have to find the positives to target. Last year when we weren’t playing, it was about athletes getting faster and stronger.

“At the beginning of this year, we had a goal to improve every day. You ask our team if we have played our best football so far and they will all tell you, ‘no, no’. We stay motivated that way. We just want to get better and keep getting better. “

12th grade receiver Keyshawn Beswick, who was part of that 2019 Centennial team, finished with six receptions for 124 yards and three touchdowns against Vancouver College. He also added an interception from his defensive spot. 12th grade linebacker Markus Rafnson, who is another 2019 holdover, finished with 10 tackles, a sack and an interception.

Vancouver College (9-1 overall, 7-0 in the league) had given up just 26 points in the entire regular season. They had beaten Centennial 32-0 at Vancouver College in an exhibition game on September 17.

“They kicked our butt that day and we learned from it,” Geremia said. “We really believed that we had progressed from that first game with them. And having that previous game there gave our players an idea of ​​what to expect. We kept telling children that if we prepared in the right way and learned from our mistakes, we would have a chance. “

Geremia played at Notre Dame and went on to train there. He was an assistant at both UBC and Simon Fraser University and was a technical director for a time at Football BC.

Head coach Dino Geremia has enlisted the help of some experienced soccer players to build the Coquitlam Centaurs.
Head coach Dino Geremia has enlisted the help of some experienced soccer players to build the Coquitlam Centaurs. “We have made people believe in football and what we want to do,” he says. Photo by Francis Georgian /PNG

Geremia has turned to various connections to help build the centaurs. For example, former BC Lions quarterback and current radio analyst Giulio Caravatta is an assistant to the Centaurs. He played at SFU, lives near Centennial, and his two daughters have been through the area’s school system.

“Many motivated people have joined. We managed to have people who believe in football and in what we want to do, ”said Geremia.

Terry Fox (9-0 overall, 7-0 in the league) and Notre Dame Vancouver (10-1 overall, 6-1 in the league) have yet to meet this season, but the Jugglers hosted the Ravens. for a controlled game in early September. .

Saturday in the dome also features the Double A Coast semi-finals between North Vancouver’s Carson Graham Eagles (8-3 overall, 5-3 in league) and the Langley Thunderbirds (8-0 overall, 8-0 in league) at 11 a.m. and between John of Nanaimo Barsby Bulldogs (6-3 overall, 6-2 in league) and Robert Bateman Timberwolves of Abbotsford (8-2 overall, 7-1 in league) at the 1:30 pm

Also Saturday, the Kelowna Owls (4-4 overall, 3-3 in the league) take on the South Kamloops Titans (3-3 overall, 3-1 in the league) at Hillside Stadium at 2 p.m. in a semifinal of the Interior. The winner is scheduled to face the Vernon Panthers (5-3 overall, 3-1 in the league) next week.

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Reference-theprovince.com

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