Central football pushing hard to end 49-year drought of not winning a playoff game

Phoenix Central High School's football team has been hard at work all summer in the weight room, on the field and in camp, gearing up for what it believes could be a breakthrough season.

That would be ending a 49-year drought of not winning a state playoff game.

It was 1974 when the Bobcats last won a state playoff game. Many of the current Bobcats' parents weren't born yet.

Behind the talented Ballard brothers, senior Bryson and junior Bre'on, they feel they're as close as they've ever been to ending this drought.

"Hungrier than ever," coach Chandler Hovik said.

Central made big strides last year behind then-senior quarterback Dominik Bagchi, who ended up being the Phoenix Union High School District MVP, after throwing 33 TD passes and leading the Bobcats to a 9-2 record and reaching the state playoffs, which was a big deal. But the Bobcats' season ended abruptly in the 5A first round, a 42-7 loss to Goodyear Desert Edge.

It was the first time since 2009 that Central won the Metro Region title and got to the playoffs.

That season is over, and the Bobcats don't plan on regressing. It's no longer a one-year splash for a team that wants to keep building, not rebuilding, under Hovik, a former Laveen Cesar Chavez quarterback.

Enter freshman Cam Allen, the younger brother of former Central standout receiver Carter Allen. He is offensive coordinator Matt Allen's son. And he's ready to lead the offense at quarterback. Now.

The Ballard brothers light up when Cam Allen is mentioned as their next quarterback.

"We're definitely going to have a better team than last year," Bryson said.

With the Ballard brothers, those are two major weapons teams are going to have to plan for. Their speed, skills and determination are going to be seen all over the field, both on offense and defense. They both play safety with Bryson also playing nickel back.

Bryson ran for 233 yards and four TDs, and caught 14 passes for 262 yards and a TD, and, on defense, he had 56 tackles and four interceptions with 125 yards in returns.

Bre'on, one of the best receivers in the state, set a single-season Central record last with 12 TD catches. He caught 43 passes for 684 yards. On defense, he intercepted two passes with 133 yards in returns and recovered two fumbles and broke up five passes.

Both won All-Metro Region awards. Hovik was named the PXU district Coach of the Year.

"We haven't won back-to-back region titles since 1974, the last time a playoff game was won here," Hovik.

To show how far back that goes, a young Jesse Parker led another PXU school, Camelback, to the big-schools state title, before moving on to build Mesa Mountain View into a mega football power.

"Our guys are wanting to win back-to-back region titles and win in the playoffs," Hovik said. "They want to be remembered and be a part of history at Central. They want to prove that you can compete with the best of them right here at Central."

Too hot: How are high school football teams dealing with Phoenix-area record heat wave?

Central has won two state championships in its history — in 1969, when it went 13-0 and shocked two-time defending state champion Phoenix St. Mary's 14-7 in the final; and in 1972, when it again went 13-0 and beat neighboring Brophy Prep 21-0 in the championship game.

Central and Brophy are a canal-bridge crossing from each other on Central Avenue.

Brophy uses Central's football field for its home games. The stadium is named after Central's legendary football coach Ray Laing.

To get back to that level of play has been extremely hard not just for Central or Camelback or Trevor Browne and Maryvale have been hard for anybody in the Phoenix district with the way the Valley has grown so big and with the suburbs taking off since Parker led Mountain View to state in the 1970s, '80s and '90s.

The expansion, the growth, the destiny schools attracting graduating eighth graders has hurt the Phoenix schools in football, a sport where you need every body possible, where depth can be tough to obtain, where Division I linemen are scarce, where quick playoff exits are the norm.

But Hovik wants to change that at Central. And he and his staff have the Bobcats working, taking advantage of a nice weight room and a great turf field.

Winning attracts players. And Central's just getting started.

Related: Storylines to follow as Arizona high school football small schools open practice

Jumbo receiver Cassidee Miles, who is 6-5, 190 and has received four college offers, including Oregon and Arizona, moved into Central from San Tan Valley Poston Butte, His athleticism is off the charts. He'll fit in well with a deep receiving corps that includes three-year varsity starter Izzy Fox, who caught five TD passes last year; and four-year varsity starter Cornelius James, who has not missed a varsity game since his freshman year and has a 4.2 grade point average.

"I like it here," said Miles, a junior. "My teammates work me here. It's going to make me play to the best of my abilities.

The Ballard brothers love playing on the same team together, knowing where each other is going to be and picking up after each other to make plays.

"We communicate with each other good," Bre'on said. "You know when you have a teammate and they're going to react to something you did, but in a good way. That's what we have."

Bryson said growing up together, it's easy to figure things out on the field together.

"Even if he messes up a little, I can back him up and help him up with whatever he needs help with," Bryson said.

Neither will be coming off the field in 2023. When the helmets come on Monday, they know it's their time to keep building what they started last year, leading into their Aug. 25 season opener at Paradise Valley. Only making it better.

"Both of these young men will have the opportunity to play ball at the next level and maybe team up again, brothers competing with each other," Hovik said.

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Central HS hopes to end 49-year football playoff losing streak