Football: Centaurus wins three in a row for first time since 2017
Sep. 29—LAFAYETTE — Centaurus running back Ben Mischke had a series of bruising runs fit for the antagonist in one of those 90s zero-to-hero football flicks on Friday night. Of course, this is before the film's underdog finds that special something and is reduced only to a montage of getting flattened and smushed.
The filled-out senior trucked a defender to the flat of his back on the run prior to his physical 30-yard touchdown spurt in the opening half, illustrating the much grittier tenor needed than the Warriors' previous two runaway victories.
"They showed a lot of character there, a lot of toughness," Centaurus coach Andy Hampton said after his team's 34-27 win against Mountain View at Spangenberg Field.
For the first time in three weeks, the Warriors (4-2) needed a strong performance in the fourth quarter and they delivered behind physical play on both sides of the ball.
Chance Wood's quarterback sneak gave the Warriors the lead on the first play of the fourth and Renzo Waschak's strip-sack recovered by Will Pauletto set up Wood's second touchdown pass of the half to Jack Parana, making it a two-score game with 6:11 remaining.
Even so, Centaurus needed an interception from Zander Wold with 1:29 to go to seal its first three-game winning streak since 2017.
"It's not going to be easy every week," said Hampton, whose team had made it look that way in its previous wins over Hinkley and Palmer — the latter of which, it scored a program-most 75 points. "Finding a way to win, getting back to that point in our program, that's been something we've emphasized."
Wood threw for three touchdowns for a third straight game, giving him 12 on the season. Mischke rushed for 83 yards and scored for a second straight week. Parana had a season-high 94 receiving yards.
The Warriors took a 13-7 lead late in the half on the tackle-breaking run from Mischke before the Mountain Lions (0-5) answered on a 70-yard pass from Cam Frost with 22 seconds left.
Wood found Parana near the sideline before he vaunted to a 44-yard score to tie things at 20 late in the third, then hit him again for 9 yards to make it 34-20.
Mountain View had the ball with a chance to tie things with more than 2 minutes left before Zold's second interception of the season.
Centaurus is home against Liberty Friday.
