The Centennial football team has been a remarkable program.  The Coyotes have won six state championships in the past 12 years. Now, they are going after Number 7. 

The Coyotes are led by head coach Richard Taylor, who has been coaching at Centennial for 28 years. 

“I have coached 15 years before Centennial. My coaching skills are well developed,” Taylor said about his 43 years of coaching.

The Coyotes show up ready and prepared to practice for the next game on the schedule. The schedule beyond this week is not a concern.

“I do not pay attention to who we are playing in six, seven weeks,” Taylor said. “I am just worried about the next game and getting ready for that. Focused on the next team.”

This year the Coyotes have a couple sophomores on the offensive line who have been unstoppable but are still learning.

"It is fantastic how much they help me," said sophomore offensive tackle Caiden Miles  "I have been training with them. They are always supportive and just a family on the O-line."

Taylor wants the sophomores to learn to focus more about the team. He credits the offensive line coach, Joe McDonald, in helping the sophomores transition from freshman level to varsity level.

“McDonald knows how to coach the kids,” Taylor said. “They may be young physically but physiologically he has to teach them to be OK going from freshman team to varsity team. He does a great job coaching those guys.”

Taylor and his staff want to make sure they do a good job preparing the athletes physically and mentally for college football.  

 “We produce three Division 1 players a year. Four or five to play Division 2 or junior college,"Taylor said.

He said he is happy that contacting colleges has been made easier through technology. The coaches are able to send pictures, grades, transcripts and highlights to any college.

Every year at Centennial there are high expectations from the students, faculty, and parents. Although, the team has its own goals they want meet them every year in order to be a good team.

“The expectation is to have the same goal from last year, to go all the way to the championship, but this time go undefeated,” said senior defensive tackle Tyler Watkins.

Last year they came close to being an undefeated team but lost to Liberty High School, 21-19, in the last game of the regular season.

When it comes to being ranked at a state level or a national level, Taylor tries to teach the players not to focus too much on rankings. Also, he teaches his players to stay humble and not take all of the credit, making sure the whole team is represented.

 “Team comes first,” Taylor said. “Tyler Watkins, who is a senior, would be the first to congratulate the O-line before talking about himself. Yes, there will be guys in the paper but team comes first. If a guy scored, we all score, we all take credit.”