As we prepare for another exciting Friday under the lights, we have asked Minnesota high school students to share a game preview or season recap on their football team.
Aidan Ballard
Centennial
At first, Centennial’s State Semifinal looked like a nightmare. Lakeville South made its opening scoring drive look easy, and it got worse before it got better for the Cougars from Circle Pines. Losing out on multiple scoring chances, the unsettled Centennial team entered halftime trailing 6-7.
How did they overcome the pressure mounting inside U.S. Bank Stadium? The answer is brotherhood, according to senior quarterback Daylen Cummings. He said that during halftime, Coach Diggins Jr. asked what his players would do if someone tried to take away someone they cared about. In the context of Centennial’s season, that meant Lakeville South standing in the way of another week together as brothers. “That hit home for a lot of us,” Cummings added. The team’s connection paid off, as Centennial went on to win 20-13.
For senior middle linebacker and tight end Timmy Ball too, that brotherly bond means everything. “I am beyond grateful because these are the guys I’ve grown up with,” he said of his teammates. “Some I’ve been able to build friendships and become brothers with over the last few years because of football.”
At Centennial, family ties extend to the community, too. Cougar fans packed the house on Thursday night and will indubitably show out for their school once more in the state championship game this Friday. That one-of-a-kind level of support doesn’t go unnoticed by the football team. Now playing for the chance to claim the first state championship in school history, Cummings voiced, “We’re glad we could put Centennial on the map, and it makes it a whole lot better when we have the whole community backing us.”
What comes next will be among the toughest challenges Centennial Football has ever faced: the Edina Hornets, who will be carrying the momentum of an upset against previously undefeated Eden Prairie. For a Centennial team that prides itself on winning the physical battles, though, it’s a test they’re more than ready to face.
Thirty-nine years since their last trip to high school football’s biggest stage, the Cougars have returned stronger than ever— and history beckons.
Each week, we ask students to publish stories about their high school's football game on social media using the tag #studentsonthesidelines.
If you are a student journalist, get off the sidelines and share stories about your school’s high school football game. Just post your story on TikTok and tag us #studentsonthesidelines.
