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Saturday, 09/20/03
By DOUG DYER / Review Appeal Sports Editor
The senior kicker for Brentwood High had missed an extra point, had another blocked and was looking to be the goat in the Bruins' intra-county battle at Centennial Friday night. Fortunately for Willis, Brentwood's defense gave him that chance. A fumble by Centennial deep in its own territory with 28 seconds remaining set up Willis to kick a 30-yard field goal to beat the Cougars 25-23. Willis was also good from 39 yards out earlier in the game. "I was just thinking, 'I had better make this,'" Willis said. The Cougars (2-3, 1-1 Region 6-5A) had the momentum and a 23-22 lead after Grant Horton intercepted a pass intended for Kellen Moore at the Centennial 5 with just over a minute left. All Centennial had to do was run out the clock, but the Bruin D stepped up and caused some confusion in the Cougar backfield on third-and-10. "We let them get some penetration, and they were able to disrupt the play," Centennial coach Greg Gregory said. "It's unbelievable how things can happen." Willis was never worried, though. His Bruins (4-0, 2-0) had been through too much adversity during their championship run last season to give up. "That's just the character of this team," he said. "I just had a feeling we would get it back." Centennial had controlled the ball and the tempo for much of the second half after taking a 17-16 lead into halftime, thanks to Jordan Owen's 45-yard field goal as the second quarter expired. Curtis Steele and Philip Bates carried the load for the Cougars with Tommy Buchanan out of the lineup, rushing for a combined 188 yards and three TDs. Brentwood's first touchdown came after Taylor Scott was intercepted on the game's first play, and the Bruins' Jared Fugate scored on a 2-yard run. Centennial came back with a 68-yard drive capped off by Steele's 13-yard TD run. Bates added another TD run from 3 yards out, and the Bruins got a touchdown pass to make the score 16-14, then Willis missed the point after. The Bruins got the ball to start the second half, only to turn it over on a Dane Baron interception, then the Cougars scored three plays later on a Bates 42-yard run to make it 23-16. Brentwood answered again, driving 50 yards in eight plays with Ian Van Horne scoring from a yard out. Willis' point after was blocked, making it 23-22. Brentwood is on the road at Smyrna next week, and Centennial is off.
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