“Centennial Football has made some big changes this year in order to be winners, and their players have made it clear: things will change,” Corey Ruffin wrote in the student newspaper at Centennial High School in Ellicott City, Maryland.
But last Friday, despite an athletic 30-yard completion to Ezekial Noa, the Eagles fell to Mount Hebron, 35-8, repeating their loss to this opponent in October 2024 and dropping to 0-2 on the season. Centennial trailed 28-0 at the end of the third quarter and never managed to close the gap.
The Eagles will try again Friday as coach Corey Eudell sends his team up against Winters Mill, this time on their home turf.
The varsity football program has not been the “most successful” team at the school, Corey noted, but players hope to “change the narrative … and reverse the football culture at the school.”
That culture has a complicated history. Voxitatis reported in 2017 that the school canceled the varsity football season altogether, citing safety concerns tied to low participation levels. If too many athletes play both offense and defense, fatigue sets in, raising the risk of injury.
Today, the varsity team is led by two-way standouts Angelo Coates and Charles Sandersen, who line up at both wide receiver and cornerback. They’ve also added offensive lineman Ayden Reeves, who said many underclassmen look up to him as a new addition.
Even with the players’ positive attitude, however, fan turnout has been lagging. One cheerleader put it this way: “The atmosphere at the games can be fun, but at away games, it can be discouraging when people don’t come out. It is hard to cheer for a crowd who does not make the effort to go and watch.”
Centennial’s football story has long been one of challenges, but this year’s team is determined to write a new chapter. Their effort, spirit, and leadership deserve a crowd to match. As they return home Friday night, the Eagles are asking their community to show up and cheer them on as they work to turn hope into history.
