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Trevor Renfro this summer set a Peoria Centennial football program record with a 465-pound bench press.
And he is one of the smaller guys on the offensive line at 6-foot-3, 268 pounds. The senior guard shares the line with guys who weigh 290, 275, 270 and 285 pounds.
They’re not just big, but strong and experienced. As senior running back Alex Escobar calls them, “They’re the backbone of this team.”
As the Coyotes adjust from the cool air of La Jolla, Calif., where they held camp, to the hot, muggy desert weather back at home, they’re intent on capturing another state championship.
Last year, a great run after a season-opening loss to Goodyear Desert Edge ended with a loss to Gilbert Williams Field in the 5A Conference championship game.
Two years ago, Centennial was on top of the state at all levels, when it captured the 6A crown over Mesa Desert Ridge.
It was a one-and-done at the top level in Arizona for the Coyotes, who have captured four state titles at 5A.
Coach Richard Taylor, who began the Centennial program in 1990, feels good about the offense, especially with four of the five starters on the line returning.
He also returns his starting quarterback, Ruben Beltran, and his two starting running backs, Escobar and Zidane Thomas.
Thomas, who ran for 2,329 yards and 22 touchdowns last season, will have to sweat it out in mid-August when his hardship case will be heard by the Arizona Interscholastic Association. He is hoping he won’t have to sit out the first five games for a one-week stint at a Tampa, Fla., school during the winter.
“We think that our receivers will do quite well,” Taylor said. “Offense is in pretty good shape. Defensively, losing (two-time All-Arizona end) Andrew Nichols is a very big loss. And we have a lot of young kids. But those young kids have been waiting their turn and they want to perform well.
“Right now, we’re still trying to figure out ways that our defensive linemen can beat out our offensive linemen in one-on-ones. They haven’t fared well against them yet. But they’re going to. They’re young and getting better every day.”
The secondary has a mix of experience and youth, led by senior cornerback Dom Hampton, who has his list of colleges narrowed to Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Arizona and Arizona State. He said he hopes to commit soon.
“It’s going to be another strong year for our defense,” Hampton said. “We just want to get back to where were and finish the job this year.”
It starts Aug. 18 against Goodyear Desert Edge, which also returns a massive offensive line that had the upper hand in last year’s opener, before Centennial got revenge in the state quarterfinals.
“I think we’re probably better than we were last year,” Renfro said. “We’re closer with four of our five (linemen) returning. We know how we work. We don’t really argue as much as we did anymore. We are closer together.”
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To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert.
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