SANTA ANA – There was a lot of familiarity to Servite’s 17-7 win over Bakersfield on Thursday night.
Troy Thomas was back as the Friars coach in their season opener at Santa Ana Stadium. Defense and special teams were always Servite strengths when Thomas coached the team during 2005-12. The Friars scored their touchdowns Thursday on a kickoff return and an interception return.
Zedakiah Centers returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Karrington Dennis returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown.
Servite coach Troy Thomas talks about the 17-7 win over Bakersfield in the season opener for both @ServiteSports @ServiteFootball @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/iD5Gjv078U
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) August 17, 2018
Friars senior quarterback Blaze McKibbin, who was at Serra of Gardena last season, completed 13 of 20 passes for 128 yards, Cade Rosenkranz had five receptions for 69 yards, and Derek Fuentes rushed for 71 yards, including a 42-yard run in the final moments to secure the win.
Unlike most teams, Servite did not scrimmage an opponent before its season opener. Thomas is emphasizing keeping players healthy through a challenging nonleague schedule and the ruggedness of the Trinity League.
“So I didn’t know how we were going to play,” said Thomas, who was pleased with what he saw from his team, which is No. 34 in CalHiSports.com’s California preseason top 50.
Bakersfield, No. 31 in the state preseason top 50, runs an option offense. When playing against such an offense, a defense needs to know where the ball is, swarm to the ballcarrier, not allow too many big gains and force a turnover or two.
Servite did all of that Thursday.
“Our guys kept trying to do their job,” Thomas said, “which is what you have to do against option football. And our offense stuck together the whole game.”
Bakersfield moved the ball at times, but couldn’t convert on key fourth downs and turned the ball over too much to beat a good team like Servite.
The Drillers advanced on their first possession to the Servite 27-yard line but an incomplete pass on fourth down stopped the drive. They fumbled the ball away, with Ender Aguilar recovering for Servite, on their second possession. Dennis’ interception ended the fourth possession and gave the Friars a 14-0 lead.
Servite’s Zedakiah Centers, who returned the opening kickoff 99 yds for a TD in a 17-7 win over Bakersfield, talks about how Coach Troy Thomas fired up the players @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/hBoKnaLNFQ
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) August 17, 2018
Bakersfield lost a fumble, recovered by Servite’s Cade Fuller, at the Servite 18 early in the third quarter. The Drillers’ Wesley Wilson scored on a 2-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the Servite lead to 14-7.
Fuller kicked a 33-yard field goal to nudge the Servite advantage to 17-7 with seven minutes remaining. Bakersfield followed with a drive that reached the Friars’ 30 but ended there on an incomplete pass on fourth down.
On Centers’ game-opening touchdown he took the opening kickoff at the 4-yard line, bobbled it a bit, gathered himself at the 1, angled toward the left sideline, turned upfield, sprinted upfield, got the final block he needed from Fuller and made it to the end zone untouched for a 7-0 lead.
Centers said he was convinced he would take the ball to the end zone the moment he caught the kickoff.
“I trusted my brothers” said Centers of his teammates. “It was beautiful.”
Bakersfield moved the ball well enough in the first half. The Drillers’ first possession got to the Servite 27 where an incomplete pass on fourth down ended it. They moved to the Servite 31 on the next possession that was stopped on a fumble recovered by the Friars’ Ender Aguilar.
Dennis’ interception return for the touchdown occurred late in the second half. He pulled in Bakersfield quarterback Cameron Williams’ pass at the Bakersfield 34, cut across the field to his right then scooted up the right side to the end zone and a 14-0 lead.
“I saw the play happening,” Dennis said. “My receiver did a curl, (Williams) threw the ball a little low, I broke on it and the ball ended up in my hands.”
Servite plays Norco (7-5 last year) at the Friars usual home stadium, Cerritos College, on Aug. 24.
