Centennial Eagles Advance to First Ever State Title Game

In just his fourth season with Centennial High School, coach Chad Hollwedel has taken the Eagles deeper into the playoffs than they have gone in their previous 33 years of existence.

This year had already seen Centennial win its first ever 3A East Regional title, and the Eagles were hoping that 2011 also would be the first year Centennial would make it to the State Finals.

And Centennial pulled off what many thought to be impossible, beating the Rebels 56-54 to advance to the Eagles’ first ever 3A State Championship game.

The Eagles had not really been tested in their first three games.

Thursday’s semifinal matchup with the 21-4 South Hagerstown Rebels would be Centennial's first  game against a team with a winning record during their playoff run.

However, the Eagles pay no attention to records.

In the playoffs, it is win or go home. And Centennial had no intention of ending their season.

Thanks to a last-minute 3-pointer and some clutch free throw shooting, Centennial junior Keonte Potts made sure Thursday’s game was not the Eagles’ last of 2011. With just 57 seconds remaining in the game, and with his Eagles trailing by two points, 53-51, Potts hit a step-back three to give Centennial the lead.

South Hagerstown would tie the game 21 seconds later when senior Darico Provitt hit one of two free throws.

But Potts was not done.

With 18 seconds left to play and the game tied, 54-54, the Rebels fouled Potts, putting the dangerous scorer on the line. The junior guard hit the front end of the one-and-one to get his Eagles ahead 55-54.

Centennial would not relinquish its lead, winning a thriller 56-54 and sending the Eagles to their first ever 3A State Championship game.

“I don’t know what to say,” uttered an obviously overwhelmed Hollwedel. “We somehow find a way.”

The Eagles struggled early, missing their first three shots, as the Rebels built a small 4-0 lead. But the Eagles kept on shooting and eventually got on the board when senior Aaron Adams drove to the hoop with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter.

Adams finished with a game-high 19 points.

Centennial would tie the game shortly after that when senior forward Mike Stefan, who struggled to score for most of the game, hit his only shot with 3:56 to play in the first.

South Hagerstown wasted no time, quickly jumping back out in front. The Rebels led by as many as four points in the first quarter, but the Eagles caught fire late.

Centennial finished the first quarter on a 6-0 run to take its first lead of the game, 12-10.

The Eagles kept the momentum going, starting the second on a 12-0 run to take a 12-point lead, 24-12. The run started with a three-point play from Potts, his first points of the night. But the Rebels were far from out of the game. South Hagerstown ended the quarter on a 8-2 run to pull within six points of Centennial, 26-20.

The Eagles had the slim lead at the half, but the Rebels had recaptured the momentum.

South Hagerstown began the third on a 10-4 run, tying the game, 30-30, with 4:05 left to play in the quarter.

The Eagles would retake the lead after one of Potts’ four 3-pointers on the day, but the Rebels battled back and eventually took their first lead since the first quarter on a three of their own from Darico Provitt.

A pair of Adams’ free throws and another Potts 3-pointer gave Centennial a slim four-point lead, 39-35, as the Eagles entered the fourth quarter.

The potent scoring duo began the fourth on the bench, and the Rebels capitalized, starting the quarter on a 6-0 run to retake the lead, 41-39.

The Eagles battled back and led by as many as four points, 49-45, before South Hagerstown went on a 6-0 run to take a two point lead, 51-49, with 1:55 left to play in the game.

Centennial senior Matt Harbinson tied the game a few seconds later, but Provitt hit a tough shot in the lane with 1:17 to go, once again giving South Hagerstown the lead, 53-51. Harbinson finished the game with nine points.

Then Potts took over.

With just 57 seconds remaining in the game, the junior scoring sensation hit a clutch step-back 3-pointer with a defender in his face to give the Eagles the one-point lead, 54-53.

"I was just feelin' it," Potts said. "I want the ball in my hands."

Provitt tied the game 21 seconds later, hitting one of two free throws.

Then with the game tied, 54-54, and with just 18 seconds left to play, South Hagerstown did the unthinkable -- they fouled Potts, sending the junior guard to the line. Potts hit the front end of the one-and-one to give Centennial the lead. 

"Sometimes I get nervous," Potts said, "but I just got to do what I got to do and hit free throws."

The Eagles never trailed again.

"Nothing went our way," said South Hagerstown head coach Kevin Naylor.

"We got to where nobody said we could get to," Harbinson said.

Centennial faces Millford Mill (24-1) Saturday at 3 p.m. at the University of Maryland College Park’s Comcast Center.

"They're incredibly quick and very well balanced," said Hollwedel. "So we are going to have our hands full."

Harbinson said: "We've been a team that can pretty much scrap with anyone all season – that's why I feel pretty confident that we can play to their level."