Centauri facing tough early tests in repeat quest

Recent history saw the Centauri Falcons knocking on the door of a championship, and the team finally took that final step last year when it knocked off perennial power Limon, 24-21, in the Class 1A State Championship game in Pueblo.

After coming so close before, the Falcons finally proved they could be the top of their class.

“Last year was so special to us,” Deven Brady said back at CHSAA Media Day last month. “It was the first one Centauri has ever got. It was a big deal for our community. Our whole town was going nuts when we got back.”

Now, the team is facing a new challenge of winning another state title, fresh off a historic season they have not seen before.

“I’ve talked to our leaders about that a lot,” head coach Kyle Forster said. “I told them that what we did last year was great, but that was last year. What do you want your legacy to be now?”

That has been the motivation for Centauri in its quest to get back to Pueblo this fall.

The Falcons graduated a strong senior class from last year’s championship team but do return a number of key players at different positions, starting with Brady, a second team All-State player as a sophomore who made plays with the football through the air and on the ground while also being a key player in the team’s secondary. One player Forster also pointed out to be a key piece this year was Blade Absmeier at the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound lineman was a strong force on both sides of the ball for the team.

“He’s a player we can build around,” Forster said. “He’s strong for us on the offensive and defensive line, and he’s been a great leader for us.”

One of the ways that Centauri is helping its own cause this year is playing a strong nonconference schedule to start. After a solid win over Pagosa Springs, the Falcons had back-to-back road games against Florence (No. 7 ranked this week in Class 2A) and Buena Vista (No. 2 ranked this week in Class 1A).

The Falcons are not down on themselves with their 1-2 start considering the competition they have faced in the early season. Instead, the team is using it as a way to measure where they are now and how to improve as the season progresses.

“It’s been a good test to play some good teams to see where you are,” coach Forster said. “We just played Buena Vista to a 6-point game at their place. You really learn a lot playing that competition and we’ve learned a lot about ourselves every week.”