Centennial captains ready for state title game

Note: By the time this article is published, the state championship game will be done. The interviews were done Nov. 17. State championship game coverage will be in the Nov. 29 Independent.

“We don’t care who we play,” Jake Prochaska said. “We have to go out and beat them.”

Prochaska, a senior at Centennial and one of the football team captains, and his Bronco teammates were preparing for the Class C2 state championship game Nov. 21.

Juniors Wyatt Ehlers and Jackson Hirschfeld are the other two team-elected captains.

“This is what you always dream about,” Prochaska said. “We always talked about it as kids.”

“To play in Memorial Stadium – every kid dreams of that,” Ehlers said, adding that he was more excited than nervous.

Hirschfeld also said playing at Memorial Stadium has been a dream for him since playing football with Ehlers in Hirschfeld’s backyard when they were little.

“Now everyone will get to see what we dreamed about,” he said. “We played in the backyard with the same kids, and we dreamed of moments like this.”

As a captain, Prochaska said, he tries to be a positive leader at practice and carry that positive outlook to the sidelines for the game. This season has been a challenge for him because of knee injuries. He started the season with one torn ACL and tore the other in the Broncos’ win over Sutton, ending his high school career.

“I have to be more vocal,” he said of his new role. “I try to help those who took my place become better players.”

When Prochaska went down, Ehlers said, that was emotionally tough for the team.

“We know how hard he worked,” he said. “He’s taken it with grace.”

Ehlers said he sees his role as being a leader and helping his teammates stay calm under pressure.

“It’s hard when it’s not going well to keep positive,” he said. “There’s good and bad in every game.”

He said the coaches encourage the players to reset their brains every six seconds.

Hirschfeld said the scout team has done a great job helping to prepare the Broncos all season.

“Everyone has a role,” he said.

Heading into the championship game Nov. 21, Prochaska said the pregame rituals wouldn’t change. About two hours before the game, the team will arrive at the stadium and walk around to get the feel of the place. Then they’ll change into their uniforms, hear a speech from Coach Evan Klanecky and join for a team prayer.

Then they’ll go out and play.

Hirschfeld said the team is always well prepared, with coaches spending hours in the film room, breaking down opponents.

“That takes away the nerves,” he said.

With Centennial’s experience at the state basketball tournament last winter, Ehlers and Hirschfeld said the big stage isn’t unfamiliar.

“We’ve made this trip before,” Ehlers said.

Hirschfeld said the atmosphere at the state basketball tournament last year helped prepare this football team for this.

“It definitely prepared us for bigger stages,” he said.

As quarterback, Ehlers has some favorite plays.

“I like plays that end in touchdowns,” he said with a grin. “I like handing off to Gavin (Avery). I like throwing to the wideouts, getting the ball to them in space.”

The Broncos played Yutan, a familiar opponent, in the championship game. Centennial beat the Chieftains 28-25 in week two, but Yutan sent the Broncos home after the first round of the playoffs last year, winning 34-6.

“We have to beat them one more time,” Prochaska said.

Last year’s playoff loss was in the backs of the Broncos’ minds all summer, he said.

“They beat us when it mattered,” Hirschfeld said. “We try not to worry too much about it.”

Game preparation for the championship game was the same as for any other game, they said.

“We’ll do what we’ve been doing, but we’ll add some wrinkles,” Ehlers said.

One wrinkle the Broncos introduced last week against Lincoln Lutheran was a pass from Hirschfeld to Ehlers.

“We’ve been practicing that the past five or six weeks,” Hirschfeld said.

He was glad it went for a touchdown, especially after all the work they’d put in on it.

The community support for the Broncos has been great, the captains said. Hirschfeld said the crowd for the semifinals was incredible, with people waiting in line through the first quarter.

“To walk out and see that was awesome,” he said. “We’re blessed to be where we are. We’ve earned it. Everyone does their job.”

Hirschfeld and Prochaska said the team’s journey has been the best part of the season.

“To see how far we have come,” Prochaska said.

These young men and their teammates started playing football in third grade and now they get to play at Memorial Stadium.

“We dreamed about it,” Hirschfeld said. “Now it’s for real. We’ll remember this forever.”