Centennial League Wrap up 10/24

The Centennial League title wound up split three ways, with Manhattan, Junction City and Washburn Rural all coming away with a share. While Manhattan and Junction City were not threatened in their final games, there were plenty of interesting things that took place Friday night: <strong>Topeka West beats Topeka High:</strong> It was the first time since 2005 that the Chargers got the best of their rival. Swift all-purpose back JaVion Lee outran the Trojans to the end zone pylon on the goal-to-go overtime format. A couple of players stood out from that historic win: <strong>Elliott Cooper</strong>, 6-foot-3, 225 pound tight end, 2022, Topeka West: No one saw Cooper’s huge night coming. Just a few weeks ago he was playing tackle for the Chargers. But he was moved to end recently, and he had a night to remember. He hauled in 8 passes for 176 yards, including a grab on the dead run that he took 60 yards for a score. Cooper might just have a future somewhere, because he can run, is big, and demonstrated nice hands. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="166967" first="Malachi" last="Berg"]</strong>, 6-foot-2, 190 pound quarterback, 2023, Topeka West: Berg was the gutty leader that willed the Chargers to the win. He’s got good athleticism and a quick release. He hit some nice passes over the middle, spread the ball around, and meshed well with the inexperienced Cooper. He completed 12-19 throws for 211 yards, and he also ran for a 22-yard score. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="35551" first="Danny" last="Saili"]</strong>, 6-foot-3, 375 pound lineman, 2022, Topeka High: The big man in the middle of things is Saili. He has immense power and is incredibly hard to move. But he has some surprising agility and speed for his size. He chases after plays around the ends, and gets into the backfield. Given the right opportunity to develop, he has some gifts you just don’t find often. <strong>Washburn Rural claims share of title with win over Seaman:</strong> Seaman showed once again that it is a 5A team to be reckoned with, but the Vikings came up just short of the upset 42-31 at Rural. The Junior Blues earned a split of the league title by coming from behind. There were several good receivers in action in this one: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87660" first="Amr" last="Sabbarini"]</strong>, 6-foot, 175 pound receiver, 2023, Washburn Rural: A few of his teammates tend to grab more headlines, but Sabbarini has been a crucial cog in the Junior Blues’ offense. He’s a go-to receiver who is a possession-type receiver who also has big-play potential. He’s smooth and fast, but also plays bigger and more physical than he looks. He was huge in the clutch for the Junior Blues Friday, catching four passes for 63 yards and two scores. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="207148" first="Brody" last="Gormley"]</strong>, 6-foot-7, 220 pound receiver, 2022, Seaman: Gormley is a huge target who brings those hoops ball skills to the gridiron. He caught scoring passes of 9 and 65 yards as the Vikings top receiving threat in this game. He showed good wheels on that long catch and run. He’s getting some college looks and might just garner more if he keeps producing like he did Friday.