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Frisco Centennial's 38-24 win over Frisco creates 3-way tie for lead in 9-4A

FRISCO — A lackluster first half of football gave way to a track meet at FC Dallas Stadium on Friday night.

Frisco and Frisco Centennial combined for seven punts and two scores through the first two quarters. By the end of the night, the teams had racked up 826 yards of total offense and 62 points.

Centennial’s two first-half touchdowns turned out to be the difference in its 38-24 victory in a key District 9-4A showdown.

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“It’s really hard to put a finger on what changed,” Centennial coach Mark Howard said. “We didn’t make a whole lot of adjustments, offensively or defensively.”

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Centennial’s victory left a three-way tie atop the 9-4A standings. Centennial (7-1), Prosper (7-1) and Frisco (5-3) all have 4-1 district records.

Centennial led 14-0 at halftime and tried to gain some momentum with an onside kick to open the third quarter.

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The plan backfired, and Frisco took advantage of the good field position. Matt Nollman charged into the end zone on a 4-yard run to cap a 10-play drive — the first of his three touchdowns.

Centennial held onto its lead, though, matching every Frisco score with one of its own. Eight of the 10 second-half possessions resulted in scoring plays.

Frisco lost three possessions to interceptions thrown by quarterback Jake Battaglia, and each of them came in Centennial territory.

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Centennial safety Ian Neithercutt had two of the interceptions, including a one-handed grab as he fell to the ground. TCU pledge Ranthony Texada had the other pick.

“The way they were playing, we were going to have to throw the ball,” Frisco coach Vance Gibson said. “We made some plays and didn’t make other plays.”

Centennial running back Chris Johnson ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns, and wide receiver Cody Bagwell caught six passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.

Centennial, which could still win the district title outright, is the only one of the three deadlocked teams that has not clinched a playoff berth. It can clinch next week with a win against The Colony.

“We’ve talked ever since the loss to Prosper about controlling our own destiny,” Howard said. “We’ve been preaching that.”

Follow David Just on Twitter at @DavidJustDMN.