The Central East Bengals haven’t faced much resistance lately. The Bengals rolled through the Central Section playoffs, capping off their championship run with a 70-35 win against Clovis High, then stayed hot in the state playoffs with a 55-36 victory over Pittsburgh.
Now, as the Bengals prepare for the Division 1-A championship game at Saddleback College on Saturday, they face an opponent that is putting together their own historic run. That would be the 15-0 Pacifica Tritons. While the Tritons’ margin of victory hasn’t been as wide as Central’s in recent games, they have proven that their best attribute is their ability to come up big in close moments.
Pacifica took the D3 Southern Section Championship with a hard-earned 20-10 victory over Palos Verdes, then took down Granite Hills 42-35 in the regional finals with a thrilling finish.
Now, the Tritons will have to overcome an explosive Central offense led by senior Brandon Smith, a 4-star recruit heading to the University of Arizona. Against Pittsburgh in the regional final, Smith carried the ball 36 times for 257 rushing yards.
The senior running back is also coming up big on defense. One of his most memorable plays came in the section final against Clovis High when he ripped the ball from the Cougars and took it back 99 yards for an electrifying touchdown.
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