Centerville opened Friday’s clash against Albia with an 89-yard kickoff return touchdown by Abram DeCena, setting the tone for a 40-8 victory that secured the Big Reds a spot in the Class 2A, District 7 championship game against PCM. DeCena scored twice in the first half, while Curtis Mathes contributed a safety in the third quarter that turned the momentum firmly in Centerville’s favor.
The Big Reds’ defense played a decisive role after Albia mounted an early second-half threat. Mathes’ safety came as a result of stopping Beau Buckingham in the end zone, a moment that coach Matt Kovacevich described as “probably the play of the game.” Centerville has now won six straight games over the past seven weeks and remains unbeaten in district play.
Albia’s coach Matt Carlson praised his team’s effort despite the loss. “Albia plays hard. They’ve got good players. Coach Matt Carlson has done an outstanding job with that program getting them to believe in themselves and playing with confidence,” Kovacevich said. “We knew we were going to have to play well on the line of scrimmage. It was rough at times, but in the end I thought for four quarters we started to lean on them in the second half to open up some lanes.”
Centerville’s balanced performance across offense, defense, and special teams showed growth since last season’s district title game, which they lost to PCM. Kovacevich reflected on the team’s progress: “I think that, in all three phases of the game, we're performing really well at times for the most part. You always want to be playing your best football in October. I feel like we're playing pretty well.”
The upcoming district title rematch between Centerville and PCM is scheduled for next Friday at Paul Johnson Field. Both teams enter the game with perfect district records, setting the stage for a high-stakes showdown. Last year, PCM overcame a 13-point deficit to win 58-30 in Monroe, a victory that earned them the district title and home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Albia, which also secured a playoff berth, will face Pella Christian next Friday at Ironman Field. The winner will claim the third seed in the district, while the loser will start the postseason on the road against a district champion. Carlson said despite the loss to Centerville, his team has competed fully. “I don’t think we’ve left anything back. We've left it all out on the field,” he said. “We've been preaching all year that we have to be physical and we've got some dues that come play with that effort. When you can play like that and leave all out there, you've got every reason to walk away with your head held high.”
According to Yahoo Sports.