Ashlyn Register is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Centennial High School. 

“Let’s go defense!” could be heard from the student section at Centennial as the Coyotes faced off against national champion Mater Dei Friday. 

“This game is probably the biggest game of the season,” senior Nick Klaus. “I think it is a great matchup for us.”

But the chant didn't last long as the Coyotes lost 71-21.

The defense started the first half with two blown coverages and a bad snap in the end zone that put the Coyotes in a 31-point hole.

“We didn’t feel like we were totally out of it,” running back Eric Haney said. “We thought we were going to come and adjust to some stuff that went wrong.”

Centennial started out the the third quarter with a huge stop on defense and allowed only three touchdowns did their best to adjust by starting out the third quarter with a huge stop on defense and allowed only three touchdowns the rest of the game.

“It helped the momentum because after a big play like that you do not want to give up a big play and lose all the momentum going forward with the game,” said safety Jaydin Young. "It gave us a lot of motivation.”

But the momentum belonged to Mater Dei quarterback Bryce Young who totaled 538 yards passing and seven touchdowns.

“You just have to go out there and treat every play like it is your last,” Young said. “Just play really hard… and give it all you got.”

Coach Richard Taylor was pleased with a defense featuring seven new starters.

“Every game is a new experience for them,” Taylor said. “We played better tonight than we did that first game, and I think we will be better next week.”

The Coyotes defense looks to bounce back against Cienga on Friday in its first away game of the season.

“We have to come back to work tomorrow morning,” Haney said. “We have to have a new mentality because we realize this can happen to us any night.”