By Annaliese Leon

Williams Field senior defensive back Tre’ Bugg was full of emotion after his final high school football game ended in a 14-6 5A Conference state championship win over the Centennial Coyotes.

“All we kept saying was ‘Finish. We got to keep doing what we’ve been doing all year, because that’s what got us here,’” said Bugg after Saturday's final. “We had to finish the play, finish the game, and we did. We made history for our program.”

Bugg played a huge role in finishing the game with huge defensive plays.

The first one came when teammate Braden Valentine intercepted a pass but was stripped of the ball.

But that’s the best thing that could have happened for Williams Field. Nothing against the 6-1, 225-pound Valentine, but there’s no way Valentine sprints to the end zone the way Bugg did after the fumble.

Bugg, who happened to be right behind Valentine, scooped up the fumble, side stepped some defenders and then run it 65 yards for the touchdown, putting the Black Hawks up 14-3 right before the half.

“As soon as (Valentine) made the play, relief hit me, and I started running with him,” Bugg said. “He fumbled the ball. It just bounced right to me. I just got up and played the game I love. I played some football, with some great down field blocking, and I ended up in the end-zone.”

But the Coyotes didn’t go without a fight.

They were driving down the field once again in the fourth quarter when Centennial quarterback Ruben Beltran threw a long pass toward the south end zone of University of Phoenix Stadium. But Bugg made an over the shoulder interception. That would be the last time the Coyotes were near the end zone.

“I knew when (Beltran) threw it that I was going to have a chance to go up and make the play,” Bugg said. “When it came, I knew how to seize the opportunity. You only get to play in state only a handful of times, and being this is my last game ever in high school it was a great win.”

Bugg and Williams Field’s defense held Centennial to just two field goals, leading the way to the school’s first championship in three championship tries. Centennial was held to its lowest game point total since it scored only three points in its 2012 title game loss to Tucson Ironwood Ridge.  

“We came here to make history, and that’s what we did,” said Bugg, whose team finished 14-0.

 Leon is a sporst journalism student at Arizona State. 

(Photo by Jose Garcia/azpreps365.com. Your 2016 5A Conference champs, the Williams Field Black Hawks.)