Centennial junior guard Josh Frazier took his team’s season-opening loss to Atholton personally.
Eagles coach Rob Slopek could tell Frazier was dialed in starting in pregame warmups ahead of Friday’s game with Wilde Lake. As a result, the Eagles coaching staff made it a point of emphasis to get the ball in the dynamic guard’s hands early and often.
Wilde Lake’s length and pressure posed challenges for him early. However, Frazier quickly responded. He showcased his ability as a three-level scorer, scoring 15 of his team-high 27 points in the second quarter. The junior knocked down a trio of 3-pointers as part of an 18-2 Centennial run the final five minutes of the first half, a key stretch in its 54-52 win.
“I’ve just been coming out different,” Frazier said. “I worked so hard in the offseason. I know I have what it takes to be dominant in this county and I just want to prove to everybody that I am a good player.”
Centennial led by nine with 2:19 remaining, but the Wildecats mounted a desperate comeback. Aided by some poor shot selection from the Eagles, Wilde Lake trimmed the deficit to three with 7.5 seconds remaining, keyed by Noah Brazil who had a team-high 19 points. Then, Ethan Jackson was fouled on a potential-game tying 3-pointer.
Jackson’s first foul shot rimmed out and he connected on the second. The third also rattled out and junior Kain Corkeron came down with the offensive rebound. However, both of his follow attempts missed as the Eagles held on for a nail-biting first win of the season.
The Eagles built an 11-point halftime lead. However, the most pivotal stretch was a seven-minute period midway through the third into the early stages of the fourth. With 5:45 remaining in the third and the Eagles up by nine, the dynamic guard picked up his fourth foul and headed to the bench.
Other Centennial (1-1) players needed to step up with their leading scorer sitting with foul trouble. Seniors Adrien Nyom and Charlie Crabtree answered the call with critical baskets. Sophomore guard Ryan Doody also was key, effectively navigating Wilde Lake’s defensive pressure. When Frazier reentered early in the fourth, the Eagles remained on top by six.
“That was the game right there in those few minutes,” Slopek said. “That’s what I told them in the locker room. When you lose a kid like that, who’s playing as well as he was, you look as a coach and say, ‘Alright what are we going to do, where are we going to go?’ I thought that Adrien and Charlie did phenomenal. I thought Ryan Doody was incredible at handling the pressure when it was on him and that’s a sophomore in his second varsity game. The referees were letting us be physical and he accepted it. We kind of came together there and I told the guys, ‘We played for each other in that seven-minute stretch without Josh. They kept bringing the pressure and we just handled it very well.”
With Wilde Lake (0-2) gaining momentum, Centennial mounted an answer. Crabtree delivered back-to-back precision passes to Frazier and Zach Harris for layups, pushing the cushion back to double digits. Undersized compared to the Wildecats, the Eagles continued to play with active hands and stripping the ball loose to maintain the lead.
“It’s crucial,” Crabtree said. “We have two sophomores on the team, but we also two sophomores who are now seniors that have been on the team all three years since COVID. We know how important these wins are and how it can help us win the region like we did last year.”