Raiders face a dominating Centennial football team
Plus a post-game interview with Coach Stephenson
A hardy but overmatched Roseville Area High School Raiders football team fell to the powerhouse Centennial Cougars 44-21 at Roseville Area High School on Friday night, October 9. Roseville had hoped to continue a two-game winning streak, but the talented Cougars proved too big a hurdle to clear.
Both fan bases were decked out in pink to acknowledge Tackle Cancer and Teacher Appreciation Night.
After the game, I caught up with Raiders coach Andy Stephenson to discuss the game and the season.
Determined Raiders put up a tenacious fight
Centennial started the game with their offense in full gear. They chewed up significant yardage on the ground, leaving Raiders defenders in their wake. Only a tenacious Roseville defense and some Cougar penalties held it to an 8-0 Centennial lead at the end of the first quarter.
But the dam broke in the second quarter as the Cougars rushed for three second-quarter scores, including an 80-yard run with 5:59 left in the half. But the Raiders refused to die as Jordan Smith carried the ball one yard for a Roseville touchdown with 1.29 remaining in the half.
After the extra point, Roseville was down 30-7, but it appeared they had regained some momentum. But on the ensuing kickoff, Centennial returned the ball 92 yards for a touchdown. This gave the Cougars a 37-7 halftime lead.
In the second half, both teams rotated new players into the game, and that and some stout defenses led to limited scoring in the third quarter. Centennial was able to light up the board only once with a 39-yard touchdown run with a little more than a minute to go in the quarter. The quarter ended with the Cougars holding a commanding 44-7 lead.
At this point, some thought that Coach Stephenson’s team might fold under the pressure of the aggressive Centennial attack. But they underestimated the resilient Raiders squad. Not only did their defense hold the Cougars’ offense scoreless in the final quarter, but they added two touchdowns of their own.
The first came with a little under seven minutes remaining when Roseville’s Caio Skjon ran it in from six yards out. And with only 1.27 to go in the game, Westin Harrison connected with Skjon for a 25-yard touchdown reception. The Raiders also blocked a punt in the quarter and recovered an onside kick. Although they gave a spirited effort, the game ended in a 44-21 Centennial victory.
Interview with Coach Andy Stephenson
The Roseville Reader: Tell me about the character of this team, coach. Two late touchdowns. Blocked a kick. Recovered an onside kick.Pretty good effort.
Andy Stephenson: “There was some fight there as we finished the game. And we played a heck of an opponent. Those guys should be in the state semis, if not further, by the end of the year. And they hit on all cylinders. They've been doing it right. We knew that going into this. It's just a matter of could we step up. So some of our guys learned some things tonight within that first half. In order to grow and get better, we need some of those tests; that's for sure, and what we will learn from our game film review tomorrow. We hope to see improvement on Wednesday versus Cottage Grove.”
TRR: Tell me what you said to the team after the game.
AS: “We talked about preparation and doing it the right way. We had a little bit of a slump, and teams have that within the course of the week, and I fought to try to get them out of that. I said that in order for this thing to finish the way we want it to, with our goal to compete for the Maroon District Championship, we have to want it just as much as the other teams were competing with. I think they heard that pretty clearly, and they saw that pretty clearly too. So proof's in the pudding.”
TRR: Entering the season, what were your expectations for the team and where are you with those expectations?
AS: “I couldn’t be prouder of our senior leadership. We've got a great group of guys that showed up all those mornings in the winter for book study. I mean, they pour their hearts into this thing, and that part of it is so fun. That leadership has taken us a long way. I talked before the game about the guys before them and building what they left behind. There's a layer of foundation that we get to sit on or stand on tonight because of them. I'm proud of those things, but you can't rest on that. We have got to keep growing and getting better. We’re learning lessons here, and we'll see how we finish off in the next 10 days or so.”
TRR: Tell me what it means for this team to have Chase Browning (Raiders senior quarterback) this season.
AS: “I told our athletic director that Chase might be the best of the best. I mean integrity, and you would trust him with your family. He does everything the right way, and having him back leading the show, finally putting him in some positions of success, it's awesome. I mean, this is a kid; he's the first one into the weight room, last one out.
“He believes in everything that we're putting down, and it's showing off right here. He's a warrior with genuine leadership. It's not just for me; it's not just for the show. It's behind the scenes; it's organizing things. We’ve got two other captains around him, Will Van Voorst and Brady Bell, who are doing all those same things. We have some other seniors that are stepping up to it.”
TRR: What are your goals for this team finishing out the season?
AS: “First, we’d like to win the Maroon District Championship and finish 4-4. But we've got to take it one step at a time. We've got to get a little bit healthier in the short week and get ready for Park because Rick’s (head coach Fryklund) got them rolling this year. We'll be at their house on senior night on a quick week. So I mean it's a true test of how well you can prepare. You’ve got your fundamentals in. It's just a matter of how fast can you defensively adjust and go. Luckily, we saw a little bit of what Rick runs down there tonight at a fast pace.”
TRR: You didn't dodge anybody. You had a few early tough games.
AS: “Eastview's a good program. Wade's (head coach Buckley) a heck of a coach and, you know, a heck of an athlete we faced last week. Trey's one of the best athletes in the state, that's for sure.”
TRR: Thank you, Coach. Good luck.
AS: “Hopefully we win next week, and then against Coon Rapids. Thank you.”
Next Game
The Raiders are now 2-4 for the season and 2-0 and tied for first in the Metro Maroon Conference.
The Raiders' next game is against the Park of Cottage Grove Wolfpack on Wednesday, October 23, 2026 at 7:00 P.M. at Park High School.
Catch the next home game on Friday, October 23, 2026, when Roseville hosts the Coon Rapids Cardinals for Homecoming Night at 7:00 p.m. at Roseville Area High School.
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