The Centerville Bulldog football team rolled into Cambridge City on Friday, Aug. 22, for their season opener against Lincoln with a purpose. The Bulldogs feel that they had the Tri-Eastern Conference championship in their grasp last season before losing it in a rainstorm. They are determined to reach the throne room this year and are playing with a chip on their shoulder.
An inexperienced Lincoln team quickly found out how good Centerville was. The Bulldogs scored 56 points in the first quarter and pushed their lead to 69-0 by halftime, and they did it by committee.
Kyle Dickenson started off the scoring for the Bulldogs with a 10-yard receiving touchdown. On the next possession, Ethan Vecera came up with a sack in the end zone for a safety. On the very next play, Roger Gipson returned the kickoff 60 yards for a Bulldog touchdown.
The scoring never stopped. The Bulldogs played JV players in the second half, but freshman Levi Riggs electrified the Bulldog faithful by returning the third quarter kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown.
Sophomore quarterback Jace Hollendonner completed eight of nine pass attempts for 246 yards and six touchdowns. Ethan Vecera led the air attack with two catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Maddox Pritchett scored on his lone catch from 43 yards out while also adding an interception that he returned 47 yards for a touchdown. Shea Hollendonner took his single catch for a 59-yard touchdown, while Ed Parker had two catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Jeremiah Mull led the backfield with 79 total yards and a touchdown. Luke Mull scored on a 70-yard scamper on his only carry of the night.
The Centerville defense was equally impressive. They held Lincoln to a negative 32 yards and did not surrender a first down.
The Bulldog defenders had 15 tackles for loss, two interceptions and scored two touchdowns. Brylen Riggs had a 20-yard pick six.
McGinty had three tackles for loss and two sacks. Vecera had three tackles for loss, one sack and a safety. Shea Hollendonner and Carson Henry both had two tackles, and Maclane Henry, Colton Corder, Evan Noe, Jacob Elsrod and Kaydin Perkins all added a tackle for loss.
Centerville will stay on the road Friday, Aug. 29, with a trip to Hagerstown in another Tri-Eastern Conference game.
Centerville (1-0) 56 13 14 0 83
Lincoln (0-1) 0 0 0 0 0
A version of this article appeared in the August 27 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.