The big-play Centerville Bulldogs got unleashed and brought home an opening-night win over Winchester on Friday, Aug. 21, at Craig Field.
Centerville treated its home fans to an evening chock-full of chunk plays in a 47-12 victory.
“We had a great first quarter, started fast and then struggled a little bit in the second quarter. It was important for us to regroup at halftime and execute the game plan and do exactly what we were expecting,” said Bulldogs coach Ryan Cole. “It wasn’t a big message (at halftime). It was, let’s settle down, let’s do this as a team, everybody’s got each other’s back. Let’s go do what we know we can do, and they did a great job in the second half.”
Centerville won its ninth consecutive season opener and also avenged a 2025 28-19 loss at Winchester. This opening-night meeting of teams that combined for a 15-5 record in 2025 was — this isn’t a typo — a nonconference matchup, with the Bulldogs off to the Eastern Crossroads Conference this fall while the Falcons continue in the Tri-Eastern Conference.
The temperature was in the high 80s at kickoff, and the Bulldogs started the game as hot as the late-afternoon sun. Centerville scored on three of its first four possessions. The Bulldogs led 20-0 with 10:06 remaining in the first half after Bryson Brown hauled in a pass from Jace Hollendonner, broke a tackle while breaking to the middle of the field and raced into the end zone for his second touchdown.
As the sun dropped behind the school building and shade covered the field, the Bulldogs also seemed to cool off. Winchester turned a Centerville turnover into a touchdown late in the first half. The Falcons then drove for another score on their first possession of the second half. Suddenly, the 20-point lead was down to a one-score game.
The ensuing kickoff fluttered to Bulldogs sophomore Luke Mull, who had lost the fumble late in the first half. Mull was already at top speed when he fielded the ball on one bounce at the 20. He then dashed through the Winchester defense virtually untouched for an 80-yard touchdown.
“It rolled right into my hands,” Mull said. “I took it and I saw the hole — one of my blockers did a great job — and I went right to that hole when I saw it. It felt so good during that moment. I was thinking, ‘I just brought my team right back.’”
Cole said Centerville “rolled from there” with touchdowns on big pass plays on its last three possessions. The finale was an 80-yard connection down the right sideline from Hollendonner to Landen Schlotterbeck, who sprinted past the Falcon defense on a third-and-14 for his second TD. The longest play of the night extended the Bulldog lead to 35 points and triggered a running clock for the last 4:56.
The Bulldogs’ seven touchdown plays averaged 44 yards. Hollendonner averaged more than 25 yards on his 13 completions, with five resulting in touchdowns.
Schlotterbeck and Brown, who were doubles partners on the tennis court last fall, combined for nine catches and four receiving touchdowns in their varsity football debuts. Brown hadn’t played organized football since sixth grade. Schlotterbeck’s most recent football experience was in eighth grade. Brown got most of his yards going up and over defenders. Schlotterbeck created his openings by running past them.
“It was very evident right away they were going to be difference makers,” Cole said, “and you saw that tonight.”
Roger Gipson and Kyle Dickenson also found the end zone for Centerville. Gipson went 15 yards to the right side late in the first quarter to make it 14-0 on what proved to be the Bulldogs’ longest-running play. Dickenson’s 26-yard catch-and-run to the right side early in the fourth quarter briefly made it 40-12, then was briefly negated by a penalty, and then counted for good when the penalty was waved off.
Winchester got most of its yardage from senior receiver Brennen Lanter, who made several tough catches that even earned kudos from the Centerville PA announcer. Joey Vasquez tallied nearly 100 rushing yards for the Falcons. Winchester played the last 20 minutes without a key player, who was taken from the field with an apparent leg injury.
Centerville will next host Hagerstown on Friday, Aug. 28.
Centerville 14 6 14 13 47
Winchester 0 6 6 0 12
Centerville statistics leaders (unofficial) — Rushing: Roger Gipson 6-31, Hunter Sonntag 4-14. Passing: Jace Hollendonner 13-21-1-361. Receiving: Landen Schlotterbeck 4-166, Kyle Dickenson 5-95, Bryson Brown 3-95, Brylen Riggs 1-5.
Winchester statistics leaders (unofficial) — Rushing: Joey Vasquez 27-97, Caleb Tarter 7-6. Passing: Tarter 16-23-0-190. Receiving: Brennen Lanter 9-136, Vasquez 3-34. Bentley McFarland 1-8, Braylon Black 2-6, Bentley Weist 1-6. Tackles: Kasen Ramos 6
A version of this article will appear in the August 26 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.
