Two quarters plus two minutes of domination finally got through to Desert Edge's veteran team as it battled Centennial for early-season bragging rights in 5A on Saturday night in the cool pines.

Three second-half touchdowns and inproved success on the ground in the third and fourth quarters were part of Desert Edge coming back to edge Centennial, 26-24, in the nightcap of the Sollenberger Classic doubleheader at Coconino's Cromer Stadium.

A pair of Tehran Thomas long touchdown runs and scoop and score fumble return by  ferocious linebacker Roshaun Johnson were the plays that put points on the board for Desert Edge. Thomas, a senior quarterback scored on runs of 56 and 34 yards. He finished with 110 yards on 18 carries. Each of Thomas' scores jump-started a slow starting offense. Johnson's fumble return abruptly gave the Scorpions the lead for good (20-17) with 4:29 left in the third period. Thomas and Johnson were huge parts of last year's D-III title campaign.

The game was a strong indication these teams may meet again in a little more than three months. Both teams efforts gave the contest an intensity jolt to the ordinary giddiness of a first game.

"Both schools have been talking about this since we lined it up," Desert Edge coach Rich Wellbrock said. "Offensively both of us put the ball on the ground too much. I know both of us will get better as the season moves along. Offensively for us I'm not pleased, but satisfied."

For the first 26 minutes Centennial, which has won state titles each of the last two years (D-II and D-I), was the better team. The Coyotes displayed their usual solid running game with an emerging standout in Zidane Thomas, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound junior. Thomas punished nearly every player attempting to tackle him as he looked for contact with power and breakaway speed. A 52-yard TD run with 9:41 to play in the third period opened up a 17-7 advantage for the Coyotes.

At that point Centennial enjoyed an yardage advantage of 274-11, a time of possession edge of 20 1/2 minutes to 5 1/2 minutes and 35 plays to 16. Desert Edge responded by limiting Centennial to 27 yards rushing the rest of the game and garnering three fumble recoveries -- Johnson's return for a TD and a muffed punt that led to what proved to be the decisive TD with 3:55 left in the game. were most critical. 

Tehran Thomas' 34-yard TD capped a 65-yard drive that cut the lead to 17-14 with 7:21 left in the quarter. Three minutes later, Johnson's score put Desert Edge ahead for good, 20-17 even with a failed extra point. The Scorpions best drive of the game -- 10 plays 59 yards -- took nearly five minutes and supplied a two-score edge (26-17) for the finish.

Centennial was forced to abandon the run game in the final four minutes since it needed two scores. Junior quarterback Ruben Beltran completed 4-of-5 passes in a 71-yard march. It finished with a 5-yard TD toss to Connor Sovacki to make it 26-24 with 2:05 left. Beltran passed for 147 yards to seven different receivers.

Desert Edge covered the anticipated onside kick and survived a last-play hail mary to prevail.

Wellbrock was happy for the win, but attached no extra significance to the outcome than that

"This is no statement game," Wellbrock said. "I think we'll see them again."

Centennial players are counting on it, as several of them muttered that sentiment on the way to shaking hands with their new westside foes.