#1 Centralia was unable to defeat the #2 team in the state for a second straight week as they fall to St. Mary’s 46-16 in the sub-state round.

Bears’ starting quarterback Keller Hurla was unstoppable on the ground rushing for 200 yards on 21 carries and four rushing touchdowns. He was also 11-for-14 over the air with 164 yards.

The Panthers’ secondary also had no answer for wide receiver Abe Huaracha multiple times down the field. He ended his day with five receptions for 99 yards.

Running back James Rezac didn’t get a ton of action, but when he did, he was very successful. He finished his night with seven carries for 84 yards and two touchdowns.

For Centralia, quarterback Trenton Talley had a solid first half over the air going 8-for-10 with 75 yards and two touchdowns, but the Bears’ secondary shut down the pass game in the second half. Talley was just 1-for-4 with two yards and an interception.

St. Mary’s wouldn’t allow Centralia to get the run game going either. The Panthers only had one carry go for more than 10 yards. They also only averaged 3.6 yards per carry.

The Bears improve to 10-2 and will play in the state title game on Saturday, November 26th at 1:00 p.m. in Hays. It’s their first state title appearance since 2006 when they lost to Smith Center 56-26.

As for Centralia, they lose their only game of the season and finish 2022 with a record of 11-1.