Basketball Game Preview: Centennial Broncos vs. Doniphan-Trumbull Cardinals

The Centennial Broncos will head out to take on the Doniphan-Trumbull Cardinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Centennial is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Central City just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Saturday. They took a 52-44 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bison.

Despite their loss, Centennial saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Devin Slawnyk, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten boards, was perhaps the best of all. Slawnyk is crushing it when it comes to rebounds: he's pulled down at least ten every time he's taken the court this season. Sam Ehlers was another key player, putting up 11 points and six assists.

Meanwhile, Doniphan-Trumbull had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Saturday. They walked away with a 56-48 win over the Patriots.

Doniphan-Trumbull's win came from a few key players Centennial will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jack Poppe, who went 6 for 12 en route to 17 points in addition to six assists and six boards. Another player making a difference was Parker Volk, who went 6 of 10 on his way to 14 points and six rebounds.

Doniphan-Trumbull's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-4. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.3 points per game. As for Centennial, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-4.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Centennial has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Doniphan-Trumbull struggles in that department as they've been averaging 25.8 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Centennial might still be hurting after the 63-43 loss they got from Doniphan-Trumbull in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. Can Centennial avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.