Josh Giles said leading the 2021-22
Centennial (Corona, Calif.) boys basketball team was a "coach's dream." After capping a 33-1 season with their 30th straight win and first state title, the Huskies said all the credit should go to the coaching staff.
For his team's humility, balance, cohesion and success, Giles is the 2021-22 MaxPreps National Coach of the Year.
Giles improved his overall record to 431-133 over 20 seasons with the Huskies, but this is the first time they were ever ranked nationally, finishing No. 2 in the MaxPreps Top 25.
They won a second consecutive Southern Section Open Division title with a 68-48 victory over nationally-ranked Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), then followed that up with an even more convincing 83-59 victory in the championship game over another much-hyped squad, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth).
The latter was a signature performance, capping a remarkable late season Southern California run as all five starters scored in double figures:
Ramsey Huff with 20 points,
Devin Williams 19,
Donovan Dent 18,
Aaron McBride 13 and
Jared McCain 10.
The following week, Centennial struggled much of the state championship game, but pulled out a 59-50 win over Modesto Christian as Dent went for 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. McCain had 16 and Williams and McBride added 10 each.
The Huskies closed on an 11-2 run.
"There was no panic," Giles said after the game. "It just shows how tough these guys are (and) just how committed they are to winning. … They're able to fight through stuff and overcome it. They found a way to win. They've been winners all year and tonight was no different."
Remarkably, playing a rugged schedule in one of the country's hotbeds of Southern California, the Huskies average margin of victory was nearly 30 points. They averaged 77.0 points per game and allowed 47.8.
The team's only defeat came in November to Duncanville (Texas), which finished No. 1 in the the MaxPreps Top 25.
A victory there and many would have compared the Huskies to perhaps Southern California's best team ever, the 2016 Chino Hills squad that went 35-0, finished No. 1 in the country and featured eventual NBA lottery picks Lonzo Ball, LaMelo Ball and Onyeka Okongwu.
"To even be mentioned in the same conversation with that team just shows you how good and how hard these guys fought throughout the season," Giles said. "For us to follow up (Chino Hills) and do it the way we've done it, was pretty big."
Following the state title win, Giles was asked to sum up what made the Huskies so good. He gushed over his team's chemistry, work ethic and attention to detail. When asked about a couple of seniors, Giles was overwhelmed with emotion, eventually finding the words: "They're winners."
When asked about Centennial's place in state history, Giles said: "I'll just say this is the very best Centennial team."
Past MaxPreps National Coaches of the Year
2010 — Ed Azzam, Westchester (Los Angeles)
2011 — Bob Hurley, St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.)
2012 — Danny Henderson, Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas)
2013 — Quincy Lewis, Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
2014 — Gary McKnight, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2015 — Sam Duane Jr., Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.)
2016 — Pat Donnelly, University of Detroit Jesuit (Detroit)
2017 — Wes Swift, Jonesboro (Ark.)
2018 — Kevin Boyle, Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
2019 — Mike Thompson, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)
2020 — No award (Pandemic)
2021 — David Peavy, Duncanville (Texas)
