Last Friday night the Centennial Knights faced the Northview Titans in the next-to-last game of the 2022 regular season. Roswell and Johns Creek are neighboring communities, so the schools are not a great distance apart. For the Knights the matchup represented a journey and before the game head coach Sean O'Sullivan reminded them of it.

"The biggest thing I told them was that this is what we’ve been waiting for all year," recalls O'Sullivan. "This is the moment that we have been talking about and here it is right here, so we have to go out and handle our business in the first half and put this game away. We accomplished the first goal of making the playoffs, now we have the opportunity to play for the No. 3 seed in our region next Friday."

Centennial

Coach Sean O'Sullivan began the reclamation project at Centennial three seasons ago.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

The Knights did handle their business, beating the struggling Titans 42-6 to improve their record to 4-5 overall and raising their region record to 3-2, securing the school's first postseason berth since 2018. That success did not last; Centennial came crashing back to earth and finished 0-10 in 2019. O'Sullivan had spent that same season leading North Atlanta to its first playoff appearance since 1996. Now the coach was looking for a new challenge.

"We had played Centennial while I was at North Atlanta," remembers O'Sullivan. "The last year we played them they had a young team. They had a lot of the current seniors who were having to play as freshmen. The demographics and the kids in general, they are very similar schools. For me it was an opportunity again to change the culture of the school and the program."

So the coach arrives at Centennial in early 2020 and as he is getting to know his team everything comes to a screeching halt, as the world shuts down.

"That first year you just didn’t know," says O'Sullivan. "You get hired during COVID. I didn’t meet the team face-to-face until June. It was a long, long time. One of the biggest things for me is a relationship with the kids. We didn’t get to build those in that first year."

Centennial

Johnsley Barbas is a Memphis commit who starts at defensive back, contributes on offense and punts.

Credit: Sam Crenshaw

When O'Sullivan did get to assemble the team there were restrictions and limitations for safety. Even though it wasn't what the coach wished for it allowed him to see a pressing need.

"The first thing we had to do was get a lot stronger," recalls O'Sullivan. “When I got here I think there were seven or eight kids who were power cleaning 225 pounds. July this year we had over 25. Once the kids see success in anything it’s easier to buy into it. I just believe the most important part of changing a program is getting stronger. Bigger, faster, stronger in order to move people in this game of football."

Winless in 2020, Centennial went 1-9 last season, their lone win over Chattahoochee. The record didn't indicate it, but the coach saw signs of improvement and growth. The rising seniors had now accumulated an overall record of 1-27. The coach challenged his team to dive into their off-season workouts for the 2022 season.

"We went at 6 a.m. four days a week from January until May," says O'Sullivan. "We were close in some games last year but didn’t finish them. So, this group was hungry in the spring. They could see the development from the weight room to the field. Just trust the process and it’s going to pay off. This grind in the weight room, this grind conditioning. So, you have to stick with it no matter how hard it gets. We played Sprayberry in the spring game. They look like they will make the playoffs as well. Coach Brett Varva has done a great job over there. This summer we went to more 7-on-7s than last year and we also went to padded camps. It was a huge commitment for the kids, but it has paid off for them."

The 2022 season started off well, with a win over Wheeler. Then the non-region schedule got tough with setbacks against Roswell, Etowah and Westminster. While the loss to Westminster stung, the game had a special meaning to O’Sullivan who had the chance to match wits with his mentor, longtime Wildcats head coach Gerry Romberg.

" I used to work for Coach Romberg," says O'Sullivan. "From him I learned the process of staying detailed with everything. It goes from the weight room, to watching film, to the practice schedules and special teams has been a big part of their success. I carried that with me to North Atlanta and here at Centennial. I imagine Coach Romberg will be in this state's Hall of Fame one day."

Since the Westminster game the Knights have won 3 of the 5 games in Region 6-5A. There are players who have caught the attention of the college recruiters on this team. Johnsley Barbas is a senior who is committed to Memphis as a defensive back, but contributes on both sides of the ball this season and has scored 10 touchdowns so far. He is also the punter and has proven to be a weapon on special teams.

There is one player here who stands out from all the rest ... literally. Daniel Calhoun stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 350 pounds. Calhoun is one of the nation's top offensive tackles in the class of 2024. He is on the holiday wish list for just about every nationally ranked team in the country and has offers from Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Michigan.

O'Sullivan will tell you that while it's nice to have individuals that stand out, he is pleased that this team has great overall team leadership. He has enjoyed watching them grow. He didn't think there would be any problem getting their feet back on the ground after the playoff-clenching win for this week's game with Greater Atlanta Christian.

"We have our 24-hour rule," laughs O'Sullivan. “We’re playing a real good team this week so we have to be focused all week. It’s almost like a playoff game. This late in the year you are not just playing a game."

Playing a meaningful game in late October or early November is the goal of every high school football team. In recent years the Knights have played the final regular season game knowing that their gear would be collected after that game. That won't be the case this year as Friday night's contest against Greater Atlanta Christian will be for the No. 3 seed representing their region in the state playoffs.

For the seniors on this Centennial team it means reaching something that seemed unreachable during their freshman and sophomore years. It's proof that the gridiron can be one of the greatest classrooms, where lessons for life can be learned.

"From the people that I have worked for in the past, we have a good process for developing kids," says O'Sullivan. "For me, one of the joys of coaching is taking something that is not very good and making it a lot better. It has just been great to see these kids go through all of those hard times, and now making the playoffs. It’s the kind of thing that will help them later in life. When they are going through a tough time they know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, if you just stick with it."

This week Football Fridays in Georgia will feature North Gwinnett vs. Norcros. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. on the Great GPB!