Things got thrown together quickly last season in Centralia.
After taking the head coaching job in June, coach Jon Rooklidge and his staff had little time to prepare for a full fall camp, and by Sept. 1, Centralia was taking the field against Elma at Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers took the Eagles to OT in the opener last year, but couldn’t pull through in what was the first of a seven-game losing streak to open the season.
With routines established this time around and higher turnout, the Tigers are looking to take another step in the right direction in Rooklidge’s second season.
“We feel like we made progress,” Rooklidge said. “Our goal is to be better every day.”
A few playmakers from last year graduated, including All-Area linebacker Marcus Miller and all-league honorable mentions Landen Jenkins and Ariel Velasquez, but Rooklidge is excited to see his returners take another step.
Back under center is Terrell Sanders, and his top back Kellen Rooklidge is also back and 100 percent to lead the running back room.
Roman Cando, Donovan Galloway, and Hudson Waterfield, who returns to football after not playing in 2023, return as well.
There’s less continuity on the offensive line, but it’s anchored by senior David Daarud, who missed three games last season with an injury.
““While some of them are coming out for the first time, we like everything about them,” Rooklidge said of his O-line. “We like their physicality, and we like their speed.”
The defensive line will get a boost from another player who’s coming back from injury, as Alika Vargas missed all of last season after getting hurt during the third practice of the season.
“He’s a stud,” Rooklidge said of Vargas, while adding that he and his staff have high hopes for the skill position groups.
“These are all guys that we believe can play,” he said.
The 2024 season will start just as the 2023 season did, with the Tigers taking on the Elma squad that beat them last year.
If they can top the Eagles on the road, it will be the first time since the spring COVID season that the Tigers start 1-0.
“We felt like we had every chance to win,” Rooklidge said. “At the end of the day, they beat us … I just think we’re better this year than last.”
After Elma, the Tigers will face R.A. Long and Foster before diving into the heart of their league schedule, which looks a little different this year.
Rochester and Shelton are out, and with Tumwater and W.F. West expected to battle it out in the two, that leaves Centralia with Black Hills and Aberdeen fighting for the third spot.
“We believe we can be in that picture,” Rooklidge said. “We’re a year better … We feel like we’re gonna take strides again.”
