Centennial remains unbeaten, defeats Organ Mountain behind four Rudy Rios touchdowns

Centennial leans heavily on its ground game, and one Hawk ran all over Organ Mountain.

Senior wide receiver/defensive back Rudy Rios rushed for three touchdowns against the Knights (4-5, 3-2 District 3-6A), helping Centennial (8-0, 4-0) secure a 49-14 victory on Friday evening to keep its perfect record. Rios also caught a 16-yard receiving score, taking his touchdown total to 15 this season.

Whether it was running the ball or getting yards after catching short passes, the Hawks leaned on Rios with great success. Rios praised Centennial's offensive line afterward, believing they were the catalyst for his performance.

"It was a great game, and none of it happens without (the offensive line)," Rios said. "My linemen are my favorite people. Nothing happens without them."

Rios helped the Hawks take control against their biggest local rival. He scored the game's first touchdown on a three-yard rush with 3:45 in the first quarter and added his other three touchdowns before halftime. A 9-yard rushing touchdown from senior quarterback Zaiden Davis helped give Centennial a 35-0 lead over Organ Mountain, and both teams would score 14 points in the second half to create the final score.

Rios ranked second amongst Hawks with 596 rushing yards heading into Friday evening. Centennial coach Aaron Ocampo thinks Rios' mindset changed before the season starting, allowing him to be more daring in 2024.

"He's had a good offseason and his mindset has been to attack everything," Ocampo said. "He's been pushed. ... He's one of those kids that really wants it, and he's done a good job."

Rios credited Ocampo's offensive scheme and Centennial's increased energy for a rivalry game as reasons for the win.

"Our practices were very intense," Rios said. "The atmosphere. ... started picking up, and we were moving faster. Things were pretty good."

And now, the Centennial-Organ Mountain trophy stays with the Hawks for an 11th consecutive season.

"I think things do change for us," Ocampo said about Centennial-Organ Mountain rivalry week. "I think it definitely does with us as a coaching staff. We were a little more on (our players) this week. It's a challenge. We were pretty intense in practice for this one."

Hawks match "physical" Knights

Ocampo believes increased physicality is what makes Organ Mountain better than previous seasons, and thought Centennial met the challenge.

Ocampo and Rios both think the Hawks overpowering the Knights contributed to a dominant rushing attack. Senior quarterback Zaiden Davis rushed for two touchdowns in addition to Rios' three.

Ocampo emphasized that during this week's practices, and is happy to see the Hawks answer the call.

"They could see it from watching the film. They're physical," Ocampo said. "They do a good job of running the ball, and defensively they're very strong. We played really well against that."

Centennial, Organ Mountain see high stakes games next

Both the Hawks and Knights have something to play for in upcoming games.

Centennial is fighting for a District 3-6A championship and takes on Clovis and Las Cruces for its final two regular season games. Even if only one of the Hawks or Bulldawgs wins next week, their matchup on Nov. 1 will decide the district's winner as both teams currently hold a 4-0 district record.

Similarly to Las Cruces, which plays Carlsbad next Friday, Centennial only wants to focus on its next game for the time being. The Hawks play the Wildcats (0-8, 0-4) on the road next Friday at 7 p.m.

"We need to get to work this weekend on preparing for Clovis," Ocampo said. "We'll watch the film and we'll see all the things we need to improve, but we need to get better."

Organ Mountain has one game left against Hobbs (4-4, 2-2) on the road next Friday at 7 p.m. The Knights hope to make a good impression with a win before the New Mexico Activities Association Seeding and Selection Show that decides who makes the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Centennial remains unbeaten, defeats Organ Mountain behind four Rudy Rios touchdowns