What nerves.

What the Centennial Coyotes did display was the grit to win their conference title.

To do so against arguably one of the top-2 pitchers in the state, Canyon View’s Landon Hood, says a lot about the backbone of the team. Ever since the Boras Classic, the third-seeded Coyotes have played like the best team in 5A, winning 20 of their final 22 games.

Beating No. 2 seed Canyon del Oro twice in the semifinals and then No. 1 Canyon View, 6-3, Monday in the 5A finale at Tempe Diablo verified it.

“This group is a little bit different,” Centennial coach Jon Williams said.

“They are very easy going, happy-go-lucky. The pressure never gets to them. So I never worry about them getting tight.”

Williams’ spunky squad applied the pressure from the outset when the game’s leadoff hitter, Bobby Villa III, blasted a first pitch offering to right center for a triple.

On the mound, starter Cohen Baack and reliever JT Price kept Canyon View’s bats in check, allowing just four hits. After Price struck out the final batter, he launched his glove in the air to initiate the championship celebration, the first in Centennial's baseball history.

“In the (Boras) tournament, where we were 0-for-4, that’s when we had some ups and downs,” said Baack, who also had an RBI sac fly to put Centennial up 4-0 in the third inning. “But we progressively just got better, just getting wins and wins, stacking them and believing in ourselves.”

A bond was also forged at that point that also allowed the team go on its memorable run.

A David Daniels RBI groundout, William Strand single, Price RBI double and Isaac Flores RBI hit helped give Centennial a 3-0 lead to start the game. Prior to Tuesday, Hood (12-3) hadn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a game this season.

“You can’t let anybody look bigger than you,” Villa III said. “You are already beat if you’re just thinking (Hood) is this and that. We just came in with a good mindset and sent a message right off the gate and just kept it going throughout the game.”

RBI singles in the fourth and seventh by Liu Rodriguez Jr. and Isaac Flores, respectively, plated Centennial’s final runs.

Centennial’s Rodriguez, Villa III, Price, Strand, and Flores had two hits apiece for the Coyotes (24-9). Baack allowed just two earned runs in four innings, and Price struck out seven in relief.

Canyon View, which played without its leading hitter, injured sophomore Ricardo Yuriar (.495 ave.), finished its best season to date with a school record 30 wins with just five losses.

Canyon View made its first title game appearance Tuesday. (Jose Garcia photo/AZPreps365)