CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Few people know more about the Central-Centennial rivalry than Maroons head football coach Matt Leskis.

Leskis, an alumnus of Centennial, participated in the series during a time when the Maroons were the leading team, but the situation has shifted since then. Central football hasn’t secured a victory against Centennial since 2019.

The Maroons and Chargers face off on Friday in the WCIA 3 Spotlight Game of the Week.

“We lost all my freshman, sophomore and junior years,” said senior defensive end David Ward. “So this year we’re going to try to make some jump.”

After a tough week one loss to Springfield, Leskis and his team have a clearer picture of what their team is capable of this year.

“We made some errors, both mentally and physically,” Leskis stated. “We had more mistakes than Springfield. In closely contested games like that, you have to be precise. So we’re focusing on refining those areas.”

The chance to fine-tune those mistakes comes Friday night at Centennial in the annual crosstown meeting.