Centreville Academy head football coach thought his team had a chance to getting back to the MPSA&160;Class 3A state championship, until the first four games of the season, that is.

Centreville, 10-3, started out of the gate 2-3 as injuries to key players had the Tigers struggling after going 14-0 last year, including a convincing 41-0 rout of Carroll in the state finals.

&uot;When we had the injuries, I didn’t see any way we could possibly get back,&uot; said Hurst, who has won five state titles at Centreville. &uot;But when we got everybody back with the ones who had to step up in their absence, it made us a better team.&uot;

Centreville faces Heritage Academy of Columbus. Heritage is 10-2 on the season.

&uot;They run the Air Force offense,&uot;&160;Hurst said. &uot;They run a lot of midline option and some veer. They have two wingbacks and their quarterback (Randy Waldrop) is about 6-3, 190 pounds and he runs the option real well. He’s a load to bring down by himself.&uot;

Hurst credits his offensive line with the Tigers getting back to the finals and allowing Matthew Tolbert to run for more than 2,000 yards.

The Tiger line is Will Arnold (6-4, 300), David Hughes (6-3, 305), Kyle Flint (6-0, 235), Jared Webb (5-11, 210), Jon Priest (6-0, 195) Britt Cavin (6-2, 295) and Rich Newman (6-2-220).

Running back/linebacker Rob Robertson, who commited to Ole Miss, returned to the Tiger lineup after injuring his knee early in the year.

&uot;I knew we had a good offensive line coming back and that could carry us,&uot; Hurst said.

The Centreville coach said he doesn’t expect a rout this year.

&uot;It won’t be that kind of game,&uot; he said.