CENTREVILLE — Back-to-back is beginning to become a theme for Centreville Academy.

The Tigers won their second-straight MPSA Class AA championship Saturday by beating Kirk Academy 28-10, and their eighth total state title.

The feat didn’t start this year, however. It hails from way back in the day when these kids were in middle school.

“I coached this bunch in junior high,” said assistant coach Brian Stutzman. “They’ve been winners the whole way through. They have the same coach from seventh grade to their senior year, and I run the same offense in junior high as in high school.”

That consistency, along with the cohesiveness that comes with playing with the same guys for up to six years, is part of what brought Centreville Academy its second-consecutive state title.

The rest is skill if you consider running back Zack Sinclair’s 264 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 36 carries and coach Bill Hurst’s 300-plus wins and eight titles.

But it’s something else entirely if you ask Stutzman.

“We’ve just been lucky this year,” he said. “I wouldn’t have said that if you had asked me last week, but we were lucky. We started out 2-2, and that loss at Central Private really set us back. Since then we’ve seen tremendous leadership from our seniors, we’ve finished 13-2 and won nine in a row.”

The Tigers were also lucky to have such experienced backup players.

With two starters on the offensive line out with serious injuries and two more playing with their injuries, Centreville’s second string came through in the clutch.

“Cody Roberts stepped in and so did Cody Holmes, although I don’t know if they were 100 percent — they gave 100 percent effort. Their presence, along with Tyler Glasscock’s emotional presence (helped us win.)”

This season and the last will come in handy next year as well, as several freshmen have now had big-game experience.

Cliff Hurst, Michael Pate, Brodie LaFontaine and Hunter Travis all played big roles this season.

And Sinclair will be back next season.

“We want to keep the ball away from people, run the clock and just control it,” Stutzman said. “That big line we have and Zack running the ball was really key Saturday. You never know with him — you might get 3 yards, you might get 40 or he might break it.”

And Stutzman hopes the winning will continue.

“The success starts with the junior high program and builds up. When they younger kids see the older kids’ success, they want to follow them. It’s kind of a feeder program.”