CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — When a team misses the playoffs for the first time in several years, players and coaches can either leave the past in the past or use it as ongoing motivation. The Centennial Chargers are doing a little bit of both.

Centennial missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 COVID-19 season, finishing with a 4-5 record in 2024.

“I think there’s some things that occurred last year that we’re trying to kind of move on from and, you know, revamp or whatever, but I think it’s also, I know it’s also fresh in our minds, right?” said head coach Kyle Jackson. “That’s our top of our list. Our number one goal is let’s go, let’s get back to the playoffs. That’s what we want to do.”

The Chargers lose quite a few seniors from last year’s team, but the returning players still bring experience despite their age.

“We lost seniors, but I feel like the group of guys we have now have really shown up and proved that they know how to play football,” said senior right tackle Cooper Lang, “I’ve always strived to go to playoffs and hopefully if we do make it to playoffs, we can make it further than we did the last time we went. And that would just be something special to me.”

Centennial opens up the season with a conference clash, hosting Peoria on August 29.