Centerville’s Dravin Guilbeau (22) drags several Homer defenders with him during a play at the Class A second-round playoff game at Centerville Friday.

CENTERVILLE — Coaches will make it a point of emphasis every time…..”Don’t give up big plays!”

Problem was Friday night, Centerville did and as a result, got bounced out of the Class A second round playoffs in a 41-34 loss to Homer.

The visiting Pelicans hit big play after big play after big play and were able to turn a 21-7 second quarter deficit into a second round win and a date with No. 4 seed Oak Grove in the quarterfinals. Centerville’s magical season ends at 8-3.

After the game, both coaches agreed that it was big plays that were the difference.

“They made them and we didn’t” Centerville coach Mark Millett said. “We had our chances to win. We fumbled going into the endzone and if we score it’d 33-21 and it could be 35-27 with us winning.

“It’s playoff football, if you don’t make the plays, you don’t win and we didn’t make the plays.”

Homer coach Richie Casey echoed those thoughts.

“No doubt about it,” he said. 

“Our guys just kept on fighting. Even in the beginning when things were against us, we kept on playing.

“We made plays. When we had the chance to make a play, we made it.”

And Homer made a number of them.

Two long kickoff returns to set up a short field for touchdowns.

A 70-yard touchdown run on a third-and-14 play.

A 93 yard fumble return for a score.

And the real killer, a 40-yard pass play on fourth-and-one that allowed the Pelicans to run an extra two minutes off the clock late in the fourth quarter, effectively making Centerville’s have to go the length of the field to tie the game up with less than 30 seconds on the game clock.

In the end, it proved to be too much for the Bulldogs to overcome.

“On that fourth down play, that was our best receiver we threw to, if anyone on our team could have made the play, it would have been him,” Casey said. 

“We thought that was our best chance to win.”

“It’s unbelievable,” Millett said. “We didn’t make the plays when we needed to and they did. 

“That how it goes sometimes.”

While it was a stinging loss for Centerville, which has still never won a playoff football game in its brief history, it didn’t take away from a season that will long be remembered.

The Bulldogs won eight games overall, the first time they have had a winning season in five years of varsity football.

They beat rival Hanson for the first time.

They ended up with the highest playoff seed then have ever had, this season’s fifth seed.

And they had the first ever home playoff game is school history as well — Friday nights contest against Homer.

“I told the kids that the things they did this year they need to be proud of,” Millett said. “They need to be very proud of what they did and I’m proud of them.

“I wish it wouldn’t have ended tonight but there is nothing that can be done about it now. 

“They put us on the map and that’s pretty impressive when you can put us on the map.”

Centerville most definitely go the respect of Homer.

“That’s a good football team that we played tonight,” Casey said. “They made us earn every bit of what we got tonight. I’m impressed with them and what they’ve accomplished.”