Fairview's defense made sure Friday night belonged to the Yellow Jackets.

Facing a larger Williamson County opponent and looking to avenge last season's loss, Fairview forced five turnovers and held off a late Centennial rally for a 21-14 home victory.

The win moved the Yellow Jackets to 2-0 and gave Fairview its first victory over Centennial in just the second meeting between the two programs.

While Centennial found success moving the ball at different points throughout the night, the Cougars repeatedly came away empty because of Fairview's opportunistic defense. The Yellow Jackets intercepted four passes and recovered a fumble, turning several Centennial scoring threats into missed opportunities.

The final takeaway was the biggest.

Centennial had pulled within seven points in the fourth quarter and was driving for a possible tying score in the final seconds. With the Cougars threatening deep in Fairview territory, Trace McCoy stepped in front of a pass down the left side and secured the game-clinching interception.

It was a fitting ending for a Fairview defense that spent much of the night answering whenever Centennial gained momentum.

Fairview had built a 21-0 lead before the Cougars mounted their fourth-quarter comeback.

The Yellow Jackets struck almost immediately after the opening kickoff. Facing a long third-down situation on the first possession of the night, quarterback Isaac Burgos connected with sophomore Julius Carter on a short pass to the left.

Carter turned the completion into a 68-yard touchdown, racing away from the Centennial defense and putting Fairview ahead less than two minutes into the game.

The early score energized the home side, but Centennial quickly showed it would be able to move the football.

Quarterback Paxton Pierce completed his first eight passes and helped guide the Cougars deep into Fairview territory before the Yellow Jacket defense stopped the drive on downs.

That became a theme.

Centennial reached Fairview territory several times in the first half, but interceptions repeatedly ended promising possessions.

Taylor Kelley recorded Fairview's first interception after Centennial had moved the ball into position to threaten. Cole Neal later added another takeaway when pressure forced sophomore quarterback Rhys Barnett into a hurried fourth-down throw.

Fairview turned that defensive stop into another touchdown.

The Yellow Jackets covered 68 yards in eight plays, with Kentrell Harrison finishing the drive on a 6-yard scoring run to make it 14-0.

Another interception later in the half helped Fairview preserve the two-score advantage heading into the break.

The Yellow Jackets then produced one of the most important stretches of the game after halftime.

Centennial opened the second half by moving the ball to the Fairview 41, but the Jackets recovered a fumble for their fourth forced turnover.