By Don Ketchum

It was hot, hotter than hot. And when you’re wearing several pounds of football equipment, it becomes even worse.

On the Peoria Centennial sideline, Jake Abbott stood in front of a gigantic fan that sent out a wave of mist. The moisture enveloped him in a shroud, offering a few last moments of solitude before the battle against Chandler on Friday, Sept. 3.

For the next three hours, Abbott, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound senior center and defensive end, was all over the field. He played virtually every snap on both sides of the ball. When he wasn’t in the game, he would walk over to his defensive teammates during timeouts, urging them to give full effort.

Abbott also urged the Centennial fans to give full support through their cheers. He walked back and forth, moving his arms up and down. After one series of plays, he was lying face down on the grass as the trainer worked to help cramping in his legs go away.

He was back out there before long. Centennial would build a lead, but Chandler would not go away. Abbott and his teammates knew this could happen.

When all was said and done, Centennial had emerged victorious in its 2010 season opener, withstanding a last-minute Chandler flurry to win 48-42.

With what little amount of energy he had left, Abbott barely was able to stand, his face flushed and uniform soaked with sweat.

 “I really don’t know where I get it (stamina),’’ Abbott said. “You just go out there and do it, try to help your team win. That’s the main thing. I don’t worry about (individual) accolades.’’

Abbott’s work ethic is also is on display away from the football field. He is Centennial’s student body president and carries a 3.8 grade-point average. He has athletic scholarship offers from Air Force, New Mexico State, San Jose State and Northern Colorado, and some of the Pac-10 schools are beginning to show interest.

“Jake is our captain. He’s got that great GPA, he’s the student-body president . . . he gives it everything he has in everything he does,’’ said Centennial coach Richard Taylor.

The coach added that Abbott is a leader on the field on offense and is an excellent blocker. On this night, Taylor said, Abbott also was a key as the defense tried to stop Brett Hundley, Chandler’s multi-faceted quarterback.

“I think he slowed Hundley a little when he tried to roll out, allowing us to get help from the backside,’’ Taylor said.

Abbott also draws energy and motivation to his faith. He is a devout Christian, and on Friday night had a scripture written on one of his biceps, Romans 10:13.