Make that a POWErful attack courtesy of terrific tailback Valshun Powe.

But when the Purple Raiders find success in the passing game, the opponent has double trouble.

BHS quarterback Brent Holtz tossed two first-half touchdown passes and Powe rushed for 236 yards Friday as the Raiders handled Champaign Centennial, 42-21, in a first round Class 6A playoff game at Fred Carlton Field.

"We have to be balanced. We cannot live solely by the run," BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer said. "Our receivers were able to bring down some throws that were in the right spot. On some of the slants and quick outs, Holtz did a good job delivering the football."

Ranked 10th in 6A, the Raiders improved to 9-1 with their eighth straight victory this season and their eighth consecutive first-round triumph. BHS faces the winner of today's Normal Community-Rock Island game in the second round.

"It's fun to pass so we can get in the game and sometimes get in the headlines. Teams have to guard us on all points, I guess, and not just focus on Valshun," said BHS junior Josh Mitchell, who caught three passes for 87 yards including a 9-yard touchdown from Holtz.

"We were on point tonight. He (Holtz) was throwing them underneath so I could come back to the ball. It was good throwing by him, and I just adjusted to the ball."

BHS, which also defeated Centennial by 21 points four weeks ago, held a 35-0 lead after three quarters. The Chargers (6-4) took advantage of a blocked punt and a long fumble return for a fourth-quarter surge.

"It was their night," Centennial coach Mike McDonnell said. "I was disappointed it started out the way it did. But we fought all the way to the end."

The Raiders' second possession was kept alive by a rare roughing the snapper penalty on a punt. A 21-yard pass from Holtz to Mitchell on third-and-4 was immediately followed by Powe's 32-yard touchdown run.

"They're keying on me a lot," Powe said of opposing defenses. "When we can pass and it's working, we can go back to the running game."

Holtz found Mitchell with a 9-yard scoring strike on fourth-and-4 late in the first quarter.

BHS also scored in the final 30 seconds of the second quarter as Holtz hit Powe over the middle for a 15-yard TD pass.

"I wasn't even expecting that," Powe said. "I appreciate Brent getting me my first touchdown catch of the season."

Powe snared a lateral from Holtz on the opening drive of the second half and appeared trapped by the Centennial defense. But the 196-pound senior reversed field and sprinted 24 yards around right end for a spectacular touchdown.

After Chris Jameson's 1-yard touchdown plunge extended the BHS lead to 35-0, Centennial found the scoreboard after a Dershaun Terry blocked punt on a 6-yard run from Mikel Leshoure, who finished with 93 yards on 15 carries.

The Chargers then scared BHS a bit with 14 points in 16 seconds against the Raiders' reserves.

First, Ryan Ward tossed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Tony Petruzzello. Then, Petruzello scooped up a BHS fumble and returned it 51 yards for another TD with 4:39 remaining.

The BHS first team offense then reentered and Powe broke free for a 45-yard gain to set up his 5-yard touchdown run.

Powe had six rushes of 24 yards or more among his 22 carries to help the Raiders run for 309 of their 437 yards of total offense.

Centennial, which had 24 fewer plays from scrimmage than BHS, finished with 205 yards of total offense.