Final

 

Central hosts Paducah Tilghman next week

OK, I tried writing this up this AM, but couldn't because the website kept logging me off...so...I'll write it in sections this time!

 

Better game than the score indicates. Both teams had chances to advance, but turnovers wound up telling the tale.

 

Central's defense dominated North in the first period, limiting the Mustangs to just 24 yards of offense and no first downs in the first period. Central on the board first with a 38 yard TD run by Anthony Wales. Aaron O'Conner blocked the PAT, though, and it was 6-0 Central after 1Q.

 

North got a 55 yard TD run from junior RB Zach Evans in the second quarter and took a 7-6 lead. But Evans would leave the game for good with a separated shoulder in the second quarter and did not return. Still, he wound up with enough yards to become the first-ever Mustang to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. (North has only been playing football since 2003, and in their Wing-T offense - where three backs typically evenly split carries - no back had ever even reached 900 yards before).

 

Central pushed back on top with a 3 yard Wales TD, but the two point conversion failed, and the Yellowjackets led, 12-7, at the half.

 

Possessions were at a premium in the first half; Central only had four possessions, and had two TDs and two turnovers, including a fumble inside the North 10.

Second Half

In the second half, North quickly asserted itself. After forcing Central to go 3 and out on their first possession, the Mustangs put together a long drive to the Central red zone. But the Yellowjackets got a huge defensive play when a Central player leaped high for an interception inside the 10, then raced all the way to the North 22. A few plays later, Wales was in the end zone again to make it 19-7.

 

After suffering no turnovers in the first half, North turned over the ball on its next two possessions as well - a fumble lost at the Central 43 and - after forcing a Central punt - a fumble lost on the North 19. Central again capitalized on the short field, and Wales got his fourth rushing TD of the night with 9:20 to play to all but put it out of reach at 26-7.

 

Central got an insurance score from Jaquez Howard on a 1 yard run with 3:03 to play, and North put together one final drive over the final 3 minutes, with senior wingback Austin Crawley scoring from 11 yards out for the final 32-14 score.

 

Both teams had remarkably similar offensive statistics, but the three third quarter turnovers spelled doom for the Mustangs.

 

Kudos to both teams...District 3 player of the year Anthony Wales rushed for over 130 yards and 4 scores for Central. He now has 33 TDs rushing this year....

 

Besides Evans - who finished as the first Mustang with over 1,000 yards rushing in a single season - senior wingbacks Austin and Cody Crawley (twins) both added enough yards to their season totals to finish with the #2 and #3 single-season rushing totals. UNOFFICIALLY, Austin finished with 839 yards and Cody with 834.

 

Kudos also to both coaches; North's Billy Martin and Central's Ty Scroggins both were named district coaches of the year last week.

 

For North, next year is very promising. This year's team was extremely young - all but one lineman was a sophomore, and leading rushing Evans and quarterback Cameron Renaud were both juniors - and it was picked by the coaches to finish last in the district. But North developed quickly, went undefeated in the district, winning it for the second time in three years, and advanced to their first-ever regional final. The future is very bright in Goshen.

 

Meanwhile, Central advances to the Class 3A semi-finals against Paducah Tilghman at home. Scroggins - who led the Yellowjackets to the state title in his first two seasons, and the semi-finals last year - is once again in the final four. After last year's 24-21 semi-final loss to Paducah Tilghman, the Yellowjackets will undoubtedly be looking for redemption against PT.