November 17, 2018, Woodville Eagles Stadium –
On Friday, the Center Roughrider’s Varsity Football team fell to the Liberty Panthers by a 55-38 margin during a UIL Class 4A Bi-District Playoff elimination game. Center came in as the District 9 second place representative with a 6-4 overall record. Liberty was the third place representative of District 10 and they had a 6-4 mark overall and a 2-2 league standing.
Liberty scored first when Jeremiah Guillory found the endzone on a 3-yard touchdown run with 8:16 left in the first quarter. Giovanni Lopez added an extra point kick to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.
Center pulled to within one point when quarterback Jayden Hicks hit Zac Smith on a 19-yard touchdown pass which pulled the ‘Riders to within 6-7. An extra point attempt failed and CHS trailed by a single point.
Early in the second quarter, JJ Slack scored on a 3-yard touchdown run which gave Liberty a 14-6 advantage with 9:21 left in the first half.
Hicks scored on a 22-yard keeper run which pulled Center to within 12-14 with 8:12 left in the half. A 2-point conversion run, which would have tied the game, failed.
Guillory scored his second touchdown, on a 37-yard scoring run, just four plays later to give Liberty a 21-12 lead with 5:11 left in the second period.
Disaster struck again when Center fumbled away their next possession and Panther Jordan Leday rumbled 41 yards for a score just 30 seconds later. Liberty took a 28-12 lead with 4:34 left in the second stanza.
Hicks returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a Roughriders touchdown with 4:17 left in the first half. An extra point conversion attempt failed and CHS trailed Liberty 18-28.
Guillory and Slack each added touchdowns before the end of the first half and the Panthers took a 42-18 lead into the midway intermission at halftime.
Center was able to outscore Liberty 20-13 in the second half but it was a case of too-little-too-late. Liberty held on for the 55-38 win. Liberty advances to play Giddings in the Area round of the UIL Playoffs next week.
