October 13, 2017. New Chapel Hill High School —
A steady Center Roughrider defense, and seven lost fumbles, by the Chapel Hill Bulldogs varsity football team, costed Chapel Hill High too much to overcome Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.
Center defeated the Bulldogs, by a 40-28 margin in a District 9-4A Division I football game and this moved the ‘Riders record to 2-5 overall, and 2-1 in conference play. Chapel Hill falls to 3-4 and 0-3.
Chapel Hill got on the board first as Hunter Branin scored on a 4-yard run, after the Bulldogs Montell Williams intercepted a Roughrider pass and returned it 70 yards. Martin Juarez made the extra point kick to put Chapel Hill up with 7:20 left in the first quarter.
Center scored with just 20 seconds remaining in the opening period Shadarian Hall took a 35-yard reception the distance for a Roughriders touchdown. Alexis Lopez added an extra point kick which tied the game 7-7.
In the second period, Jayden Hicks threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to Jamarh Johnson, and Alexis Lopez booted a 45-yard field goal as the first half time clock expired. Center led 20-7 at halftime.
The Bulldogs pulled within 20-14 in the third quarter as Branin scored on a 35-yard dash to pay-dirt and Juarez made another extra point kick.
Center countered with two touchdowns — a 3-yard Johnson run and a Hicks 24-yard pass to Jaterious Evans to gain a 34-14 advantage. Chapel Hill’s Khalan Griffin found the endzone on a 51-yard run and Juarez’s kick brought the Bulldogs within 34-21 late in the third frame.
The Roughriders came back with Hicks’ 67-yard TD pass to Evans. The extra point try failed and Center led 40-21.
With three seconds left in third quarter, Griffin passed to Demarcus Attaway for a 10-yard Bulldogs touchdown reception. Juarez made the extra point kick to bring Chapel Hill within 40-28. This proved to be the final score of the game.
The fourth stanza saw Center utilize the clock and sustain offensive drives long enough to hold their 12-point lead. The final Chapel Hill drive saw them take over with just1:41 seconds remaining in the contest. Trailing by 12 points they needed two scores but were not able to complete any of four passing attempts. Center took over with just 46 seconds left and simply downed the football to run off the remaining game time.
Center will host the undefeated Carthage Bulldogs next Friday, October 20, 2017, at 7:30p.m. The Bulldogs are 6-0 overall, boast a 2-0 District 9 4A-I record and last beat a visiting Kilgore team by a 50-20 score last Friday.
