Center High School, Friday, September 6, 2019 –
The Center Roughriders Varsity Football Team has fallen to 1-1 overall this season after they lost their first home game to the Jefferson Bulldogs on Friday by a 51-28 score.
The two teams combined for ten turnovers during the contest which gave each team a shorter path to the endzone and ultimately led to a high scoring affair. Although the overall game saw plenty of scoring, neither team got on the scoreboard until there was just 3:39 minutes left in the first quarter when Bulldog quarterback Kylan Thomas found Chris Shepard for a 29-yard touchdown completion. Landon Fuquay added an extra point kick to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 advantage.
Center got a fumble from Jefferson at the beginning of the second stanza and the ‘Riders Keamodre Horace scored on a 44-yard touchdown run with 11:36 remaining in the first half of play. Alexis Lopez added an extra point kick which tied the game at 7-7.
Jefferson regained the lead at the 5:21 mark of the second period when Kylan Thomas broke free for a 21-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs took a 14-7 lead into the halftime intermission.
Bulldog Travon Johnson scored on a 3-yard scamper which gave the Bulldogs a 20-7 advantage after a failed extra point attempt with 8:37 in the third stanza. Three minutes later, Bulldog Dee Black picked up a fumble and raced in to give Jefferson a 27-7 lead.
Center continued to fight and cut the JHS lead to 27-14 after Jakerrion Watson pulled down a 12-yard touchdown catch from Jake Hanson with 4:43 left in the third quarter.
Jefferson got a 1-yard touchdown run from Dee Black early in the fourth frame and they led 34-14 until Horace added his second scoring run of the game to Center’s tally. This cut the Bulldogs lead to 34-21 with 6:49 left in the game. Disaster struck the ‘Riders moments later when Black raced 101 yards on an electrifying kickoff returned for a touchdown which gave Jefferson a 41-21 advantage.
Horace added a 3-yard score for Center with 5:22 left in the game to pull Center to within 41-28 but Jefferson’s Kylan Thomas scampered 43-yards on the first play from scrimmage to extend the Bulldog’s lead to 48-28 with 5 minutes left in the contest.
Jefferson recovered an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff and Fuquay later kicked a 37-yard field goal which proved to be the last score of the night.
Turnovers were fairly even for both teams. Center fumbled three times, lost an onside kick and was intercepted twice. Jefferson fumbled three times and were intercepted once.
Center carried the football 35 times for 248 yards, Jefferson carried 36 times for 305 yards.
Center had 15 catches on 31 attempts for 206 yards. Jefferson had 7 catches on 12 attempts for 11 yards. Each team gained 11 first downs.
The ‘Riders had 8 penalties with 75 yards accessed. The ‘Dogs had 6 penalties for 60 yards.
Head Coach Scott Ponder and the Roughriders will regroup and get ready to host the Gladewater Bears at Center next Friday, September 13, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. The Bears lost to Atlanta on the road by a 35-28 score. Both teams overall record stands at 1-1 for the season.
