Hallsville Bobcats Stadium on Friday, November 10, 2023 –
The Center Roughriders 2023 varsity football season was ended on Friday with a 69-42 Texas UIL Football Playoff Elimination loss to the Gilmer Buckeyes. The two teams came into the game with identical 7-3 records, Center was the third place representative of District 8 4A-2 and Gilmer was the second place representative of District 7 4A-2.
There were plenty of fireworks in this game as the two teams joined up to score a combined 111 points.
Center’s first drive stalled and they punted the ball to Gilmer who scored the game’s first touchdown with 9:24 minutes left in the first period when Will Henderson took a handoff 48-yards for the score. Brayden Pate added an extra point kick and GHS led 7-0.
Center answered at the 8:12 mark of the first period when Brandon Barnes scored on a 44-yard touchdown run which capped a 65-yard drive. Carlos Hernandez added the extra point kick which tied the game at 7-7. The Center defense stepped up on Gilmer’s next drive and forced the Buckeyes to punt the ball back to them.
‘Rider runningback Caden Dixon gave Center their first lead at the 4:12 mark of the first quarter with an electrifying scoring run from 34 yards away. Hernandez’s extra point kick was blocked but alert Center defenders caught the Buckeyes in the endzone for a rare 1-point conversion safety. The ‘Riders led 14-7.
Henderson answered with 3:03 still left in the first stanza when he bolted through the Center defense for his second Buckeye’s touchdown from the Center 7-yardline. A 2-point extra conversion try failed and Gilmer trailed Center by a narrow 14-13 score. Center’s next drive was short-lived and they punted the ball back with just seconds remaining in the first period. Henderson wasted no time as he broke free for a 71-yard touchdown run with just 32 seconds left. Gilmer added an extra point kick and took a 20-14 lead into the second frame.
Gilmer scored with 9:42 remaining in the second quarter when Dhrvay Smith scored from 82-yards away to help put GHS up 27-14. Henderson added another Gilmer touchdown to his resume from 82 yards away to boost the GHS lead to 34-14 with 7:03 left before the halftime intermission. Gilmer’s Aron Bell elevated the Gilmer lead to 41-14 with a 13-yard touchdown run with just 1:05 left in the second frame.
Center attempted a 50-yard field goal at the end of the half but Hernandez’s kick bounced off the crossbar just inches short.
Gilmer extended their lead to 48-14 with 6:16 left in the third period with a 5-yard Henderson run which capped a 75-yard GHS drive. Center later answered with a 52-yard scoring drive which was capped by a 1-yard Cash Cross quarterback keeper run with 6:16 remaining. The ensuing Center extra point kick was blocked and Cross had to chase down Eliez Castillo 87 yards downfield to prevent him from returning the live ball for a 2-point conversion run in the opposite direction. Gilmer led 48-20.
Smith scored on a 72-yard touchdown run with 2:56 left in the third frame and another Pate extra point kick gave GHS a 55-20 lead. Center cut that lead to 55-28 when Cross hit receiver Lance Wilburn on a 12-yard touchdown strike and then Cross converted a 2-point extra point try just 17 seconds before the game entered the fourth quarter.
The final frame saw the teams go back and forth. Henderson gave GHS a 62-28 lead with a 20-yard touchdown run. Roughrider Timothy Johnson helped Center answer with a 91-yard kickoff return that cut Gilmer’s lead to 62-34 with 6:53 left in the game. Reserve runningback Day Day Jimmerson extended Gilmer’s lead to 68-34 with 4:10 remaining and backup kicker Miguel Casteneda added another GHS extra point kick for Gilmer’s final point at 69-34.
Center scored the final touchdown at the 2:29 mark when Cross hit Timothy Johnson for a 11-yard touchdown reception. Dixon crashed into the endzone for a 2-point conversion run for the game’s final score. Gilmer took the 69-42 win and will continue to the Area round of the playoffs next week.
