Center Roughriders Stadium on Thursday, November 7, 2024 –
The Center Roughriders varsity football team finished their regular season with a 37-20 homefield win over the Rusk Eagles 2-8. 1-4, their record now is 8-2. The Center season mark is 8-2 and the team's District 8 4A-2 mark improves to 3-2. The win sends the Roughriders into the Texas UIL Bi-district round of the state playoffs and they will face the Gilmer Buckeyes (7-2) at Tatum Eagles Stadium on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.
Center gained the first lead of the game when TJ Belin hit Tim Johnson for a touchdown completion which covered 53 yards at the 10:12 minute mark of the first period. Pablo Huichapa kicked the extra point conversion which gave CHS a 7-0 advantage.
Eagle Aiden Barnett intercepted a Center pass later in the quarter and returned it near midfield. Barnett soon after scored on a 15-yard run for a touchdown with 1:56 left in the opening period. Carlos Galan added an extra point kick to tie the game at 7-7.
Early in the second quarter Colton Anderson returned a fumble for an Eagle touchdown which helped RHS take a 14-7 lead with 9:11 left in the second stanza.
The ‘Riders tied the game at 14-14 at the 7:02 mark with a 20-yard Jeremy Bluford touchdown run and another Huichapa kick. Belin gave Center the lead later in the period with a 27-yard keeper run for score and another conversion kick gave CHS a 21-14 advantage with 3:19 remaining in the first half.
Bluford added another touchdown, from 3-yards away, to help extend the CHS lead to 28-14 just over one minute before halftime.
Johnson scored another touchdown from 72-yards away to help the ‘Riders extend their lead to 35-14 early in the third period. With 3:44 left in the third frame Center caught an Eagles ballcarrier in the endzone for a 2-point safety which gave CHS a 37-14 lead.
The game’s final score came in the fourth quarter when Zamarion Tilley scored on a 3-yard run with just 1:17 remaining in the contest.
