‘Riders scoring machine breaks down, falls short 56-36
Center has played fourteen halves of football this season. Twelve of them have feasted on big plays and huge numbers.
In the first half against Daingerfield, the scoring machine needed oil. At halftime, they greased the gears and were off to the races.
Friday night, the machine looked unstoppable for eighteen minutes. But the engine light came on late in the first half and stayed on until the end of the game.
After the first 15 plays, the offense scored 29 points. The rest of its plays produced seven points more.
For its part, Center’s defense has had to struggle all season with the difficult hand its counterparts on offense have dealt it.
“Our defense is facing six or seven more series every game than the average unit,” head coach Rick Meeks said during the bye week. “We don’t produce many long drives. We either score quickly or we punt relatively quickly. Either way, the defense is right back out there and that poses problems for the unit.”
The game against Van was a big one. Center was ranked #15, Van #16. Both had one loss, and neither was to a district team. The winner would face Carthage for the likely district championship; the loser would face Carthage, needing a win to keep the hope of a good playoff seeding alive.
Van won the toss and did what it likes to do: generate long drives with runs between the tackles. It took them a little over three clock minutes to drive for the first score, 7-0.
The Riders ran two plays for one yard. Then, Cash Cross ran nearly untouched on the third play for 62 yards and the score. As usual, Hernandez’ PAT was good. 7-7.
The next Van drive was almost a carbon copy of the first one. It took them four game minutes to get into the red zone and three more plays to score. On the play before the score, Jaxon Moffatt—the quarterback and son of the head coach—was tackled hard for a loss. He left the game and wouldn’t return.
Center moved the ball five yards on the following three plays. But on fourth and five, Cross faked to Dixon and sprinted another 60 yards untouched. This time, Hernandez’s extra point was good. 14-14.
“Cross looks a bit like Vince Young, the way he runs there,” Washington Husky announcer and guest Roughrider media team member Andy Long said. “Just like Young, he makes it look effortless.”
Van struck again with a four-minute drive that ended with an 18-yard Landon Smith touchdown run. The PAT made it 21-14.
Next, the Riders ran two plays and got a first down before Cross hit TJ Belen for a 48-yard pass to the Van 2-yard line. On the next play, Dixon scored. Instead of kicking, the Riders went for two and made it, grabbing the lead 22-21. “Usually once a game the Riders surprise everyone and go for two,” announcer Keaton Watlington said. “And it usually works.”
This time, Van only took two minutes to get inside the Center 10-yard line, scoring on a four-yard Colton Miller run behind his huge offensive line.
“What’s happening is that the Vandals big line is just man-handling the Riders up front,” announcer Stephen Shires said. “Just an old-fashioned physical whooping in the trenches.”
Cross hit Lance Wilburn for 50 yards to the Van 18 on the second play of their next drive. Then he faked to Dixon on the next play and scored his third rushing touchdown of the night.
Hernandez’ PAT was good to make the score 29-28. Center had run 15 plays and scored 29 points.
The next Van drive began with 7:45 to go in the half. Center made their first stop on Van’s fifth drive, forcing a three-andout. The Riders had their chance: a TD and PAT would make it a two-score game.
Unfortunately, Center’s offense wobbled. The drive started with Center’s first penalty. On the next play, Van sacked Cross for a big loss. Cross completed a short pass to bring up third and 12 on second down. The drive ended with an incomplete pass. Center punted it back.
But after an excellent Hernandez punt, the Center defense held again, forcing another three-and-out. Center would get the ball back with 3:20 to go in the half.
“Here’s our chance,” Shires said before the drive. “A score takes us to the halftime break up by nine ... AND we get the ball to begin the half. If we’re going to pull away, now would be the time.”
Center got a quick first down. On the next play, Cross went deep for Wilburn, his most reliable target. Wilburn came back for the ball, made a good catch between two defenders, then turned to run. One of the Vandals stripped the ball from him and recovered the fumble, ending the drive deep in Van territory.
For a third time, Center held Van on three downs. After the punt, Center only had 37 seconds before halftime. A Cross sack followed by an offside call effectively ended the drive. Center would go to halftime with a one-point lead.
At halftime, both bands performed their contest drills, preparing for Saturday’s UIL contest. Center looked sharp, performing their full contest drill with no twirler performance.
“The Center band looks ready for tomorrow’s contest,” Keaton Watlington said during halftime. “Fundamentally sound and sounding fundamentally great.”
The next afternoon, the band earned a first division at SFA. The Chaparrals survived a technical scare as the Van press box struggled with their music on the PA system. The girls stood perfectly still and waited over two minutes while the Van staff worked through the sound issues. When they did, they performed beautifully to an appreciative Van crowd.
Center began its opening drive at the 37-yard line with a chance to separate itself a bit from the Vandals. They ran for a first down to midfield, but facing third and nine at midfield, Wilburn dropped a Cross pass, and Hernandez had to punt.
From there, Van’s caravan of huge offensive linemen and talented runners took over the game. The Vandal’s first scoring drive gave them a lead they’d never relinquish, taking nearly six minutes off the clock. At 5:12 in the third quarter, it was 35-29.
Center moved the ball to midfield but turned it over on downs as Van stopped the Riders on fourth and 1. Two minutes later, Van’s Colton Miller took the ball 17 yards for the next score, 42-29.
Center got a good kickoff return, but facing third and four from midfield, an unsportsmanlike conduct call against the Center sideline made it third and 19. Center punted.
The quarter ended as Van was driving with a 13-point lead. Two minutes later, Van scored again, making it 49-29. “Not sure Center is going to be able to score enough to climb out of a 20-point hole,” guest announcer Long said. “And if they do, they’ll have to get stops.”
On the next drive, Cross would strike again with a 50-yard touchdown. The drive took only 47 seconds, bringing the score to 49-36.
That would be Center’s last score. Van added seven more on the next drive to take us to the final score 56-36.
The loss puts Center in a difficult position. To keep its hopes of a #1 or #2 playoff seeding, it needs to beat the seemingly unbeatable Carthage Bulldogs on Friday. It’s a tall order—Carthage has won 106 of its last 108. Van will enjoy its bye week, sending its coaching staff to Center Friday night to watch the game. They draw the Bulldogs in Carthage the following week.