Next: undefeated, number-one-ranked Carthage
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Center’s Jakeyvious Polk gets ready to take down a Vandal. Lawrence Davis photo/ The Light and Champion -
Kaden Dixon is off the races Friday night. Lawrence Davis photo/The Light and Champion
They invaded Roughrider Field as the state’s #21 team. They had just beaten the Rusk Eagles—the team that had upset Center a week earlier with a five-point win—so the arrival of the Vandals from Van had the makings of an epic struggle.
To the surprise and delight of a large crowd at Roughrider Stadium, the only thing epic was the utter 63-21 annihilation of the Vandals by the home team.
“We played well tonight,” Coach Meeks said in postgame. “I am proud of my guys. We had fun, all of us: the coaches, the players, the fans—it was a great night for the Riders.”
About the only thing Center lost all night was the opening coin toss. The Vandals elected to kick to the Riders. On the second play from scrimmage, quarterback Emonte “Cash” Cross hit Jake Morris for a 61-yard touchdown.
“Perfect pass,” sideline reporter Chase Mayfield said. “40 yards in the air and Cash hits Jake in stride. Perfection.”
Center held Van to a three-and-out with a poor punt. Then on the first play, Cash hit Morris again with a 46-yard touchdown. By the third offensive snap, the Cash-to-Jake connection had gone 105 yards for two scores.
“You gotta give Cash credit,” said Rob Payne, the long-time Roughrider radio voice. “Give Cash credit. I really like to say that.”
In the first half, Center forced a fumble then converted it with a Kaden Dixon run (21-0), hit a Cash to Jamarion “Mar-Mar” Evans 55-yard pass to set up another Dixon TD (28-7), and threw another 26-yard touchdown to Morris (35-7).
In the second quarter, Van put together a 72-yard drive featuring four first downs and a 3-yard touchdown run making the score 21-7.
But as the half was ending and Van was trailing 35-7, they executed a perfect screen pass which took them to the 4-yard line.
“This is big,” broadcaster Stephen Shires said. “They get the ball to start the second half, so a score here and another one to start the half, we have a two-score game. So, the defense really needs to respond.”
That’s exactly what the Center defense did: they held them on four downs, keeping them out of the end-zone and preserving the score of 35-7 as the teams went into the locker room.
Even though it was four plays, that goal line stand was the Dairy Queen “play” of the game.
At halftime, the crowd was treated to a tightly performed dance by the Center Chaparrals. But this halftime was important for both bands as the following day would be UIL Marching Contest.
Like Center, Van has a large military band; both groups were very sharp in their “contest warm-up” drills.
In Longview Saturday, the Center Band nailed its performance earning them a first division from all three judges. Van’s band also earned a first division. Both bands qualified for the next round.
“It’s still relatively new, but the UIL has instituted a playoff schedule similar to those of sports,” Center Band Director Chris Smith said. “A first division at contest used to be all you worked for, but now you just move to the next round and keep working.”
The next stop for both bands is Baylor’s McLane Stadium in Waco on November 1.
The second half started with the Vandals executing a long drive featuring a successful 4th and 7 to sustain and end with a 13-yard touchdown pass making the score 35-14.
Center answered quickly with another Cash-to-Mar-Mar touchdown, this one for 47 yards up the scoreboard to 42-14.
On their next possession, Van surprised the Riders with a 50-yard screen pass that worked for a touchdown, and it was 42-21.
“That screen pass was executed to perfection,” Mayfield said. “Van made some good adjustments at the half.”
But it was all Center from there. Running back Kaiden Dixon and his offensive line took over the game, putting together a 26-yard touchdown run to close the third quarter and another long drive featuring power running and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Cross to receiver Lance Wilburn to make the score 56-21.
On the next possession, Center forced a desperate Van offense to bring in the punt unit. The punt was high and short, and Mar Mar Evans aggressively fielded it on the run and returned it 40 yards for the final score.
Van put together one last drive deep into Rider territory, but Evans struck again with an interception at the 12-yard line, effectively ending the contest. The final score: Center 63, Van 21.
“Because we lost to Rusk by five points and Van beat Rusk by nine, we had to win tonight to stay close to the top of the district,” Coach Meeks explained. “Our magic number was eight: we had to win by eight or more to grab the second-place spot. I’m excited we covered those points and then some.”
In the district standings, Rusk has two losses after a defeat at the hands of Carthage Friday. Van and Center each have one loss.
Center’s stock is rising; they are the state’s #13 team and two wins in the last three games likely puts them as the district’s second seed in the state playoffs. That’s the -good news.
The next challenge for the Roughriders is their biggest: they travel 25 miles north to take on the undefeated, number-oneranked Carthage Bulldogs.