Last Friday night, a week later, the Rebel football team evicted those imposters and put on an impressive defensive display that dismantled a hopeful and talented Chester County team by a 32-6 count on the Eagles' home field.

McKenzie showed vigor and enthusiasm as it bounced back from last week's upset loss to the Lions. In the process, the Rebels grabbed a lead, added to it and kept Chester County at arm's length. Then their defense took over.

And that was that.

The victory improved the Rebs' record to 7-1 overall, 4-0 in Region 6-2A play and solidified home-field advantage during the first round of the 2A playoffs, set for Nov. 7. The loss drops Chester County to 6-2 overall, 2-2 in the region and gives it an inside edge to third place in the region, if it can beat Camden in Week 10.

Depending upon what happens following the McKenzie-Huntingdon game on Oct. 31, the Rebels will either face the third- or fourth-place team from Region 5-2A.

"Last week was a good wake-up call because we played a lot better tonight," said McKenzie coach Wade Comer of the victory and last week's upset loss. "Now we're first or second in the region, playing a home playoff game and everything is set up for a big game in two weeks."

Comer said the Rebels had a good week of practice and it showed on the field Friday.

"I think we were ready to play," the coach said. "The kids were a lot more focused and it was a good week for us. It showed tonight."

Chester County appeared ready to play as well. The Eagles spurted to a quick 6-0 lead, thanks to a five-play, 87-yard drive that ate up 91 seconds. Kyle Walker sprinted 40 yards for a TD with 9:44 to play in the first, through a McKenzie defense that appeared to be invisible. The PAT kick was blocked and McKenzie's defensive posture would change significantly as the game wore on.

McKenzie responded with a 15-play, 63-yard drive that consumed 5:09. Junior running back Cody Cook capped the drive with his 1-yard burst. John Kermit Laughery provided the first of three PAT boots and the Rebels never trailed again.

Chester County tried to answer with a drive of its own, which penetrated the Rebel 20. But two big plays perhaps turned the game in McKenzie's favor. On the sixth play of what looked like a game-tying drive, Chester County quarterback Jake McKinnie went back to pass, but was introduced to Cook, who planted him for a sack and a 12-yard loss. Cook leveled McKinnie on the next play as well. The second sack caused an intentional grounding call and took the Eagles well out of scoring range. They were forced to punt late in the first quarter. McKenzie didn't do much offensively on its next two series, but had set the defensive tone.

With 6:32 to play in the half, MHS junior Clint Anderson recovered a fumble deep in Eagle territory. Sophomore quarterback Drew Hayes needed only two plays to engineer the scoring drive. He found Randy Lacey twice for the necessary 23 yards, the second a 14-scoring aerial. Laughery added the boot and McKenzie led 14-6 with 5:47 to play in the second.
The Rebs weren't done yet.

Anderson's sack of McKinnie dropped the Eagles for a 5-yard loss and forced a 17-yard punt two plays later. Then the Rebels went to work again. Hayes was on fire, connecting on six of seven passes to four different receivers. He iced the drive with a picturesque 29-yard timing pattern to Lacey in the back right corner of the end zone. Hayes zigged and zagged his way to the end zone for the deuce and McKenzie had fashioned a 22-6 lead at the break.

The Rebels took care of business quickly and efficiently in the first half. They only held the ball 8:49 of the first 24 minutes, but Hayes was 16-20 for 197 yards and two TDs in the first two cantos.

"Drew threw the ball exceptionally well and took what they gave him," said Comer. "And the receivers did a great job running routes and fighting for the ball and they aren't afraid to go in the middle."

As the second half unfolded, McKenzie's defense forced the issue. In the third frame, the Rebels forced two punts and earned possession on downs once. The McKenzie offense wasn't as sharp, but it didn't have to be. The Rebel defense kept field position in its favor for the remainder of the second half. And the MHS takeaway ratio figured prominently in the final frame.

McKenzie's defense pinned CC back at its own 7 when senior Daniel Duncan picked off a pass and returned it to the 16. From there, Cook ran it three times to the Eagle 4, then on a third-and-goal, Hayes hit Duncan, who started it all, for the TD pass. With 6:32 to play, the Rebels led 29-6.

Mitch Haynes dropped McKinnie for a 10-yard loss and helped set up Mark Ghyers' interception with 4:20 to play in the game. The Rebs were back in Eagle territory and headed for a 23-yard field goal from Laughery with 2:59 to play. That was that.

"The defense played like it was capable tonight," Comer said. "We got to see them run their offense at game speed and we got more confident as the night went on."

Chester County managed 216 total yards for the game, but only drew close twice.

Meanwhile, the McKenzie air assault sprinkled its wealth on numerous players. Hayes finished the night 19-28-229 with three TDs and two interceptions. Duncan had seven catches for 72 yards. Lacey had six hauls for 75 yards. Anderson managed three catches for 46 yards. Clint Manns had a catch for 11 yards, Greg Pruitt one for nine yards and Cook one for six.

McKinnie was 4-18 for 46 yards with two interceptions. Walker led the Eagle rushers with six carries for 90 yards.

John Craig Howell had 11 tackles to lead the Rebels. Jake Smith was in on eight stops, Lacey, Brad Campbell and Daniel Hollowell were in on seven apiece. Cook had six stops including two sacks. Ghyers and Duncan had a pick apiece while Anderson had a sack and a fumble recovery.

"I don't think anything good ever comes from a loss," said Comer, "but maybe it did this time; I don't know, but we were ready to play tonight."

M 7 15 0 10 32
C 6 0 0 0 6

FIRST QUARTER
C - 9:40 Kyle Walker 40 run, kick blocked, 5 plays, 87 yards, 1:31.
M - 4:40 Cody Cook 1 run, John Kermit Laughery kick. 15 plays, 63 yards, 5:09.
SECOND QUARTER
M - 5:47 Randy Lacey 14 pass from Hayes, Laughery kick. 2 plays, 23 yards, :45.
M - :34 Lacey 29 pass from Hayes, Hayes run. 7 plays, 84 yards, 1:31.
FOURTH QUARTER
M - 6:32 Daniel Duncan 4 pass from Hayes, Laughery kick. 5 plays 16 yards, 2:17.
M - 2:59 Laughery 23 field goal. Five plays, 21 yards, 1:21.

M D
First Downs 14 13
Yds. Rushing 20-41 39-170
Yds. Passing 229 46
Total Yds. 270 216
Comp.-Att.-Int. 19-28-2 4-18-2
Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-1
Red zone-scores 4-4 0-1
Third down 6-11 4-12
Fourth down 1-1 0-2
Possession 17:29 30:31
Punt-avg. 3-36 5-26
Penalties 7-50 2-10

6-2A Standings
Overall 6-2A
Huntingdon 7-1 3-0
McKenzie 7-1 3-0
Chester Co. 6-2 2-2
Adamsville 3-5 1-3
Camden 5-3 1-3
Riverside 2-6 0-4

The Mustang defenders, led by Brian Nellett, Stephen Wright, Tyler Milam and Desmond Townes first held the Panthers to no gain and then negative yardage. Facing third and 16, Nicholas Coleman attempted to pass the ball and Townes was there to intercept for Huntingdon. At 8:21, the Stangs began an assault from the Panther 22-yard line.

After Donald ran for a gain of two, Bell took the ball and zigzagged his way to the end zone for the first score of the game at the 7:43 mark. Mark Newsome turned in a perfect night on PAT’s and hit the first to put the Stangs up 7-0.

Riverside received the kickoff from Newsome and they took over at their own 25-yard line. Jay Gilbert took the ball for a gain of three before he was stopped by Kenneth Hillsman. Facing second and fourth, quarterback Coleman attempted to run the ball and gained a single yard with Adam Carter on the stop. A fumble on third down led to a loss of two as Hunter Smith recovered for the Panthers. Coleman punted the ball out at the Mustang 26.

Donald ran for seven and Bell picked up the first down at the 40. Donald then gained four before a pass intended for Robert Weathers went off the tip of his fingers and into the hands of Derrick Pritchard for the Panthers, who was immediately stopped by Weathers.

With the ball at their own 40, the Panthers had a short possession. Scott Hampton, Weathers, Townes, Kory Geans and Nellett led the Mustang charge and ultimately the Panthers had to punt on fourth and 14 after gaining a single first down.

With just over a minute remaining in the first period, Bell moved right for a first down at the Huntingdon 25. Donald picked up four and Bell the first down at the 36. Bell ran for a gain of two and a pass to Donald resulted in six more yards for the Stangs. On third and two, Bell broke loose for the first down at the Riverside 41. Bell then moved right for another first down at the 25. On first down, Donald took the ball right and ended his run in the end zone at the 9:54 mark of the second period. The kick was good and the Stangs now led 13-0.

Smith received the ball and was stopped at the Riverside 22 by Eric Woods and Weathers. Once again a strong Mustang defense held the Panthers to only slight yardage. Hunter Hastings, Wright, Carter, and Hampton led the defensive attack which held Riverside to only nine yards and the punt. The ball landed on the Huntingdon 42 where the Stangs quickly went to work.

On first down, Bell moved left and picked up seven yards, followed by a run to the right and a first down at the 10. Donald picked up three and then Bell scored from the seven at the 6:36 mark. Newsome’s kick was good and the Stangs now led 21-0.
Kenneth Porter stopped Smith on the kickoff return at the Riverside 24. Gilbert was held for no gain by Hillsman and Wright while Smith was held Hillsman, Cale Belew and Carter for a loss of one. Following an incomplete pass, the ball was punted out at the Riverside 41.

Bell took over for three runs of just over nine yards and Adam Parish held for the first down at the 30. Bell then took the ball into the end zone at the 2:26 mark and Newsome’s kick gave Huntingdon a 28-0 lead at the 2:26 mark.

Woods held Smith at the Riverside 32 on the return and despite the efforts of Townes, Hastings, Nellett, Geans, Belew and Hillsman, the Panthers gained a first down before they were held to a loss of eight as the first half came to an end.

Following a presentation of the Marching Mustangs salute to Frank Sinatra, the game resumed with the Panthers’ Smith receiving and returning the ball to the 27 before he was stopped by Donald.

Smith was hit by a host of Stangs after a gain of two and a pass to Pritchard was good for four before he was stopped by Newsome. After a motion penalty on the Stangs, the Panthers had first down at their own 42 and that was as far as they would get. Hampton, Weathers, Hillsman and Hastings led a strong defensive battle and facing fourth and 13, the Panthers punted the ball out at the Huntingdon 45.

After an incomplete pass, Bell picked up a yard and then a pass was intercepted by Pritchard for the Panthers, who was stopped by Bell at the Huntingdon 27. Good field position did not help the Panthers. Smith was held to six by Townes and a pass to Gilbert was good for a first down at the five before Nellett and Porter made the stop. Although the Panthers briefly got inside the five, ultimately a pass on fourth and five was intercepted by Huntingdon’s Hampton and returned all the way for the touchdown. Unfortunately, the Stangs were penalized for a block in the back and the ball was returned to the Huntingdon 34 where Parish and company took over once again.

Bell moved the ball left for three and then right for a first down at the 45. Bell took the ball to the 36 on the next run, followed by a four-yard gain by Donald. Bell gained a first down at the 24 as the third quarter came to an end. On the first play of the final period, Bell took the ball left and then right and reached the end zone at the 11:50 mark. Newsome’s kick was good and the Stangs now led 35-0.

The kick was caught, fumbled and recovered by P.R. Morris. Smith was held to a gain of seven by Carter and then a pass was intercepted by Jorge Perez for the Stangs.

With Cody Baker at quarterback, the Stangs had some success in the running game. Weathers moved for seven and then Geans gained picked up one. Weathers moved up the middle and gained the first down at the Panthers 41. Geans gained four and then four more before Weathers moved to the 31 for the first down. Geans gained a yard and then Weathers almost had the first down before Huntingdon was penalized for holding. Geans gained three and Josh Noles was held for a loss of one. A pass which was intended for Woods was intercepted by Smith. Woods made the tackle and a penalty on the Panthers moved the ball back to the Riverside nine.

Woods held Smith to no gain while Cody Crocker stopped the advance at the 31. After Anthony Nellett held Smith to only five yards and an incomplete pass by Coleman, the Panthers attempted one last pass on fourth and seven which was incomplete. The Stangs regained possession at the 1:28 mark.

Geans was held for no gain, while Noles gained a first down at the 10. One final play resulted in the end of the game with a Mustang victory, 35-0.

This Friday night the Mustangs will travel to Union City for a non-regional contest with the Tornadoes, who picked up their first win of the season last Friday night against Westview. Although the Tornadoes have had little success this year, with home field advantage they will be ready to play hard against the Mustangs as always. The following Friday night, the game as both teams are undefeated in regional action. McKenzie faces Westview on the road this Friday night.

The War Eagles won the toss and elected to receive the opening offensive possession. They proceeded to march down the field on a 14-play drive to pay dirt. Chancy Depriest received the opening kickoff and took the ball to West Carroll’s 41-yard line for the beginning of their scoring drive. Kevin Gentile was held to minus two by Brent Marcus while Shane Depriest took the ball back to the line of scrimmage before he was stopped by Thomas Galey and Justin Lyles. War Eagle quarterback rolled out and threw the ball to C. Depriest for the first down at the Greenfield 46. On first down, Gentile was held for no gain by Adam Ledezma and then moved the ball to the 33 before he was stopped by Chad Paschall and Lyles. S. Depriest picked up gains of six and two and then an offsides penalty on the jackets gave West Carroll first down at the Jackets 20. Gentile then picked up four while Depriest was held for no gain. C. Depriest picked up nine on the reverse and was injured on the play as the War Eagles reached the Jackets seven yard line. S. Depriest took the ball for gains of two and one while Gentile picked up a yard. Needing three yards, Gentile got the nod and took the ball into the end zone for the first score of the game. The PAT by Kelly Keen was ruled wide to the left, leaving the War Eagles with a 6-0 lead at the 4:10 mark.

Kevin Taylor kicked the ball to Marcus for the Jackets first offensive return and he reached the Greenfield 38 before he was stopped. Kenny Brewer held Jason Vandersheldon to a gain of 10 and then S. Depriest held Vandersheldon to no gain. Ben Davis took the ball for some yardage, but following the stop by Wesley Arnold and Jeremy Sonnier, the Jackets were ruled to have been holding and the ball returned to their own 35. Nicholas Clements passed the ball on the following play, but with pressure by Brewer, the ball to Thomas Galey was incomplete. Another incomplete pass on third and 14 led to the punt which rolled dead at the War Eagle four-yard line.

The War Eagles second offensive opportunity was ineffective as they were deep in their own territory. S. Depriest managed to gain three yards, but Cannon was caught for a loss of two. Facing third and nine, Cannon passed the ball to Jeremiah Johnson for a gain of six and then Blake Abercrombie was called on to punt the ball with C. Depriest out of the lineup with an ankle injury. While he got the ball away, the punt was a short one and gave the Jackets possession at the War Eagle 20-yard line as the first quarter came to an end.

The possession was short lived and productive for the Jackets. On first down, Lyles picked up 10 yards before he was stopped by Johnson and Cannon. With the ball at the War Eagle 10, Vandersheldon swept around all defenders and into the end zone to tie the game at six. The PAT by Chad Paschall was blocked by S. Depriest and the game remained tied.

Johnson received the next kickoff and returned the ball to the War Eagle 27. On first down, Gentile picked up only a yard as the ball came loose, but was recovered by Johnson. S. Depriest then gained three yards and Johnson one before Abercrombie came in to punt the ball again. This time he got a better kick as the ball rolled dead at the Greenfield 33.

The Jackets had limited success as Vandersheldon, Davis, and Lyles ran for short gains and a single first down. Defensive efforts from Jason Lott, Sonnier, and Arnold ultimately had the Jackets punt on fourth and 11 from their own 46. The ball rolled out of bounds at the War Eagle 27.

The War Eagles were moving the ball well as S. Depriest took the ball for three while a sack of Cannon by Lyles led to a loss of one. Cannon then successfully found Johnson for a gain of 16 and a first down at the War Eagle 46. Ultimately with 2:23 remaining in the half, the ball was stripped and Greenfield’s Adam Ledezma recovered. Good defensive action by Davis, Lyles, Jim Tucker, Galey and Marcus held the War Eagles to limited yardage on the possession.

With the ball at the Greenfield 29, Lyles took the ball for a gain of two before he was stopped by Bradley Coleman. Vandersheldon then moved the ball for a gain of four before he was stopped by Johnson. Arnold held Lyles to a gain of seven and then Clements moved back to pass and was sacked by Brewer; the ball came loose and was recovered by S. Depriest at the Greenfield 32.

A first down pass to Abercrombie was defended well by Vandersheldon and incomplete. Cannon then took the ball on a quarterback sweep and moved out of bounds after a gain of 12. Greenfield took a time-out at the 45 second mark and then Cannon passed to Abercrombie for a gain of seven. The War Eagles took a time-out at the 37 second mark and needing three yards, Cannon moved for a yard before he was stopped by Chris Hankerson. The War Eagles took another time-out at the 25 second mark and with the ball on the 12; S. Depriest took the ball the distance for the touchdown at the 18 second mark. The PAT by Keen was good and the War Eagles now led 13-6.
Taylor’s kick was out of bounds and the Jackets took over at their own 30. Lyles was stopped by Gentile, Karl Erwin and S. Depriest after a gain of 15. With only 10 seconds remaining, Vandersheldon took the ball for a gain of seven before he was stopped by S. Depriest as time expired.

During intermission, the Marching War Eagles presented their competitive show for the home fans and the Greenfield Tiny Tots performed a dance routine.

The second half began with the Yellowjackets Jonathan Grooms receiving the opening kickoff and Taylor and B.J. Reyes made the tackle at the Greenfield 17. Vandersheldon was held for a loss of three yards as he was stopped by Taylor, Keen, Sonnier and S. Depriest. Arnold tripped up Lyles who still gained five on the play. Clements handed off to Vandersheldon and the ball was fumbled and recovered by the Jackets as Taylor reached Clements on the play. Facing fourth and 24 on their own four-yard line, the punt went to Johnson who took the ball to the Greenfield 38.

A motion call put the ball back on the 43. Cannon reached back to pass, but had to run and gained three yards. Facing third and 12, S. Depriest was held for a gain of two and Abercrombie was again called on to punt the ball and got off just the kind of short punt needed in the situation, pinning the Jackets at their own 13-yard line where the ball was downed.

However, the Jackets were ready to regain the lead and in only two plays, reached the end zone with Lyles running the ball. On the first play, Lott came in to hold the advance to a mere 11 yards. However with the ball at the 24, Lyles took the ball and ran off tackle 74 yards to pay dirt. West Carroll received an unsportsmanlike penalty on the play. The two-point conversion by Clements was good and with 6:57 remaining in the third quarter, the Jackets took a 14-13 advantage.

Johnson received the kick and was stopped at the War Eagle 45, giving West Carroll descent field position as they tried to counter the touchdown by Greenfield. The War Eagles proceeded to move the ball behind the talents of Gentile (four yards), C. Depriest (13 yards), Johnson and a pass to Abercrombie for a gain of 11. Gentile then took the ball to the 25 on a 16-yard gain and Cannon held for a gain of one. Gentile was held for a loss of two and the ball was then fumbled and recovered by Cannon who passed incomplete to Johnson in the end zone. Facing fourth and goal on the 10, the War Eagles Keen came in to attempt the field goal. A bobbled snap led to Keen reaching down to pick up the ball and attempting to throw it into the end zone. However Brett Reynolds was one of several defenders in area, he intercepted the pass and ran back to the War Eagle 10 where he was stopped by Cannon. Ledezma, Galey, Marcus, Tucker, Reynolds, Josh Tharpe and Lyles all contributed to the Greenfield defense on the series.

Lyles then took the ball for a short gain before he was stopped by Taylor. Arnold held Lyles to a gain of four and on third and goal, S. Depriest held Lyles to a loss of three with Arnold injured on the play. Following a time out, Clements ran the bootleg into the end zone with 48 seconds remaining on the third period clock and following a foiled two-point conversion attempt by Davis and the stop by Gentile and Johnson, the Jackets held a 20-13 advantage.

West Carroll’s Johnson took the ball from the 19 to the War Eagle 41 and with 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the War Eagles began to move the ball and regained the lead. A personal foul penalty was assessed on the Jackets on the return which moved the ball to the Greenfield 45. Gentile gained nine yards as the third quarter concluded. Facing fourth and one S. Depriest managed to pick up 11 yards and then another injury timeout was called for War Eagle Tony Wyatt with 10 minutes remaining in the game. Gentile took the ball for a gain of four while Cannon attempted a pass to Ethan Thompson in the end zone. Thompson was held for no gain and facing fourth and six, Cannon passed to Johnson for 10 yards and the first down. Despite the efforts of Galey, Davis and other defenders, C. Depriest picked up five yards and his brother Shane the touchdown from the five. The two-point conversion by Shane was good and the War Eagles had regained the lead 21-20 with 8:44 remaining.

Taylor attempted a squib kick and the Jackets took over at their own 39-yard line. On first down, the ball was fumbled and Lott recovered for the War Eagles. With 8:30 remaining in the game, the Jackets took a time out. Davis and Lyles held Gentile to a gain of three and then Galey held him to a gain of one. Cannon took the ball for a gain of five and then Cannon held on the quarterback keeper and had a first down at the Greenfield 27. S. Depriest took the ball for a gain of 17 yards. Thompson took the ball for a gain of seven and then scored from the three to give the War Eagles a 27-20 lead. The PAT by Keen was wide to the right at the 4:44 mark of the game.

With a touchdown lead against them, the Jackets attempted to come from behind and gain a win over the War Eagles. After the kick by Taylor went out of bounds, the Jackets took over at their own 35. Lyles was held to four yards by a host of defenders. Lyles then moved the ball for a gain of five as Taylor made the tackle. Lyles was held by Taylor and Arnold to a loss of five, but a face mask penalty gave the Jackets first down at their own 49. Lyles was held for a loss of three by Brewer and Erwin. Clements attempted a pass over the middle which was incomplete as Lott broke up the action. S. Depriest got around the Greenfield line and rushed Clements as he attempted a pass which was incomplete and with 1:47 remaining and the ball at their own 47, Clements attempted a lateral to Reynolds. The ball was fumbled and recovered by the Jackets and the War Eagles took over with only seconds remaining.

S. Depriest gained five and Cannon then took a knee. Cannon fumbled the snap, but recovered as time expired with the War Eagles holding on to a 27-20 victory.

This week, the War Eagles return home to face South Fulton. In what will conceivably be the regional title game, the War Eagles need this victory to hold on to a hope for the championship. The Red Devils are undefeated in regional action and their final game will be against West Carroll while the War Eagles will then have to defeat Halls the following week. South Fulton improved to 5-0 in regional action last Friday night with a trouncing of Halls and are 8-1 overall with a loss to Dresden. The War Eagles have fallen to TCA in week one and JCS last week and are now 6-2 overall with a 4-0 regional record.

Greenfield will be hosting the Gleason Bulldogs this Friday night. The Yellowjackets still have a chance to reach the playoffs with a win this week and one against Lake County the final week of the season. They are presently 1-3 in regional action and 3-5 overall.

Central’s first offensive possession found Ryan McMackin rushing for consecutive first downs. At the 8:17 mark, Willis followed strong blocking enroute to a 34-yard touchdown run. Hunter Stepp came in to kick the PAT, but it failed to split the uprights and Central held a 6-0 lead.

Lake County utilized Falcon running back Julius McElrath for short consistent gains. Quarterback Brandon Springer completed passes to Don Horner and John Lemonde to move the ball to the Tiger 33. At the 3:52 mark, McElrath raced into the end zone for a Falcon score. The two-point conversion was good and Lake County took the lead 8-6.

Central quarterback Nick Eason ignited the Tiger crowd with a long pass to Josh Irwin at the Falcon one-yard line. At the 1:00 mark, Willis followed the Tiger line surge into the end zone. Eason scored on the two-point conversion and Central regained the lead, 14-8.

Lake County was unable to move the ball on its next series and was forced to punt.

Central was also unable to sustain a drive and prepared to punt on fourth and five. An errant snap sent the ball sailing over punter Lucas Young’s head. Young managed to get the ball, but he was tackled at the Tiger 24-yard line.

Wasting little time, the Falcons scored at the 7:15 mark of the second period. McElrath took the option pitch and raced in to score from eight yards out. Springer scored the two-point conversion and the Falcons extended their lead to 16-14.

Central, behind the power running of McMackin and Willis moved the ball steadily downfield. At the 4:06 mark, McMackin fumbled at the Falcon three. Lake County returned the miscue to the 33-yard line.

The Falcons felt the bite of the fumble bug on the next play. Quarterback Spring fumbled the ball back to the Tigers. Lake County’s linebacker Josh Leinweber’s back to back tackles aided in Central’s turning the ball over on downs however.
Falcon speedster McElrath bolted 60 plus yards after regaining possession, but was brought down at the Tiger nine. At the 1:17 mark, Springer skirted around right end to score. The PAT was good and Lake County led 23-14 at intermission.

Great entertainment was presented at halftime by the enthusiastic Lady Falcon dance troupe.

Central stymied the Falcons first drive of the third quarter and forced them to punt.

Kerry Hunt returned the punt to the 47. The Tigers then went to work. Following the blocking of Russell Noles and Josh Oatsvall, Willis stiff-armed defenders for a first down. McMackin gained three yards up the middle. At the 9:29 mark, Willis accelerated through the Falcon defense enroute to a 34-yard score. Quarterback Eason kept the ball for the two-point addition and Central closed the gap, trailing the Falcons 23-22.

Following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Falcons which backed them to their own seven, Central’s defense rallied to shut Lake County down. A short punt by the Falcons gave the Tigers great field position at the Lake County 26.

Willis again followed the blocking of Noles and Oatsvall and hammed the Falcons on back to back runs. He ultimately moved the ball to the Falcon five-yard line. Eason held on a quarterback keeper and advanced the ball to the one. At the 5:18 mark, McMackin powered over the line into the end zone and scored. Willis added the two-point conversion and the Tigers now led 30-23.

Central’s defense, led by a sack by Young and Jeremy Lowe, turned up the heat. Springer was intercepted by Hunt, who returned the ball to the Falcon 28.

Willis continued his running spree on Central’s next series. Following the Tiger line, Willis and company moved the ball to the Falcon 15. McMackin gained three tough yards off the left side. Willis then fought for the first and goal at the five-yard line. With 1:58 remaining in the third period, Eason raced up the middle and into the end zone for a third Tiger score of the period. Stepp’s PAT was good, and Central increased its lead to 37-23.

Lake County fought back and utilized the speed of McElrath to quickly move the ball downfield. Falcon lineman Quentin Jones recovered a fumble to sustain the drive. At the 7:12 mark of the final period, with a fourth and seven on the board, McElrath got more than the needed yards as he entered the end zone on a 10-yard run. Springer scored on the two-point conversion and the Tiger margin had been narrowed to 37-31.

The Falcon defense forced Central to turn the ball over on downs at the 3:27 mark to gain one more opportunity to retake the lead. However the Central defensive line also rose to the occasion. McElrath was stopped for a loss of one by Michael Hargrove. Detris Willis tackled McElrath for no gain and Lowe had his third sack when he got to Springer. Springer’s fourth and 17 pass completion to McElrath came up two yards short due to a great tackle by Matt Davis. Central took over on downs with 1:40 remaining.

Willis struck for a final time at the 49 second mark. Exploding through the Falcon secondary, he dashed 47 yards to the end zone. Stepp’s PAT kick was good and the lead was expanded to 44-31.

Moments later, a relieved and excited Tiger football team claimed a hard-fought and well deserved victory.

The Tigers still have two games remaining in the regular season. This Friday night they will host the Chester County Eagles at Joe T. Herndon Stadium and will travel to Gleason the following Thursday for their final game of the regular season. Game time will be 7:30 this Friday.

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