#6 Mike Davenport matched his jersey number in touchdowns Friday night in a spectacular six touchdown, 169 yard ground effort at Ooltewah en route to a 56-34 Central victory over the Owls.
The win improves Central’s record to 4-0 on the season and solidifies their reputation as one of the area‘s elite.
Speaking of his offensive line after the game Davenport said, “If it weren’t for them I couldn’t do it. And I gotta give it to my WR Chris Geeter. Every time I scored I was on his side.” “We collected rent tonight, this is our house,” added Davenport about the victory.
Last Friday night Davenport lit up the East Ridge defense for four touchdowns. He repeated that performance at Ooltewah this Friday night in the first half alone. Davenport carried the ball nine times for 101 yards and four touchdowns in the first half leading the Purple Pounders to a 28-14 halftime advantage.
“He’s got it goin.’ He has aspirations of playing college football and he knows what’s on the line,” said Central Head Coach Curt Jones of Davenport.
The Ooltewah Owls matched Davenport’s four touchdowns with four first half turnovers that left Central with field position at the Ooltewah 7, 8, 18 and 19 yard lines. A bobbled snap on the first play of the game resulted in an Owls turnover at their own 19. Central failed to capitalize on the mistake and ended up missing a 26-yard field goal.
On the ensuing possession Ooltewah marched 80 yards downfield to score the first points of the game off an Elliot Harris two-yard touchdown run.
From there, senior Purple Pounder Davenport took over - scoring four times consecutively on runs of 6, 12, 15 and 39 yards. Late in the second quarter Owls’ QB Zack Woods connected with WR Antonio Lansden for a 35-yard touchdown pass that brought Ooltewah within 14 at halftime. And that’s as close as they would get.
RB Adam Medlock and Davenport scored the only touchdowns of the third quarter on runs of nine and two yards. Davenport scored his sixth touchdown of the game three minutes after his fifth on a 15-yard carry into the end zone. Adam Medlock capped off the Pounders’ scoring for the night with a 21-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth.
The Purple Pounders dominated the first 18 minutes of the second half 28-0 until Owls’ RB Marcus Williams broke away for a 71-yard touchdown scamper to score Ooltewah’s first points of the second half with about six minutes left in the fourth. Minutes later Williams would again find the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown run that brought the score to 56-26. Ooltewah then forced Central to punt on the next possession leading to an 85-yard Antonio Landsden punt return for a touchdown.
“The big thing was late turnovers, in the end we tried to sub some young guys in”, said Coach Jones. “Gotta give Ooltewah credit, they played hard to the end.”
Mike Davenport led the Pounders with 169 yards on 20 carries. Adam Medlock chipped in 70 yards and two scores running the ball for Central.
Central QB Joe Despaux, who ran for 154 yards last week, completed only 3 of 11 passes for 21 yards passing against the Owls. This week Despaux ran for a mere three yards.
Robert Woods recorded three sacks on the night and junior Brent Hayes led the Central defense with 10 tackles.
Ooltewah was led by senior RB Marcus Williams who ran 15 times for 158 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns. Elliot Harris took 10 rushes for 50 yards including the first touchdown of the game. QB Zack Woods completed 6 of 15 passes for 59 yards and a touchdown for the Owls.
Blake McDade had 14 tackles and a sack on the night for Ooltewah, who drop to 1-3 on the year.
Central captains
- Photo2 by Weston Wamp