DECATUR, Tenn. -- The Central Pounders rolled into Meigs County Friday night with a chance to secure a seat at the head of the Region 3-3A table and a leg up on winning the program's first league title in 38 years. It came with a chance to hand the vaunted Tigers back-to-back home losses for the first time in 10 seasons.
What it didn't come with, though, was any chance of stopping the Meigs County offense.
For the second week in a row, the papier-mâché Pounder defense had no answers as the Tigers scored on every possession till the final one, scoring 17 third quarter points to salt away a 45-19 victory to hand Central another disheartening loss on the road.
Meigs County (4-1, 2-0) rolled up 370 rushing yards on 54 carries on a rainy and even windier evening as a pair of Tigers runners topped the 100-yard mark in scoring six TDs on their first six drives. It was hauntingly familiar to the effort a week ago for the Pounder defense which has now given up 807 rushing yards and 54 first downs in two straight losses and have yet to force a punt in either.
For the Tigers, though, it was vintage smash mouth football after dropping a regular season home game last week for only the second time in their last 45 home bouts.
"It definitely left a bad taste in our mouths and I was anxious to see how we would respond," said first-year coach Nathan Simbeck. "We focused on the little things. We wanted to eliminate the drive killers. The turnovers and penalties stopped us a lot last week, but we did a great job of taking what we worked on in practice to the field tonight in some bad weather conditions.
"We got beat by a good team last week, and we knew Central was going to be just as good. Really proud of the defense because they are one explosive team and have one of the best players around, but we did a good job limiting him," added Simbeck.
That player was Ronye Watson, who was held to two catches for 16 yards and had only five touches total for the game.
Meigs County set the tone early, taking the opening drive 66 yards on six straight running plays with quarterback Tuff Ricker galloping home from 23 yards out. A missed extra point left it 6-0, though, and Central capitalized to take the first quarter lead. Caden Jones hit Houston Boykin on the Pounders first offensive play for a 40-yard gain, and Boykin scored four plays later on an eight-yard jaunt. Caden Hicks PAT gave Central the 7-6 lead at the end of the first.
The Tigers ran it 10 straight times on their next possession before Ricker found Daniel Mow in the end zone on a 13-yard pass to convert their first third down attempt. Ricker's two-point conversion run made it 14-7 to open the second quarter.
The Pounders were forced to punt after declining to go for a short fourth down try in their own territory and Meigs County drove it 59 yards, with 12 straight rushes before Ricker again converted a third down try with a 13-yard pass to Bryson Hiefner for the first of his four scores on the night.
"We had some adversity last week and we responded. We had a chance to open the door tonight and we decided to go ahead and kick it open. Just a great job by the line and our H-back Kegan (Lenker) opening up big holes for us," said Hiefner, who rushed for 140 yards on 29 carries.
Central (2-4, 1-1) had a chance before the half, but a big sack by Lucas Hughes ended the threat near the 30 and the Tigers led 21-7 at the break. The rain started to pick up and played a role in the third period when Meigs County scored 17 straight points in a span of seven minutes.
The Pounders got the second half kick but a bad snap of a slick football sailed into the end zone and Jones had to fall on it for a safety. The free kick gave the Tigers the ball at the Pounder 34 and they needed just six running plays to cover the distance with Hiefner going in from the 6. A holding penalty on the kickoff put Central up against the goal line and another slick ball snap allowed Landon Ricker time to sack Jones in the end zone for a second safety.
The free kick this time was brought back to the 30 and once again it was Hiefner with a three-yard burst to make it 38-7 with 4:40 left in the third period. After running just eight offensive plays in the third period for minus two yards, Central scored twice in the fourth.
Watson took a handoff and found Boykin for a 17-yard score and Jones followed up with a 50-yard pass to Boykin. In between the two scores, though Hiefner dashed in for a seven-yard score.
"It was a tough week, but we were ready to go tonight. We put last week behind us, and now we will put this week behind us, and get ready for another one," said Ricker, who ran 20 times for 175 yards and completed both passes he attempted for 26 more yards.
Boykin was outstanding for Central, rushing for 46 yards and catching five balls for 118 yards.
The Pounders will stay on the road next week with a game at Sweetwater, and Meigs County will host McMinn Central in a battle of district unbeatens.
GAME SUMMARY
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CENTRAL
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
--19
|
|
MEIGS COUNTY
|
6
|
15
|
17
|
7
|
-- 45
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M -- Tuff Ricker 23 run (Kick failed) (9:01, 1st)
C -- Houston Boykin 8 run (Caden Hicks kick) (5:57, 1st)
M -- Daniel M6 run (ow 13 pass from Tuff Ricker (Tuff Ricker run) (11:13, 2nd)
M -- Bryson Hiefner 13 pass from Tuff Ricker (Michael Kraskouskas kick) (2:26, 2nd)
M -- safety, ball snapped out of end zone (11:47, 3rd)
M -- Bryson Hiefner 6 run (Michael Kraskouskas kick) (8:54, 3rd)
M -- safety, Landon Ricker tackled Caden Jones in end zone (8:17, 3rd)
M -- Bryson Hiefner 3 run (Michael Kraskouskas kick) (4:40, 3rd)
C -- Houston Boykin 17 pass from Ronye Watson (pass failed) (9:02, 4th)
M -- Bryson Hiefner 7 run (Michael Kraskouskas kick) (4:37, 4th)
C -- Houston Bopykin 50 pass from Caden Jones (run failed) (2:10, 4th)
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STATS
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C
|
M
|
|
First Downs
|
12
|
24
|
|
Rushes-Yards
|
20-74
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54-370
|
|
Passing Yards
|
133
|
26
|
|
Total yards
|
227
|
396
|
|
Passing (Comp-Att-Int)
|
10-15-0
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2-2-0
|
|
Fumbles-Lost
|
4-0
|
2-0
|
|
Penalties-Yards
|
11-60
|
8-75
|
|
Punts-Avg,.
|
1-31.0
|
0-0.00
|
Individual Stats
RUSHING: Houston Boykin 9-46, Ronye Watson 2-(-10), Joseph Jefferson 3-31, Caden Jones 6-7 (C); Tuff Ricker 20-175, Bryson Hiefner 29-140, Ethan Shaver 4-35, Daniel Mow 1-17 (M).
PASSING: Caden Jones 9-14-0 136 yards, Ronye Watson 1-1--0 17 yards (C); Tuff Ricker 2-2-0 26 yards (M).
RECEIVING: Ronye Watson 2-16, Houston Boykin 5-118, Joseph Jefferson 2-14, Justin Jones 1-22 (C); Bryson Hiefner 1-13, Daniel Mow 1-13 (M).
RECORDS: Central (2-4, 1-1 3-3A), Meigs County 4-1, 2-0 3-3A).
UP NEXT: Central at Sweetwater and Meigs County hosts McMinn Central.
(Contact James Beach at 1134james@gmail.com)