Football Friday night: RCHS, Central advance to round three of high school football playoffs

Friday’s second round game between Jasper and Clay Central pitted the defending state champions against the No. 1 team in the state. And by the end of the night the Central Volunteers proved unequivocally which one of those titles carried the most weight.

The Vols, class 5A’s reigning state champs, turned in a nearly flawless defensive performance, forced three turnovers and mustered just enough offense to come away with a 20-7 win to eliminate previously unbeaten and top-ranked Jasper.

Jasper’s only points came on the opening possession of the game after a pick-six by Central’s Elisha McNeil was negated by a defensive holding penalty on the third play of the contest. The Vikings covered a total of 71 yards and cashed in the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Parker Sawyer.

But after that Central’s defense completely shut down the Jasper offense. The Vikings managed a total of 102 yards from scrimmage the rest of the game and punted seven times.

In fact, the punting game was where Central broke the defensive stalemate between the two teams. Two big punting miscues set up Central’s first 10 points and gave the Vols a lead they would never surrender.

The first break came for Central when punter Preston Reed froze in the face of Central’s rush, tucked the ball and was tackled for a 13-yard loss. That gave Central a first-and-10 on the Jasper 11-yard line. A holding penalty against the Vols dampened the momentum and kept them out of the end zone, but Clay Yates came on kicked a 25-yard field goal for the Vols’ first points.

With the score still 7-3 in Jasper’s favor late in the second quarter, Jasper muffed a Central punt and the Vols recovered on the Jasper 4-yard line. The Vols gladly unwrapped that gift with a 4-yard touchdown run by Quentin Knight on the very next play.

The Vols’ only other touchdown came after another Jasper turnover. Javon Wood picked off a Sawyer pass and returned it to the Jasper 23-yard line with 6:07 left in the third quarter. Five plays later quarterback Boyd Ogles hit Caden McCain for a 16-yard touchdown pass that gave Central a 17-7 lead. And with the way the Central defense was playing that 10- point cushion looked mighty comfortable.

Yates later added a 35-yard field goal to pad the lead and provide the final margin of victory.

Neither team had gaudy offensive numbers. Knight finished with 62 yards and touchdown on 27 carries, and Ogles completed just 7-of-15 passes for 70 yards. But J.D. McNealey provided a huge lift in the running game in the second half. He rushed for 63 yards on just seven carries, six of which came on the Vols’ final possession and allowed them to run out the clock.

Central now advances to a third-round matchup against Madison County. That game will be in Lineville next Friday.

Other scores

RCHS 54, Westminster Christian 6 – RCHS advances to the third round where they will host Walter Wellborn next Friday in Wedowee

Montgomery Catholic 9, Handley 6 – Handley managed just one touchdown and fell in a heartbreaker to Montgomery Catholic to end the Tigers’ season with a 7-5 record.

Fyffe 38, Ranburne 7 – The Bulldogs were unable to solve the vaunted Fyffe defense and were eliminated in the second round for the third straight season.

Look for complete coverage of these game in next week’s print edition of the Randolph Leader.