Central Gets Back On Track With 49-21 Win
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WHEELING -- Earlier this week, Wheeling Central coach Mike Young said that Friday's game against Man High School would be a great gauge as to where his Knights stood in W.Va. Class A.
He was pleased with the results.
Central scored the first four touchdowns of the game and never looked back as the Maroon Knights rolled to a 49-21 victory over Man at Bishop Schmitt Field on Senior Night.
"Our offense was explosive (Friday) and the kids played hard," Young said. "To get to that running clock -- our defense played well because Man has some good athletes out there. Their quarterback threw the ball well and they have some good receivers. (Man) Coach Harvey Arms is a good coach and a good guy. Hopefully we can get this going with us going down there next year because their Class A program over the years has been really good."
The Knights also outgained the Hillbillies 410-241 to put an end to its two-game losing skid coming against Shadyside and Bellaire.
"I think both Shadyside and Bellaire will be in the postseason," Young said. "They are two quality teams and the size of the school that we have and who we have to play is a challenge but it forces us to practice harder and play tougher so when we get into Class A football, we're able to do better."
That tough play showed early on as Riley Watkins took advantage of five carries and ran for 55 yards on the opening drive, which included a 23-yard TD scamper by Watkins for a 7-0 lead.
Soon after, Lorenzo Ferrera took a Man punt and returned it 73 yards for a score. However, it was called back to the 17-yard line for holding. Nonetheless, QB Michael Toepfer found Braxton Anderson on the next play for a 17-yard TD strike and a 14-0 upperhand.
Ferrera wouldn't be denied his big-play touchdown, though, as he intercepted a pass on the ensuing Man march and raced 47 yards for a pick-six and the Knights held a 21-0 advantage after one.
Central recorded another interception the next time its defense stepped on the field, as well. This time it was Jayvon Miller, who charted two picks in the game.
Overall, the Knights' defense tallied five interceptions.
"They are learning to break on the ball," Young said. "They are learning to go up and get it and watch their man. I'm proud of them and proud of how hard they played."
Miller's first pick led to a Cole O'Neil 5-yard TD run from the wildcat formation to extend the lead to 28-0 with 10:50 remaining in the first half.
The Hillbillies continued to battle by rattling off a 44-yard scoring march, which culminated with a 16-yard, fake reverse, play-action pass from Israel Canterbury to Jeremiah Harless.
"First of all, Central has a heck of a team," Arms said. "They are really well-coached and they played really good football. We got off to a slow start but we did come on as we got going. We moved the ball a little bit but were not consistent enough to take it to the end zone. Overall, it was a pretty decent ball game for us but they just have a really good team."
The momentum was short-lived for the Hillbillies as Ferrera took the ensuing kickoff back to the Man 43, leading to Toepfer finding a wide open Miller from 3 yards out and the Knights took a 35-7 cushion into the break.
Ferrera supplied two touchdowns of over 50 yards in the second half -- the first being a 51-yard screen pass from Toepfer and the second coming on a 59-yard jaunt.
Man added two scores in the second half, as well, but could not make up enough ground on the high-flying Knights.
Lucan Galbraith put the game on ice with an interception for Central in the final seconds. Watkins also picked off a pass.
Toepfer paced the Central offense with 150 yards on 9 of 13 passing, while Watkins ran for 105 yards on 14 carries.
Harless had 100 yards receiving on five receptions for Man.
Wheeling Central 49, Man 21
Man 0 7 7 7 -- 21
Whg. Central 21 14 7 7 -- 49
W -- Watkins 23 run (Tucker kick), 9:01
W -- Anderson 17 pass from Toepfer (Tucker kick), 5:33
W -- Ferrera 47 interception return (Tucker kick), 2:45
W -- O'Neil 5 run (Tucker kick), 10:50
M -- Harless 16 pass from Canterbury (Tucker kick), 5:37
W -- Miller 3 pass from Toepfer (Tucker kick), 2:56
M -- Brumfield 15 run (Tipton kick), 7:03
W -- Ferrera 51 pass from Toepfer (Tucker kick), 6:05
W -- Ferrera 59 run (Tucker kick), 11:46
M -- Montgomery-Hall 50 fumble return (Tipton kick), 8:00
Rushing: Man 29-116-td (Adams 9-27, Baisden 7-22, Grimmett 4-12, Canterbury 2-0, Harless 1-18, Brumfield 6-37-td); Central 24-216-3td (Watkins 14-105-td, O'Neil 1-5-td, Toepfer 2-8, Ferrera 3-75-td, McWreath 3-19, Tucker 1-4).
Passing: Man 7-23-125-td-5x (Canterbury 7-22-125-td-5x, Harless 0-1-0); Central 13-18-194-3td-x (Toepfer 9-13-150-3td-x, Hildebrand 4-5-44).
Receiving: Man 7-125-td (Harless 5-100-td, Adams 1-6, Grimmett 1-19); Central 13-194-3td (O'Neil 2-22, Anderson 4-51-td, Ratcliffe 3-36, Watkins 2-31, Miller 1-3-td, Ferrera 1-51-td).
First Downs: Man 14; Central 21.
Penalties-Yards: Man 3-20; Central 5-65.
Fumbles-Lost: Man 0-0; Central 2-1.