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Central Still Undefeated

Photo by Joe Lovell Wheeling Central’s Lorenzo Ferrera carries the ball in the Maroon Knights’ 34-0 win over Carrick Friday night.

WHEELING — The wins keep on coming for the Wheeling Central Maroon Knights.

Their latest triumph came in dominating fashion on Friday night as the Knights upended visiting Carrick 34-0 on Homecoming Night on the campus of Wheeling University to improve their record to a sparkling 7-0.

“We came out pretty healthy overall,” Central coach Mike Young said. “Carrick is an athletic team and they played hard so I have to give credit to them. I’m proud of how well we played and how our seniors showed leadership out there. They rallied our younger kids in the second half. We started playing our backups in the third quarter and this was a great experience for them. It was a good homecoming and I’m awfully proud of them.”

The Central offense was clicking on all cylinders led by quarterback Payton Hildebrand, who found Lorenzo Ferrera for three touchdowns in the first half to give the Knights an early 20-0 upper hand. The duo connected six times for 114 yards.

“They have a great amount of respect for each other,” Young said of Hildebrand and Ferrera. “They play hard and they practice hard. I’m proud of them and what they were able to accomplish out there.”

The first TD pass from Hildebrand to Ferrera came from 21 yards away to complete a 69-yard march.

After forcing a Carrick punt, Hildebrand needed just one play to find Ferrera for a 41-yard touchdown on a well-executed screen pass.

Once the second quarter began it was more of the same — Hildebrand, Ferrera, touchdown.

This time the dynamic duo struck from 15 yards out to create a 20-0 cushion.

Carrick didn’t have much time to respond as the Knights ripped the ball out and Andrew Hartzell pounced on it for the Knights, setting the offense up at their opponents’ 13-yard line.

Once again, it took Central just one play to capitalize but this time it was Eli Tucker who rumbled into the end zone for the score. He also blasted home the PAT. He finished the game with four extra points made.

Running back Riley Watkins, who ran for a team-high 71 yards, capped the scoring in the first half with a 20-yard TD jaunt to put the Knights up 34-0 at the half, a lead they would not relinquish.

Central found the end zone on all but one of its first half possessions, while the defense shut down the Raiders.

Carrick finished the game with 50 yards of offense, compared to Central’s 315.

The Knights’ defense forced the Raiders into five punts, two turnovers on downs, a fumble and an interception by Hayden Mueller that got the crowd on its feet.

Carrick’s best opportunity to score came in the third when a Central fumble gave the Raiders the ball at the Knights’ 18-yard line. The threat didn’t last long, however, as Mueller hauled in the pick to fire up his teammates.

“Our defense gave a bend but don’t break performance out there,” Young said. “That was the key to our defense I thought.”

While the Knights remain unbeaten and will enjoy the victory on homecoming weekend, Young and his squad will quickly shift their focus on to their next opponent, a strong Beaver Local team on the road.

“We got our sights set on Beaver Local,” Young said. “It should be a big challenge and one heckuva game. I’m proud of our kids’ accomplishments. To be able to be undefeated at this stage of the season says a lot for everybody. I’m awfully proud of our kids and this program but we have to keep moving forward.”

Wheeling Central 34, Carrick 0

C – 0 0 0 0 — 0

W – 14 20 0 0 — 34

W — Ferrera 21 pass from Hildebrand (Tucker kick), 5:20

W — Ferrera 41 pass from Hildebrand (Tucker kick), 3:58

W — Ferrera 15 pass from Hildebrand (kick failed), 11:44

W — Tucker 13 run (Tucker kick), 11:23

W — Watkins 20 run (Tucker kick), 8:17

Rushing: Carrick 21-39 (Malloy 5-21, Frye 5-(-26), Woods 10-45, Babjak 1-(-1); Wheeling Central 22-201-2td (Watkins 7-71-td, Ferrera 3-54, Tucker 1-13-td, Mcwreath 6-50, Cover 1-(-9), Brady 1-23, White 2-6).

Passing: Carrick 2-13-11-x (all by Frye); Wheeling Central 6-8-114-3td-x (Hildebrand 6-7-114-3td, Cover 0-1-0-x).

Receiving: Carrick 2-11 (Fields 1-1, Thompson 1-11); Wheeling Central 6-114-3td (Ferrera 5-114-3td, Watkins 1-0).

First Downs: Carrick 3, Wheeling Central 9.

Penalties-Yards: Carrick 3-15, Wheeling Central 4-30.

Fumbles-Lost: Carrick 1-1, Wheeling Central 3-1.

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