The Tigers host Wayne in a first-round playoff game Friday night at Tiger Field.
“We played a lot better this week,” Central head coach Wade Couch said. “I was very pleased and our attitude and effort were a lot better. We did real well.”
Tailback Ryan Rogers of the Tigers put the visitors on the board in the first period with a 5-yard touchdown run at the 10:39 mark.
About five minutes later Central quarterback Shade Kutil tossed a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Joe Gibson before Kutil ran for the conversion.
With two minutes gone in the second quarter, fullback Alex Taylor of the Tigers crossed the goal line after a 9-yard run, and Kutil’s conversion run made the score 22-0.
Rogers closed out Central’s first-half scoring with a 40-yard scamper later in the stanza, and Kutil threw to Gibson for the conversion.
The Tigers took a 30-0 lead to the locker room at the half.
Reserve quarterback Noah Miller of Central ran for a 1-yard touchdown midway through the third period, and Tiger linebacker Jake Lineberry finished the scoring in the final frame when he returned a fumble 62 yards for a TD.
Warner’s Ray King returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown before Matt Denton kicked the extra point for the Eagles.
Lineberry, who caused two fumbles in the game, was Central’s top tackler with 10 stops. Gibson, a defensive end, had six tackles, and defensive tackles Jacob Lattimore and Jake Taff followed with five tackles apiece. Lattimore also recovered a fumble and returned an interception 10 yards, and four of Taff’s tackles were for losses. Reserve safety Tyler Shell also had a fumble recovery for the Tigers.
Central’s defense allowed eight yards of total offense (39 yards passing and minus 31 yards rushing) in the contest.
Rogers, who only played two quarters, was the game’s leading rusher with 134 yards on eight carries.
Taylor carried the ball six times for 21 yards, Kutil had 20 yards on four attempts and running back Jacob Gibson had nine runs for 20 yards.
Kutil completed 5-of-6 passes for 42 yards to wide receiver Blake Rogers (two catches for 29 yards), Joe Gibson (two for 10) and Rogers (one for 3).
Central improved to 9-1 overall and 8-1 in District A-6 play with its fifth consecutive win while Warner ended its season at 2-8 and 1-9.
