Tigers win season opener against Heavener
The Central Tigers won their season opener, knocking off the Heavener Wolves 32-23 Friday night at Heavener’s Harvey Stadium.
HEAVENER — The Central Tigers won their season opener, knocking off the host Heavener Wolves 32-23 Friday night at Harvey Stadium.
The Tigers (1-0) scored on the last play of the first half to change the momentum in the game, went ahead in the third quarter then benefitted from a Heavener touchdown being nullified by a penalty before scoring a late touchdown on a prayer to seal a 32-23 win.
The key to the game was the Tigers constantly made big plays throughout the game, such as the touchdown 50-yard touchdown pass from Joseph Lee to Cade Tucker on the last play of the first half and overcoming a 20-8 lead in the first half. The Lee-to-Tucker TD pass play cut Heavener’s lead to 20-16 at intermission Heavener’s Jaxon Armstrong scored on a 90-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that gave the Wolves (1-1) a two-touchdown lead at 20-8.
The Tigers took the lead for good in the third quarter on a 7-yard run by Lee, who then threw to Tucker for the two-point conversion for a 24-20 lead.
After the Wolves’ go-ahead touchdown run was nullified by a holding call, Fernando Villanueva kicked a 27-yard field goal to cut the Tigers’ advantage to 24-23.
Central answered with a prayer. Facing fourth and long from the Heavener 33, Central quarterback Joseph Lee was chased backwards before he heaved a pass into the end zone that was caught by Connor Green. Then, the two-point conversion run by Lee was good, giving the Tigers a two-score lead midway through the final quarter at 32-20.
After Central grabbed an early 8-0 lead on running back Coy Blackburn’s 15-yard touchdown run, Heavener scored three times to take the 20-8 lead on two touchdowns by running back P.J. Riddley before Armstrong got loose and outran everybody for the 90-yard touchdown.
