Central's defense helps spark Tigers' 40-28 victory

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Central's Christopher Martin got beat on a touchdown pass during the second quarter, but he didn't let that affect his confidence.

The sophomore got the better of Farmington quarterback Zach Hibbits when he picked off a pass and raced 75 yards for a momentum-changing touchdown late in the third quarter Friday.

The Tigers rode that momentum shift to a 40-28 victory over the Knights in their Class 4 District 1 opener.

"It was cover-5 and I knew I had someone over the top so I just went under and scooped it up," Martin said.

Martin drew the ire of Tigers coach Rich Payne earlier in the game because of his defensive coverage.

Central quarterback Christian Cavaness takes the snap during Friday's game at Farmington High School. Check out more photos from the game at semoball.com. (Laura Simon)

"We coached it up a little bit on the sidelines how to take care of that because we gave him help over the top," Payne said. "He had to play the underneath stuff. On that particular play, all of a sudden he plays it exactly the way we coached him and he comes up with a pick. Big. It was a huge turnaround in momentum."

Martin stepped in front of the intended Farmington receiver then danced around a couple of would-be tacklers on his way down the left sideline to the end zone.

"I don't know how in heaven's name he actually came up with it," Payne said about the interception.

The touchdown padded the Tigers' lead to 33-20 with 2.7 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

"I loved that, dude," Central senior defensive back Jaeson Reddin said about the interception. "That was a big turnaround -- him getting beat before, overcoming adversity and keeping his head on."

Central running back Keilon Moore escapes the clutches of a Farmington defender during Moore's second-quarter touchdown run Friday.

The game hardly was over. The teams traded turnovers early in the fourth quarter, with Austin Davis intercepting Hibbits after the Tigers fumbled. Central's offense looked for the knockout punch when it drove to Farmington's 24-yard line, but the Knights forced fourth-and-10.

The Tigers decided to try their luck. Central quarterback Christian Cavaness lofted a pass to Andrew Williams along the left sideline. Williams hauled it in for the touchdown and a 40-20 lead with 5:16 left in the game.

"I just had to throw it up to him and he'd get it," Cavaness said.

Farmington answered with an 85-yard drive that lasted 2 minutes, 4 seconds to pull within 40-28. It got dicier for the Tigers when the normally sure-handed Keilon Moore fumbled on the team's first play from scrimmage.

"I was trying to dive on the ground to let the clock keep running," Moore said. "I thought I was down, but I guess the refs didn't."

Central offensive lineman Kevin Flesher prepares to block as Tigers quarterback Christian Cavaness prepares to hand off Friday.

Farmington took over at Central's 24-yard line, but the Tigers' defense stiffened and threw Connor Davault for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1 to ice the victory.

"It feels real good to know we still have a chance at the playoffs," Cavaness said. "We haven't been this good in a while, so it feels good to be a part of this team."

Friday's game quickly developed into a battle between Farmington's potent no-huddle spread passing game and Central's vaunted rushing attack. The offenses combined for more than 900 yards of offense in the contest.

Hibbits relied on his arm and legs to march down the field. He scored two touchdowns in the first half, one passing and one rushing.

"He's very tough because he can beat you with his feet, he can beat you in the air," Payne said. "He feels pressure exceptionally well and moves away from pressure. And he's a smart player because he's played for three years in that position in this offense."

Central coach Rich Payne talks to his team after Friday's Class 4 District 1 opener.

But it was Central's rushing game that overwhelmed the Knights. The Tigers gained 433 yards on 59 carries and earned 19 of their 21 first downs on the ground in the contest.

"You could say it was hard work," Central offensive lineman Chris Bird said about the offense's success.

Moore led the way with 187 yards and a score on 23 carries. It's eight more carries than he had in any other game this season.

"I'm not tired. We been conditioning for this," Moore said. "We been waiting the whole season."

Rodney Reynolds also eclipsed the century mark, finishing with 100 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in the win.

Central fans celebrate a big gain for the Tigers during Friday's game.

"They're fast," Farmington coach Todd Vaughn said. "They can trap you on the inside and hit you on the inside, and they can run the perimeter. It's hard to defend both. That's what they do well. They have a great fullback and have some guards who do a good job blocking. Then they can run to the perimeter."

Central's defense did a better job against Hibbits in the second half. The Tigers limited him to 111 yards passing and 32 yards rushing after intermission. They also intercepted him twice.

"They got a little bit better pressure, I think, the second half than they did the first half," Vaughn said. "Sometimes it's not just the quarterback. Sometimes it's the route, sometimes it's the timing of it. We just didn't play as well passing-game wise in the second half as we did the first half. You've got to make better decisions."

Central scored first, but Farmington took the lead on Hibbits' first touchdown pass with 3:34 left before halftime. It was the first time all season that Central trailed in a game, and they went into halftime down a point.

"They were all looking around a little bit," Payne said about his locker room at halftime. "I told them, 'Look, just relax. Smile and relax. You're down one point right now and that ain't nothing. Our offense can score. We can shut him down. But we got to continue to believe in themselves.'"

Central moved to 8-0 for the first time since the 1972 season to set up a battle of unbeatens Thursday when Sikeston visits Houck Stadium. The winner likely will capture the district title.

"It's very exciting," Martin said.

Central 7 12 14 7 -- 40

Farmington 6 14 0 8 -- 28

First Quarter

C -- Christian Cavaness 1 run (Andrew Hileman kick), 5:28

F -- Brett Bader 9 run (kick failed), 3:59

Second Quarter

C -- Keilon Moore 15 run (run failed), 9:38

F -- Zach Hibbits 13 run (Logan Bradley kick), 7:13

C -- Rodney Reynolds 38 run (kick blocked), 5:20

F -- Jonathon Bird 13 pass from Hibbits (Bradley kick), 3:34

Third Quarter

C -- Deonte Jenkins 12 run (James Poindexter run), 2:38

C -- Christopher Martin 85 INT return (kick failed), :02

Fourth Quarter

C -- Andrew Williams 24 pass from Cavaness (Hileman kick), 5:16

F -- Bird 18 pass from Hibbits (Bradley pass from Hibbits), 3:12

C F

First downs 21 23

Rushes-yards 59-433 39-146

Passing yards 51 279

Passes 3-5-0 21-41-2

Punts 3-38.3 4-42.8

Fumbles-lost 4-4 3-3

Penalties-yards 4-42 3-25

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Central, Keilon Moore 23-187, Rodney Reynolds 10-100, Deonte Jenkins 6-85, Christian Cavaness 5-5, Michael Reeder 6-15, James Poindexter 7-33, Austin Davis 2-8. Farmington, Roper Garrett 7-31, Zach Hibbits 18-74, Brett Bader 8-35, Logan Bradley 1-(-3), Chase Busenbark 1-8, Connor Davault 4-1.

PASSING -- Central, Christian Cavaness 3-5-51-0. Farmington, Zach Hibbits 21-41-279-2.

RECEIVING -- Central, Zach Boerboom 2-27, Andrew Williams 1-24. Farmington, Roper Garrett 2-28, Connor Davault 3-28, Doug Warren 4-90, Kyle Hartrup 4-53, Jonathon Bird 7-78, Brett Bader 1-(-1).