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Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009

Butts, Chargers come alive in second half

As Central came out of the locker room after halftime Friday night, it trailed by seven to Monticello.

Twenty-four minutes of play later, the Chargers won 43-22.

Head coach Anthony Hines attributed the win to his senior quarterback, Kelcey Butts.

“Our plan was to come in and try to run the spread option,” Hines said. “Kelcey Butts is a magician back there.”

Butts contributed to the 35-point second half, scoring touchdowns on 25- and 33-yard runs on consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter.

The senior said that his team’s playoff chances were on his mind as he ran the ball.

“It’s do or die,” Butts said. “Our senior season was on the line.”

Butts ran the ball 12 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 63 yards, as he split time under center with junior Devon Thames.

Thames also played a part in the comeback, completing 6-of-10 passes for 148 yards and a first-half touchdown pass to senior Emanuel Carter.

The junior also had 45 rushing yards and a 22-yard touchdown on seven carries.

“We’ve got to trust our line,” Thames said. “I just had to make a big play for our team.”

Thames also had a fumble and an interception. Turnovers were a problem for both teams, with the Chargers losing three fumbles and an interception while the Hurricanes lost two fumbles and an interception.

Hines said that his team will work to improve ball control in the coming week.

“We’ll continue to work on ball security and situational football,” he said. “We have to give Monticello a lot of credit; they gave us all we could handle in the first half.”

Central’s defense did not allow a first down in the second half and only allowed seven points on a 33-yard rushing touchdown.

“The kids tightened up,” Hines said.

Thames said that he and Butts had to focus to lead their team beyond the turnovers.

“We just had to shake it off and keep our heads strong,” he said.