Shorthanded Central can’t keep up with Jackson
Central was shorthanded before Friday’s game against one of the leaders in GHSA Region 4-3A with one of its top players not playing. The Chargers’ night at Henderson Stadium got tougher from there as Central fell victim big plays from Jackson’s offense in a 40-18 loss.
Chargers head coach Jesse Hicks wasn’t around for a better part of the night after as he was ejected by game officials after being assessed two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties with 8:03 to go in the first half. Robert Cummings assumed the duties of Chargers head coach for the remainder of the game.
Leading rusher Antonio Sanders Jr. was among a handful of players not playing due to off-field issues.
While Jackson’s win keeps the Red Devils (6-2 overall, 4-0 Region 4-3A) on track for a regular-season showdown against Peach County to decide the region title, Central (5-3, 1-3) is now in must-win territory in its final two games of the regular season against Rutland and Westside in order to make the playoffs.
Antavius Grier rushed for three touchdowns for Jackson while quarterback Shaderious Crowder had a pair of touchdown passes. Central got into the end zone by way of a returned fumble by Cameron Collier and 80-yard pass from Donald Lamb to Kendarious Murphy. The Chargers also scored on the game’s final play as Lamb found Kanuri Williams for a 12-yard score.
Four who mattered
Grier: Jackson’s tough to beat when Grier is lined up in the offensive backfield, and Friday night was a reminder as he lit up Central’s defense for 159 yards and three touchdowns. He scored on runs of 26, 1 and 15 yards and also had six runs of 10 yards or more, the longest being 49 yards.
Crowder: The Jackson quarterback’s ability to make plays on the run gave Central a hard time, as he did enough to prevent the Chargers from stacking the box to key on the run. He was 3-of-10 for 85 yards, hooking up with Daryan Ingram from 52 and 27 yards to score twice.
Kameron Adkins, Central: Adkins stepped up in place of the team’s leading rusher, Sanders, gaining 49 yards.
Lamb: Even when the Chargers were down by multiple scores, his arm kept Central energized, putting the ball in play and putting Central in position to get on the board. His touchdowns of 80 and 12 yards helped the Chargers finish out the night strong. He was 7-of-17 passing for 160 yards.
Turning point
Central trailed 7-6 in the second quarter after a Cameron Collier fumble return. Jackson, however, showed that its skill players were too much for the Chargers to handle. Ingram hauled in a 52-yard pass from Crowder for one score, and a short field off a punt enabled the Red Devils to drive 25 yards and lead 20-6.
Worth mentioning
Special effort: Jackson held on to momentum in the second half thanks to its special teams. A bobbled punt by Central was blocked by Andrew Barnes, who returned it 22 yards to the touchdown.
No quit: Central showed its resolve on the field and within the coaching staff in the second half. Even after falling behind 27-6, the Chargers kept chipping away at the deficit, throwing the ball downfield, looking for a spark. Even with less than a minute to go, Central was not content to run out time, running what amounted to a one-minute drill, using its timeouts to get into the end zone on the game’s final play.
The road ahead: As tough as Friday’s loss may have been for Central, THE playoffs are a very real possibility for the Chargers as long as they win their next two games against Rutland and Westside. Jackson can win the region by winning its next two contests against Kendrick and Peach County.
They said it
Hicks on being ejected: “I want to apologize to my kids, to my school, to my principal, to anybody associated with Central High School. That’s not the standard that I have set for my kids and for our program. And as a man, we get fleshly, and that referee said something to my daughter. It upset me real bad. And I know as being the head coach I know I have to show a little bit more character and integrity. And I want to apologize to all people for my actions (Friday). As a man, I have to stand up and say, ‘I was wrong,’ but I want people to understand why.”
Hicks on what led to his ejection: “It’s been something that’s been ongoing. I try not to get into it with referees. When there’s so many penalties, I just ask questions. What I need to be doing is really concentrating on my kids. But sometimes when I feel like my kids are not being treated fairly, I’ve got to stand up for them. If I don’t stand up for them, who’s going to do it? That’s what a coach should do, but I should have handled it differently. But (Central’s players) were right there fighting, there were in the game.”
Hicks on his message to his team the rest of the season: “Let’s get ready to get out there and play. Let’s beat Rutland and go get that cross-town rivalry over there with Westside. We’ve got to swallow it, we’ve got the 24-hour rule, and then we’ll get ready to do it again.”
Jackson head coach Dary Myricks on the Red Devils not taking advantage of earlier scoring chances given the remaining schedule: “To us, this is a tune-up for the playoffs. We know we’re in, now it’s just up to what seed. You can’t play like that and win in the playoffs.”
Myricks on Grier: “We have a fantastic back. I think he proved it again (Friday). Inside the tackles, outside the tackles, he’s a game-changer. That’s our goal every game, to get the ball in his hands.”
What’s next?
Central plays Rutland on Thursday.
This story was originally published October 14, 2016 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Shorthanded Central can’t keep up with Jackson."