Sanders, Chargers hold off Patriots

A two-score lead and a running back with more than 100 yards by halftime seemed like a comfortable situation Friday night for Central against Southwest.

The Chargers ended up needing all of the cushion to get the win.

Central withstood a second-half rally to hold off Southwest 27-20 after the Patriots got within a point in the fourth quarter prior to a Stephon Jones touchdown from 5 yards away with 4:48 to play.

Central (3-0) pulled out to a 21-6 halftime lead with Antonio Sanders Jr. racking up 125 yards and three touchdowns. But Southwest slowed him down in the second half, holding him to 66 yards.

The Patriots (1-2) pulled within a point, down 21-20 with 8:38 to play but drew no closer.

Three who mattered

Sanders Jr.: Even if he was slowed down in the second half, Sanders still had a big night. He started it off with 13 carries for 125 yards in the first half and three touchdowns, sparked by a 58-yard run on the second play of the game to set up his first score from 1 yard out. He also ripped off a 31-yard run in the fourth quarter to help the Chargers snap out of some offensive doldrums and get the momentum away from Southwest.

Jones: Possibly fewer players showed off the Chargers’ resilience than Jones. With Central leading by a point and needing a touchdown for some insurance late in the game, he called his own number on fourth down from the 5 and fought his way into the end zone for to set in the final margin.

SeDeran Scott: The Patriots utilized the jet sweep throughout the second half, and Scott was one of the multiple Patriots taking advantage. He rushed for 55 yards on five carries, including a third-quarter score from 6 yards away that trimmed the Central lead to 21-14.

Turning point

With Central’s offense slowed down, Southwest stormed back to try to take the lead with 8:38 to play, going for a two-point conversion after a Khalil McBride touchdown. The run up the middle came up short, forcing the Patriots to need another scoring drive, one that never came to fruition.

Worth mentioning

Standing tall on defense: Southwest was not deterred on defense after Sanders’ strong first half. The Patriots came out of halftime with resolve, holding Central to one first down in the third quarter and Sanders to two rushes of more than 10 yards in the second half.

Strong crowd: The in-town rivalry attracted a steady crowd at Henderson Stadium with the Central side of the stands approximately three quarters full with the Southwest side also having a solid turnout.

Offensive woes no more: Consider Southwest’s offensive malaise over. After not scoring an offensive touchdown through its first two games, the Patriots drove for three scores Friday, totaling 253 yards.

What might’ve been: Central had a 21-6 lead at halftime, but Southwest could not be blamed for not thinking of how close it came to preventing multiple Chargers scores. Down 7-0, Southwest nearly backed Central up to goal to go from outside the 20 when quarterback Jones was sacked by B.J. Sharpe, only to have the play nullified by a facemask penalty. Sanders scored shortly after, and Central led 14-0. Southwest also nearly stopped Central on fourth down just before halftime on an incomplete pass in the end zone, but a pass interference call gave the Chargers new life. Sanders took advantage, blasting into the end zone.

They said it

Central head coach Jesse Hicks on taking the early lead: “I wish we didn’t have to have a 21-6 lead and have those guys get that close, but it just shows our kids resiliency to keep doing what they were doing. We just can’t play like this when we get to the region.”

Hicks on the second half: “They had the momentum the whole second half. But when Antonio Sanders showed up and got that run, we knew we were in good shape. They had the momentum with those jet sweeps they were running. We just needed to break the line of scrimmage a few times.”

Southwest head coach Joseph Dupree on the Patriots’ rally: “We just have to play like that every week, and we have a good chance to come out on top.”

Dupree on the Patriots running jet sweeps: “I wanted to get the ball to some playmakers and let them make some plays. Our offensive line executed and blocked well, and our playmakers made some plays.”

What’s next?

Central hosts Northeast on Friday at Henderson Stadium, while Southwest travels to Spalding.

This story was originally published September 9, 2016 at 10:47 PM with the headline "Sanders, Chargers hold off Patriots."