Cape Central stampedes Sikeston 48-8

SIKESTON — Zai’Aire Thomas and Keyshawn Boyd ran wild, combining for 322 yards and six touchdowns in Cape Central’s 48-8 rout of Sikeston.

The Tigers’ (4-3) dominant running game set the tone for the game with Thomas and Boyd simply being too much, as they ran over, around and through the Bulldogs’ (0-7) defense at the Sikeston Public Schools Stadium on Friday, October. 6.

“We started playing very well but then we got a little sluggish on offense,” said Cape Central coach Kent Gibbs. “But overall we played about as well as possible and did what we needed to do. We got a lot of young kids into the game. We had a few too many penalties, but that’s part of the growing experience.”

Cape Central's Zai'Aire Thomas (3) runs�during a 48-8 win over Sikeston at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium on Friday, October 6, 2023.�Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Boyd’s electrifying 40-yard run on the first play from scrimmage sent a shockwave through the Sikeston defense and stunned the homecoming crowd.

Boyd later capped off the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run to give Cape Central a 6-0 lead with nine minutes and 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm for the rest of the opening quarter. However, on the first play of the second quarter, Boyd took off like a bullet and sprinted for an 80-yard touchdown to increase the lead to 14-0.

Sikeston's Trey Gorman (1) runs�during a 48-8 loss to Cape Central at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium on Friday, October 6, 2023.�Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Thomas extended the lead to 21-0 in the second quarter, scoring on a 34-yard run, and a short time later, he added a 39-yard touchdown run on fourth down to push the lead to 27-0.

“[Boyd and Thomas] are special and do great things,” Gibbs said. “All we have to do is give them a little crack or lane to run through and they do the rest. Hopefully, we continue to block well up front and they’ll continue to do the good things that they do.”

Just before halftime, Boyd added a 21-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers a commanding 33-0 lead.

Cape Central's Jathan Spain (14) throws�during a 48-8 win over Sikeston at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium on Friday, October 6, 2023.�Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Thomas piled on the misery for the Bulldogs with a 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, extending the Tigers’ lead to 41-0.

Tae’Shawn Arnold put the final nail in the coffin with a 2-yard touchdown run at the end of the third quarter to increase the lead to 48-0.

Cape Central’s offense was unstoppable throughout the game, racking up 402 total yards compared to Sikeston’s 105.

Sikeston's Bo Riddle (83) runs during a 48-8 loss to Cape Central at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium on Friday, October 6, 2023.�Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

“We played really well on defense,” Gibbs said. “There wasn’t a whole lot that [Sikeston] could do. They had some receivers open on some of their trick plays but overall we did a good job running and swarming to the ball, and making tackles once we got there. We had not been a good tackling team up until last week.”

Boyd rushed for 169 yards and three touchdowns, while Thomas rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns.

“Overall, we are all pleased with our kids and how they came out and did what they needed to do,” Gibbs concluded. “Sometimes you can have a mental letdown when you’re going against a team that’s not been real successful. We didn’t do that tonight. We came out and were ready to go from the first whistle to the last. I was proud of the effort.”

The Sikeston Homecoming Court stands for a photo on Friday, October 6, 2023.�Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

Sikeston never gave up, even when trailing by a large margin, and they were rewarded with a late touchdown run by Luke Gadberry.

“They fought and played hard until the very end,” said Sikeston coach Treston Pulley. “Cape Central did what we expected. They have some good backs and they ran the ball well. We were down 48-0 and we were still determined to go score a touchdown. Kudos to our kids for playing hard until the very end.”

Next Friday, Sikeston travels to New Madrid County Central (7-0) while Cape Central is on the road at DeSoto (1-5).