Central wins by one for first 'W'

ST. LOUIS -- When does an extra point actually mean something? When it's the difference between your first win of the season and a three-hour ride home on a hot bus wondering what could have been.

The Cape Central football team had to wait four weeks before wrapping up its first win. Without a stellar defensive effort and one extra point, it still would be waiting. Central was able to hold off Normandy in a 19-18 defensive slugfest at McCluer South on Saturday afternoon.

"We needed this bad," Cape Central coach Lawrence Brookins said. "We started off with three really tough teams. We really needed this one."

The victory gives the Tigers a 1-3 mark. A week after topping Jennings 12-3, Normandy fell to 1-3.

Central didn't make it easy on itself Saturday. It was never able to go up by more than a touchdown at any point in the game. The Tigers scored first when junior running back Brandon Twiggs ran 2 yards for a touchdown with 3 minutes and 47 seconds remaining the first half. The point-after kick was wide right.

Twiggs carried most of the load against Normandy, racking up 106 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

"Brandon is coming off a real good game," Brookins said. "He's starting to show some leadership."

On the ensuing Normandy possession, senior defensive back Tyrone Reece came up with an interception on third-and-5. But the Tigers gave the ball back to the Vikings on the next play. Normandy cornerback DeMarco Williams intercepted freshman quarterback Garrett Stevens' first pass of the afternoon and took it 43 yards for a touchdown with a little more than two minutes remaining in the half to make the score 6-6.

"That's a freshman mistake," Brookins said of Stevens' interception. "Sometimes the coaches have to remind each other that 'Hey, he's learning.'"

Central didn't let its head hang, bouncing right back for another touchdown before halftime. After a pass interference penalty on Normandy on third-and-6, junior running back Ryan Davis carried the ball twice to cover the final 31 yards of the drive. Davis' 25-yard touchdown scamper put the Tigers up 12-6. The two-point conversion failed.

In the third quarter, Normandy tied the game after a Central gaffe. The Tigers committed a personal foul late hit and were assessed 15 yards. On the next play, Normandy tailback Keri Ransom dashed 40 yards for the tying score. Normandy's two-point conversion failed.

The Central defense made up for the mistake later in the quarter, holding Normandy for a three and out to set up a punt. Central's Luke Proffer broke through the protection and blocked the kick.

Stevens found Reece on the next play for a 36-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers up 18-12. The point-after kick by Andy Billmeyer was good, giving Central a 19-12 advantage.

That proved to be the difference in the game. On the second play of the fourth quarter, Stevens was intercepted again and Normandy ran it back for another touchdown. The Vikings were flagged for excessive celebration and their point-after attempt was knocked back 15 yards. The two-point attempt failed and Central was able to hold out the final 10 minutes for the victory, making a pair of defensive stands in its own end to preserve the win.

"It was a struggle, but we got it," Brookins said of the first victory on the year. "I'm excited we got it."

But that excitement was tempered by what he saw on the field. The Tigers were flagged for seven penalties, including offsides and late hits. Those are the fouls that really get Brookins fired up.

"Dead-ball penalties are a cardinal sin," he said. "As a coach we want to limit our mistakes and play as perfect as we can."