Late touchdown lifts Central to win over Festus

~ The teams combined to score four touchdowns in the final two minutes of the game

It would be hard to imagine a wilder football game than what transpired at Central's Tiger Stadium Friday night.

It took a second stiff-arm from Mikey Jones to ultimately decide things.

"The first one was a little weak. I had to come back with another one," Jones, Central's senior tailback, said as he sported a huge grin.

There were smiles all around from Central after its heart-stopping 62-56 senior night win over visiting Festus to end the regular season.

"It was a crazy game," Central senior offensive lineman Caleb Jones said. "Emotions were up and down."

That was especially true during the last 1 minute, 23 seconds of the fourth quarter, which featured two touchdowns by each team.

Central’s Mikey Jones tries to break free from Festus’ Travis Spraul, right, and Will Wamble during the second quarter of Central’s 62-56 win over Festus on Friday at Central. (Adam Vogler)

Central, which never trailed and four times led by 21 points -- including in the third period -- saw Festus pull into its only two ties of the night in that final 1:23.

That's when Mikey Jones' stiff-arm turned the tide back in Central's favor.

Festus senior speedster Travis Spraul's 96-yard kickoff return with 54 seconds left forged a 56-56 deadlock.

When Spraul booted the ensuing kickoff into the end zone, forcing Central to start from its 20-yard line, overtime seemed imminent.

When senior quarterback Dennis Vinson was sacked for a nine-yard loss on first down, Central coach Nathan Norman wondered if he should just have Vinson take a knee.

"I thought about just going to overtime," Norman said.

But Norman decided to give one of his explosive athletes a chance to make a play.

The move paid off.

With time running down, Vinson dropped back to pass and found Jones behind the defense along the right sideline at about the Central 35-yard line.

Jones caught the pass and took off, with defender Corey Carr giving chase. Carr caught up to Jones and slowed him down.

Jones' first stiff-arm at about the Festus 30-yard line didn't do much to deter Carr, who appeared to have a good shot at bringing Jones down.

But Jones' threw out a second stiff-arm at about the 20 that totally knocked Carr away. He then continued tight-roping the sideline before crossing the goal line with 7.9 seconds left.

"I thought he had me, but then that [second] stiff-arm came," Jones said.

Said Norman: "And he [Jones] was sick this week. Just a tough competitor."

Central intentionally squibbed the next kickoff. The dangerous Spraul was able to field it after a few bounces but didn't have any room and ran out of bounds at his 29-yard line with less than a second remaining.

An incomplete pass finally ended things as Central improved to 5-4 with its fourth straight win.

"We never quit fighting. I never doubt our kids' will to win. They showed it tonight," Norman said. "I"m proud of them, proud of my coaches. We were 1-4, got thumped at Jackson. We could have thrown in the towel."

Festus, which entered the night leading the Class 4 District 1 standings while Central was fourth, fell to 7-2.

"They've got a great offense. They never quit," Norman said of the visitors. "We let our foot off the gas pedal. We didn't play well defensively in the third and fourth quarter."

Central's offense hummed most of the night as Jones and junior tailback Braion Owens both rushed for more than 200 yards, part of an attack that piled up 637 total yards.

"We dominated on offense," Caleb Jones said. "We've got all seniors on the offensive line and our running backs are some of the best in Southeast Missouri."

Mikey Jones, who entered the night with 900 yards on the season, broke the 1,000-yard mark with ease as he piled up 215 yards on 31 carries.

Jones scored four rushing touchdowns in addition to his long pass play, from 48, 24, 11 and 6 yards. He also ran for a two-point conversion.

Owens rushed for 203 yards on 16 carries despite missing virtually all of the second half with a shoulder injury.

Owens, after rushing for 199 first-half yards, got banged up on his first and only carry of the second half, a 4-yard run early in the third quarter.

"Right now it's just real sore," Owens said.

Owens said Central's offensive line of Caleb Jones, Zach Stagner, Martez Carter, Lorenzen Brookins and Scottie Thomas, along with tight end Bo Wilferth and fullback Chase Eubank -- all seven are seniors -- deserves major props.

"Our senior offensive line is doing a great job this year," said Owens, who scored on a 20-yard run.

Vinson continued his efficient play during the run-dominated game, completing 4 of 6 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns. He also scored on a 1-yard run.

Sophomore Al Young, who plays receiver and tailback, continued to pile up touchdowns with two more scores, giving him 16 on the season.

Young took a short pass from Vinson and ran 40 yards to the end zone in the first half, then it looked like the duo had hooked up for a game-winning touchdown late.

After Festus forged its first tie of the night at 49-49 with 1:23 left, Central struck on the first play after the kickoff from its 20-yard line.

Vinson hit Young at about midfield and Young did the rest, eluding defenders on his way to the end zone with 1:09 remaining.

Not to be overlooked was senior Matt Chism kicking a 35-yard extra point after Young's touchdown due to a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty.

"I thought that won the game," Young said of his TD. "Then they came back with the kickoff return [by Spraul]."

But the Tigers had the final say, thanks to Jones' big play.

"All you got to do is never quit and believe in the team," Jones said. "We're a family."

Festus also had its share of impressive performers as senior tailback Carr and junior fullback Nathan Cummings both rushed for more than 100 yards with 162 and 120, respectively.

The visitors, who trailed 21-0 early in the second quarter, 35-14 at halftime and 42-21 midway through the third period, gained 319 of their 495 yards in the final half.

"That was the craziest game I've ever played in," Young said.

Central moved up to second in the district after an appeal to leap Festus in the standings. It will host Farmington at 7 p.m. Thursday in a quarterfinal. The Tigers defeated Farmington 59-21 at home in Week 6. That win started the team's four-game winning streak.

Festus 0 14 21 21 -- 56

Central 13 22 7 20 -- 62

First Quarter

C -- Mikey Jones 48 run (Matt Chism kick), 10:31

C -- Jones 6 run (kick failed), 1:38

Second Quarter

C -- Al Young 40 pass from Dennis Vinson (Jones run), 10:47

F -- Travis Spraul 61 run (Spraul kick), 9:38

C -- Jones 24 run (Chism kick), 6:33

F -- Nathan Cummings 5 run (Spraul kick), 3:41

C -- Braion Owens 20 rurn (Chism kick), 2:27

Third Quarter

F -- Cummings 1 run (Spraul kick), 10:39

C -- Vinson 1 run (Chism kick), 7:57

F -- Corey Carr 3 run (Spraul kick), 5:19

F -- Jordan Wilkes 15 pass from Andrew Hayden (Spraul kick), 1:23

Fourth Quarter

C -- Jones 11 run (Chism kick), 6:23

F -- Jaden Reddick 1 run (Spraul kick), 4:37

F -- Cummings 2 run (Spraul kick), 1:23

C -- Young 80 pass from Vinson (Chism kick), 1:09

F -- Spraul 96 kickoff return (Spraul kick), 0:54

C -- Jones 89 pass from Vinson (kick blocked), 0:07

F C

First downs 23 25

Rushes-yards 55-447 55-426

Passing yards 48 211

Passes 3-6-1 4-6-0

Punts 2-29 2-45.5

Fumbles-Lost 1-0 3-1

Penalties-Yards 5-35 6-43

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING -- Festus, Carr 21-162, Cummings 13-120, Spraul 6-77, Reddick 9-54, Wilkes 5-44, Hayden 1-minus 10. Central, Jones 31-215, Owens 16-203, Chase Eubank 2-13, Vinson 3-6, Young 2-minus 11, Kway-chon Chisom 1-0.

PASSING -- Festus, Hayden 3-6-1-48. Central, Vinson 4-6-0-211.

RECEIVING -- Festus, Spraul 2-33, Wilkes 1-15. Central, Young 3-122, Jones 1-89.