Opening play puts Tigers on the fast track

In a mere 18 seconds, the Central Tigers' offense accomplished something two Blytheville opponents hadn't done in 96 minutes.

Over 48 minutes, the Tiger defense also accomplished a feat no Chick opponents had come close to.

The Tigers, behind a 66-yard touchdown run by Monroe Hicks on their first play from scrimmage, ganged up on a previously high scoring and unbeaten Blytheville team for a 38-0 victory Thursday night at Houck Stadium.

Central's second consecutive shutout was its most impressive of the season, especially considering the Chicks had only allowed six total points coming into the game while scoring 68 points against Osceola, Ark., and Poplar Bluff.

Hicks scored on three touchdowns and Tiger junior cornerback Mark Dunaway scored on a 43-yard interception return and recovered two fumbles -- all in the first half.

While Hicks topped 160 yards rushing for the second straight week with 163 yards on 17 carries, the Tiger defense limited Blytheville's new spread offense to 195 yards, including just eight yards rushing. The Chicks had rolled up over 500 yards of offense in last Friday's 42-6 thumping of Poplar Bluff.

The Tigers seemed a little stunned about the ease of the victory, which gave them their first 3-0 start since 1997.

"I was a little surprised," Dunaway said. "They looked good on film, but we executed perfectly."

Central scored on four of its first five possessions in building a quick 24-0 lead.

"I thought it would be a lot closer," Tiger quarterback Mitch Craft said. "I thought it'd be another North County."

Craft was referring to a wild 53-52 double-overtime shootout in last year's state playoffs.

The game appeared like it would follow that form when Hicks took a handoff from Craft, sped around the left end and sailed down the sideline for his 66-yard touchdown run.

"Monroe was just being Monroe," Craft said of the run that jump-started the Tiger victory.

"We set the tempo with the first play," Hicks said. "We let them know we were going to play our game."

Colin Schermann, perfect on extra points this season, tacked on the kick for a 7-0 lead, which represented more points than the Chicks had allowed all season.

The Tigers then began their game-long trend of shutting down the Chicks, forcing a punt on Blytheville's first possession. The Chicks came their closest to scoring on their second possession when John Charles Rose's 29-yard field goal hit the crossbar and bounced away.

Central scored on the ensuing possession, plodding 80 yards in nine plays and scoring when Craft hit Chris Daniel with a 17-yard pass.

Schermann added the PAT for a 14-0 lead with 1:38 left in the quarter and hit a 41-yard field goal on Central's next possession in the second quarter. It was the second straight week where Schermann hit from over 40 yards out.

As he had in the previous two games, Schermann kept the opposition starting drives deep in their own end. Of his six kickoffs, Blytheville started from its 20 or worse on five occasions.

"Our special teams were great again tonight," Schermann said. "They've been good all year."

Hicks added a 1-yard touchdown run and Dunaway stepped in front of a Brice Beck pass into the flat for his first career interception and was in the clear for his first career touchdown also.

Ahead 31-0 at halftime, Central closed the scoring on its first possession of the second half on a Hicks 1-yard run.

"I was especially proud of our defense," Central coach Lawrence Brookins said. "To hold a team like that with good personnel to 0 on the board, that's awesome."

A hard-hitting Tiger defense knocked Beck out of the game in the second half. The sophomore quarterback was later wheeled off the field and taken to a hospital with a hip injury.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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